The history of the Izvara estate
Buildings and park of the estate
Interiors of the estate house
Exhibit articles of the museum

The Izvara estate is located near the Volosovo station, about 60 km far from Gatchina. Before a St.Petersburg notary Konstantin Roerich bought the estate, it had changed several owners, from the Sheremetievs to Veimarns. The estate belonged to the Roerichs from 1972 to 1900. The joyful and bright memories of the place kept through the years by Nikolai Roerich were recorded in his diary "The very first" in 1937.

The estate was sold after his father's death and Roerich used the money earned to study art in the studio of a renowned artist F.Kormon in France.

In 1913 Ministry of Justice has bought the estate out to arrange the St.Petersburg Agricultural Colony here. The already existing buildings were happily supplemented with other constructions to a design by architect A.Yakovlev.

A juvenile reformatory was placed here after the revolution of 1917.

The idea of creating a museum of N.Roerich in Izvara was initiated by cultural community in the 1970-ies. On restoration of the building completed, the museum was opened in 1984. Originally it shared the space with local community council and, later, with the community library.

The museum occupies the whole house now. Its appearance was carefully recreated to look like in the days of Roerich's youth. There were 12 rooms in the building (including "green" and "blue" guest rooms); children's rooms and Roerich's studio were located in the attic.

The park of the estate has been created in the 18th-19th centuries. Some unique species like noble fir, larch, thuja etc. still grow here. Two spring ponds giving rise to the Izvarka River and centennial linden alley add much beauty to the place. The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul is 1.5 km far. Konstantin Roerich, the painter's father, was a guardian there.

The estate manor was built in the early 18th century.

Another architectural landmark, the Trout Tower, was used for breeding fish from spawn. Water was going down the levels of the tower from a reservoir on top through the system of troughs with newly-hatched fish.

A barn was built out of entire trunks in the 18th century. A shed of the 19th century and ruins of the Dairy made of boulders are other interesting constructions.

The College house of the St.Petersburg Agricultural Colony was built in Art Nouveau style in 1915.

The 8 halls of the museum depicting the Russian period of Roerich's activities create specific atmosphere of an estate of the late 19th century that contributed a lot to his spiritual development.

The interiors of the house were recreated using the documents and photos of the early 20th century. The furnishings of the entrance hall are similar to what was used in the Roerich's family. A corner sofa was found near Izvara.

The Roerich's description and a photo of the early 20th century (its enlarged copy is placed above the samovar table) helped to reproduce the dining room interior. Some pieces, like a fare-place, were brought from St.Petersburg, others, like a chair of the 19th century, were donated by local residents.

The dining table and five chairs were handed to the museum from the Nikolai Roerich's flat in St.Petersburg (38, Bolshaya Morskaya ul.). They were bought from the Mitusovs family, relatives of Elena Roerich, in 1981.

Young Roerich created his early studies, poems and essays of Izvara nature and history in the room with the windows facing the park.

The decorated closet-shelf (wood, metal, mica, glass, carving, engraving) modelled as an ancient Russian house is attached to a massive carved board in the shape of fantastic birds. It was made by the students of the Princess M.Tenisheva's studio in Talashkino

Furniture of the 19th century is presented in the drawing room including the sofa from the Roerich's Petersburg flat and a Fortman grand piano. The family portrait picturing Konstantin Roerich, his wife Maria (Korkunova-Kalashnikova b.) and their children Lidia (born in 1869), Nikolai (born in 1874) and Vladimir (born in 1882) is above the grand piano. The sofa and chairs of the drawing room set belonged to Nikolai Roerich and furnished his flat in St.Petersburg (38 Bolshaya Morskaya ul.) in the 1910-ies. A mirror in the wooden carved frame and wall clock were found in Izvara environs.

The central place of the exhibit belongs to the sketch for the fresco "Evening of the Kiev Warriors Mightiness"(oil on canvas, 1874). Nikolai Roerich was conferred the rank of the artist for this work. It depicts heroes of ancient Kiev epic who perkily fought against the heavens and turned into stone in the result.

Sketch "Ferns" (oil on wood, 1890) inspired by one of charming Izvara corners is also on display. It was presented to V.Polyakov, a staffer of "Russkoe slovo (Russian word)" newspaper in 1913 and has been in the Polyakovs family till 1995. A photoportrait of Roerich in the studio is also presented here.

The museum collection includes Russian icons of the 19th-20th centuries to remind Roerich's interest in spiritual culture of old Russia. In 1903-1904 he was studying religious art (icon painting, frescoes, church architecture), having visited about 40 old Russian towns. He created his own icons, murals and mosaics for churches. The topics of Russian sanctuaries and saint people of Russia are among the important ones in his pictorial and literary art. The icons deposited in the museum were borrowed from the Museum of the History of Religion in St.Petersburg in 1992.

A special exhibit is devoted to the 120th anniversary of Nikolai Roerich. Documents and photos along with memorabilia and wonderful copies of his Himalayan landscapes painted by Boris Smirnov-Rusetsky, a Roerich's progeny, tell about different periods in the Roerich's family life including Trans-Himalayan expedition.

Another display, "The Indian Path", includes articles from both the museum funds and private collections. M.Chiryatiev, Vice-President of St.Petersburg branch of International League on Protection of Culture, presented rare books, and V.Bruntsev, a Petersburg collector, submitted Indian musical instruments.

Sculpture "Madonna of the Banner of Peace" by Domicelle Tarabildene (author's copy, the 1930-ies) is placed in the center of the hall. The Banner of Peace created in New York in the 1920-ies symbolizes art, religion and science in the circle of human culture, or Past, Present and Future in the circle of Eternity. It is the symbol of Pact of Roerich (International Pact on Protection of Cultural Values in Armed Conflicts).

The path of the Roerichs in their spiritual quest is recreated by documents and artifacts collected in the museum.