View source for Svetoslav Roerich

{{short description|Russian-Indian painter (1904–1993)}}
{{Expand Russian|topic=bio|date=May 2023}}
{{family name hatnote|Nikolayevich|Roerich|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Svetoslav Roerich
| native_name = Святослав Рерих
| caption  = Roerich in 1945
| image = Artist Svetoslav Roerich.jpg
| signature = Svetoslav Roerich's signature.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1904|10|23}}
| birth_place = [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1993|01|30|1904|10|23}}
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]], India
| resting_place = Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| citizenship = {{ubl|Russia {{small|(1904–1917)}}|Stateless {{small|(1917–1960)}}|India {{small|(1960–1993)}}}}
| education = {{startplainlist}}
* [[Columbia University]]
* [[Harvard University]]
{{endplainlist}}
| occupation = 
| spouse = {{marriage |[[Devika Rani]] |1945|1993}}
| father = [[Nicholas Roerich]]
| mother = [[Helena Roerich]]
| relatives = [[George de Roerich]] (brother)
}}

'''Svetoslav Nikolayevich Roerich'''{{ref|Alpha|α}} ({{langx|ru|Святослав Николаевич Рерих}}; 1904&ndash;1993) was a Russian and Indian<!--See MOS:NATIONALITY--> painter. Born in [[Saint Petersburg]], he was later based in India.

== Early life and education ==
Roerich was born on the 23 October 1904 in Saint Petersburg to [[Helena Roerich]] and [[Nicholas Roerich]].<ref name="LCNAF">{{cite web |title=Rerikh, S. N. (Svi︠a︡toslav Nikolaevich) |url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94047137 |website=Library of Congress Name Authority File |publisher=The Library of Congress |access-date=5 July 2025 |location=Washington, D.C. |date=2017}}</ref><ref name="Aunovsky">{{cite book |last2=Aunovsky |first2=O. K. |last1=Skumin |author-link=Victor Skumin |first1=V. A. |year=1995 |script-title=ru: Светоносцы (о семье Рерихов) |trans-title=The Bringers of the Light (The story of the Roerich family). |location=[[Novocheboksarsk]] |publisher=TEROS |url=http://biblmdkz.ru/svet.html |isbn=5-88167-004-3 |language=ru |access-date=16 January 2015 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824010907/http://biblmdkz.ru/svet.html |archive-date=24 August 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Roerich studied from a young age under his father's tutelage.<ref name="Aunovsky"/> Between 1918&ndash;1920, Roerich studied in England.<ref name="Singh"/> In 1920, Roerich entered [[Columbia University]] and studied architecture.<ref name="Singh"/><ref name="Christie's">{{cite web |title=Svetoslav Roerich (1904-1993): Portrait of Nicholas Roerich in a Tibetan Robe |url=https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5195783 |website=Christie's |publisher=Christie's |access-date=5 July 2025 |location=London |date=2009}}</ref> Roerich graduated from [[Harvard University]]'s School of Architecture.<ref name="Singh">{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Kuldip |title=Obituary: Svetoslav Roerich |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-svetoslav-roerich-1470676.html |access-date=5 July 2025 |work=The Independent |date=February 3, 1993}}</ref>

==Biography==
[[File:Residence of Svetoslav Roerich.JPG|thumb|Residence of Svetoslav Roerich, Bangalore]]
He won the Grand Prix of the [[Sesquicentennial Exposition]] in Philadelphia in 1926. He lived for many years in India where [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] awarded him the International Award and the [[Padma Bhushan]]. His paintings of Nehru and [[Indira Gandhi]], adorn the historic Central Parliament Hall in New Delhi. He was married in 1945 to an Indian movie star [[Devika Rani]], who was once married to producer [[Himanshu Rai]] and known as "The First Lady of the Indian Screen". Roerich was born a citizen of the Russian Empire, but became stateless after the Bolshevik Revolution. Resident in India since the 1930s, Roerich became an Indian citizen on 21 March 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/magazine/1056492/why-a-celebrated-russian-artist-chose-to-become-an-indian-citizen|title=Why a celebrated Russian artist chose to become an Indian citizen|website=scroll.in|date=16 September 2023 |access-date=13 May 2024 }}</ref> Roerich died in 1993 at the age of 88 and is buried in [[Bangalore]], India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://shapiroauctions.com/auctions/Auction-06-10-2018/179-svetoslav-nikolaevich-roerich-russian-1904-1993|title=SVETOSLAV NIKOLAEVICH ROERICH (RUSSIAN-INDIAN 1904–1993)|website=shapiroauctions.com}}</ref>

He was named an Honorary Academician of the Art Academy of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]], and was an honorary member of the Bulgarian Academy of Art.

He had a large plantation on the outskirts of Bangalore, called Tataguni, on Kanakpura road. He and Devika Rani lived here; after their respective deaths. In August 2011, the Government of Karnataka acquired the estate after the Supreme Court of India passed the verdict in favour of them.

Roerich family's residence in [[Manali, Himachal Pradesh|Manali]], India, is now home for a gallery of paintings. It is managed by the International Roerich Trust and has been named Roerich Heritage Museum. The gallery was founded by Svetoslav Roerich in 1962.<ref>[http://www.roerich-museum.ru/eng International Centre of the Roerichs]</ref>

==Work==
Roerich mainly painted landscapes and portraits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roerich.kar.nic.in/svetoslav_roerich.htm|title=Untitled Document|website=www.roerich.kar.nic.in}}</ref>
His paintings were first exhibited in India in 1936–1937.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041024/spectrum/main4.htm|title=The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref>

His portrait of [[Indira Gandhi]] was unveiled in the [[Parliament House (India)|Central Hall]] of the [[Parliament House (India)|Parliament of India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/picture_gallery/smt_indira.asp|title=Rajya Sabha|website=rajyasabha.nic.in}}</ref>

==Honours and awards==
[[File:RR5110-0057R.gif|thumb|commemorative coin on his birth centenary]]
[[File:S.Roerich Stamp.jpg|thumb| 2004 Russian stamp of Roerich]]
[[File:Svetoslav_Roerich_2004_stamp_of_India.jpg|thumb|2004 Indian stamp of Roerich]]

* [[Padma Bhushan]] (India) {{small|(1961)}}<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>
* [[Order of Friendship of Peoples]]
* [[Order of Madara Horseman]] (Bulgaria)
* Awarded Jawaharlal Nehru
* Cavalier of the [[Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius|Order of Cyril and Methodius]] (Bulgaria)
* Honorary Member of the [[USSR Academy of Arts]]
* Honorary Doctor of [[Veliko Tarnovo University]] (Bulgaria)
* Academician of the [[Academy of Fine Arts of India]]

==Family tree==
{{main|Tagore family#Family tree}}

==See also==
* [[Roerichism]]
* [[Helena Roerich]]
* [[Nicholas Roerich]]
* [[George de Roerich]]
* [[Pax Cultura]]
* [[Yuli Mikhailovich Vorontsov]] — president of International Centre of the Roerichs (Moscow)
* [[Sree Chitra Art Gallery]]

==Notes==
:{{note|Alpha|α}} Also [[anglicised]] as Svyatoslav Rerikh

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Svetoslav Roerich}}
*[http://www.srikanta-sastri.org/s-r-ramaswamy/4581298747 "SVETOSLAV ROERICH" – A Collective] by [[S. R. Ramaswamy]]
*[http://www.itihasa.in/svetoslav-roerich/4582054624 Rare Photographs of Svetoslav Roerich with World Leaders]
*[http://irmtkullu.com/the-roerich-family/svetoslav-roerich/ International Roerich Memorial Trust]   (India)

{{Nicholas Roerich}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–69}}
{{Fellows of the Lalit Kala Akademi}}
{{Tagore family}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roerich, Svetoslav}}
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:Painters from Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:People from Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd]]
[[Category:Roerich family|Svetoslav]]
[[Category:Baltic-German people from the Russian Empire]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian painters]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian historians]]
[[Category:Soviet painters]]
[[Category:Soviet historians]]
[[Category:Indian painters]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Russian emigrants to India]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of India]]
[[Category:Indian people of Russian descent]]
[[Category:Soviet expatriates in India]]
[[Category:People from Kullu]]
[[Category:Roerichism]]
[[Category:Soviet explorers]]
[[Category:Indian explorers]]
[[Category:Russian people of German descent]]
[[Category:Soviet orientalists]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Lalit Kala Akademi]]
[[Category:Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni]]