Protobase Laboratories sponsors upcoming “Roerich Pact: History and Modernity” exhibition in New York

Protobase Laboratories sponsors upcoming "Roerich Pact: History and Modernity" exhibition in New York

The International Center Roerich Pact: History and Modernity exhibition will open this April 15 at the United Nations headquarters

The Big Apple exhibition coincides with two important dates: the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments (the Roerich Pact) and 70 years since the founding of the United Nations Organization.

The exhibition has been organized jointly by the International Roerich Center and the Committee to Preserve the Roerich Legacy with assistance from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations. Companies sponsoring the event include Protobase Laboratories, Transaero Airlines and CapitalBE.

The exhibition will be infused with the principle of Peace through Culture –a concept that the Russian artist, writer, philosopher and peace activist wished above all to bequeath to the Pact and which, given today's economic and political environment, is a matter of vital global importance. The exhibition organizers are seeking to raise public awareness of Roerich's ideas and to stress the ongoing relevance of the Pact and its symbol, the "Banner of Peace".

In the light of current instability worldwide, strengthening international relations and preserving cultural business ties has become a priority task. In order to achieve these goals, to work for peace and conserve the world's cultural heritage for future generations, members of the business, cultural, scientific and other communities must unite in pursuit of the common cause. The social role played by business, particularly internationally, has come to assume a new importance and, as such, needs to be directed primarily at supporting initiatives protecting the common interests of nations and universal human values.

The Roerich Pact was signed in Washington D.C. by representatives of 21 states on April 15 1935. With time the number of participating states increased. This important document was the result of Roerich's tireless efforts and a crucial landmark in 20th-century campaigning to protect humanity's cultural heritage throughout the world. The Pact sought above all to conserve culture at all times, during both war and peace, and became the basis for subsequent international instruments designed to protect world culture, including the Hague Convention of 1954 and the initiatives of UNESCO in the area of international humanitarian law.

The Pact's emblem is the "Banner of Peace", three red dots within an enclosing circle symbolizing the eternity of time encompassing the past, present, and future. The Banner of Peace is used for designating listed cultural monuments and institutions.

The Roerich Pact: History and Modernity exhibition features a large number of items related to the creation of the Pact and the Banner of Peace, including unique photographs, archive documents from the International Roerich Center's collection, copies of Roerich's paintings, the originals of which are displayed in various galleries worldwide.

The historical material collected for the purposes of the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to gain insight into the overriding idea used by Roerich 80 years ago as a way to unite the global community with a view to starting an international movement dedicated to preserving culture for future generations, as well as the continuing relevance of that idea today.

Part of the exhibition is given over to the UN's peace-building activities and features a wide range of historical and culturological materials.

In recent years the Roerich Pact: History and Modernity exhibition has visited France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, India, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and many cities throughout Russia.