Roerichism

Rerikhism or Roerichism (Russian: Рерихи́зм) is a spiritual and cultural movement centered on the teachings transmitted by Helena and Nicholas Roerich. It draws ideas from Theosophy, Eastern and Western religions, and Vedic and Buddhist traditions, molding them into the Russian culture and Russian cosmism.

Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace
The Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace movement grew rapidly during the early nineteen-thirties, with centers in a number of countries. There were three international conferences, in Bruges, Belgium, in Montevideo, Uruguay, and in Washington, D.C. The Pact itself declared the necessity for protection of the cultural product and activity of the world—both during war and peace—and prescribed the method by which all sites of cultural value would be declared neutral and protected, just as the Red Cross does with hospitals. Indeed, the Roerich Pact was often called The Red Cross of Culture:

"NOW, THEREFORE be it known that I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Treaty to be made public to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States of America and the citizens thereof. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have caused the Seal of the United States of America to be hereunto affixed. DONE at the city of Washington this twenty-fifth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixtieth. FDR_Rerikhism.jpg FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT By the President: Cordell Hull Secretary of State"

Ideas of Roerich Pact still are not implemented in the international law, especially its principle of the almost unlimited preference of the preservation of cultural values to the military necessity.

The World Organisation of Culture of Health (WOCH)
This organization was founded in the year 1994. Victor Skumin was elected to the post of the President-founder of the World Organisation of Culture of Health — International social movement "To Health via Culture" (Russian: Междунаро́дное обще́ственное Движе́ние «К Здоро́вью че́рез Культу́ру»). The organization operates in accordance with the registered in Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation Charter. Key element of a Culture of health is implement innovative health programs that support a holistic approach to physical, mental and spiritual well-being both inside and outside the workplace.

In the Russian Orthodox Church the social activities of this international organization qualifies as an ideology of the Agni Yoga and New Age (NA),



"The ideology of the NA serves outstanding contemporary philosophers: Gregory Bateson, Ken Wilber, Paul Feyerabend. On a grand scale is the creation and support of international organizations, contained in the ideology of the NA. In Russia and in Ukraine, International movement "To Health via Culture", based on the teachings of Agni Yoga, operates and has a great publishing activity."

The relationship between the Skumin's doctrine of culture of health and Rerikhism is also confirmed by some scientists, such as Goraschuk V. P., Professor of Kharkov National Pedagogical University. In 2004, he wrote in his thesis for a Doctor’s degree on speciality "general pedagogics and history of pedagogics",

"V. Skumìn developed the problems associated with a culture of health in the context of philosophy of Roerich."

The anthem of WOCH ("To Health via Culture") consists of four stanzas. The capital letters each of the four stanzas form the word AGNI. Another hymn by Skumin is termed "Urusvati". Helena Roerich, known as the Tara Urusvati in Agni Yoga and Rerikhism. The hymn begins with the phrase, "The fire of the heart ignites Urusvati, she teaches the spirit take-off on the wings of the grace".

Skumin elaborated on the conceptions of spiritual evolution and proposed (1990) a classification of Homo spiritalis (Latin: "spiritual man"), the sixth root race, consisting of eight sub-races (subspecies) — HS0 Anabiosis spiritalis, HS1 Scientella spiritalis, HS2 Aurora spiritalis, HS3 Ascensus spiritalis, HS4 Vocatus spiritalis, HS5 Illuminatio spiritalis, НS6 Creatio spiritalis, and HS7 Servitus spiritalis.

The Journal of the World Organisation of Culture of Health (″World Health Culture Organization″) is based in Novocheboksarsk. In 1995, Victor Skumin became the first editor-in-chief of the journal To Health via Culture. The journal received an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) 0204-3440. The main topics of the magazine are the dissemination of ideas of culture of health, holistic medicine, Rerikhism, and Agni Yoga.

The Organization also has its own publishing house (To Health via Culture), who has the right to publish the books with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).