N.K. Roerich’s museum in Izvara considers its duty not only preserve memory of N.K. Roerich – “Driver of the World Culture”, preservation and studying nature of Izvara which brought up N.K. Roerich but also to act according to N.K. Roerich’s ideas. Understanding of Culture as synthesis of science, art and religion, continuation of all the best traditions of the humanity through practice of museum and educational work, through practical implementation is the principle of “Peace through culture”.
“Let’s build steps of future from the old sacred stones” - N.K. Roerich declared at the beginning of the last century. Both diverse life and creative work of N.K. Roerich and Izvara itself are allies of the museum staff concerning their activity on cultural, education and ecological bringing up.
The history of a 600-year-old Russian mansion is not well studied, experts are unanimous that “Russian mansion is a real country, continent, phenomenon of our history and culture”.
The mansion was created by inspiration of many specialists (architects, artists, landscape designers, gardeners etc.) whose task was to follow the principle of harmonic combination of the mansion ensemble with natural landscape and culture of the location, it was developed and existed as a place of various creative interests of its owners.
The Museum “Izvara” is a ensemble of natural, historical and architectural monuments. The museum territory (58,5hectares) includes an old park, spring lakes, estuary of the river Izvarka, lake Glukhoe, mansion park, forest-park zone (“Alley of love”), a part of forest – place of walks and hunting of N.K. Roerich. Izvara is located on the Southern slope of Izhora plateau, at the height of about 100 m above the sea level on the border of 2 landscape zones.
Izhora highland is a special physical and geographical district in the North-West of European Russia.
A need of maintenance of historical and cultural landscape of Izvara – the birthplace of N.K. Roerich, the great Russian artist, as well as the unique natural landscape calls for inevitable protection of this cultural and natural area in the North-West of Russia, it has enormous cultural and educational, natural scientific potential and provides opportunity to develop this mansion not only in cultural and historical but also in ecological terms.
The presence of Museum implies conservation of both mansion building of the XVIII – beginning of the XX century which includes the 18th century mansion and different mansion structures of the 18-20th centuries as well as the Studying house of Children Agricultural Colony of the early 20th century and historical natural landscape as integral part of the mansion. The museum has been conducting landscape conservation and Izvara nature cleaning activities for many years which include the main direction of ecological education.
The certain work on natural monument preservation in Izvara becomes logical basis for diverse cultural and ecological activities of the Museum.
Ecological programme is a part of cultural and educational programme for children of the museum of N.K. Roerich in Izvara. From the very beginning it was based on tasks of education for integral vision of its participants.
Let’s enlist just some directions of this activity which has been carried out in the last 15 years.