Award Ceremony of the Nicholas Roerich International Prize Winners

14 October 2009, the gala ceremony awarding the Nicholas Roerich International Prize was held in the State Council Hall of the State Hermitage Museum.

In the year of Nicholas Roerich’s 135th anniversary and Helena Roerich’s 130th anniversary the Nicholas Roerich Prize was awarded for the ninth time.

The Nicholas Roerich International Prize was established in 300-year anniversary of St Petersburg and has since been awarded annually. The primary goal of the prize is to identify the highest standard of personal dedication to culture and society, and to publicly recognise the efforts of generous individuals who demonstrate a high level of creativity, a commitment to common good on a regular basis, and an example that inspires younger generations to be responsible for the future of both our homeland and the world at large. The prize is awarded to eminent representatives of national and world culture and brilliant creative, but not always familiar to the general public artists, educators, scientists and creative workers, public figures who make a special contribution to the preservation and development of creative traditions, cultural and moral principles. Among the prize winners 2003 - 2008 - artists, educators, culture and science workers-people whose hard work and active life position are united by a common sense of creativity and high individual responsibility for the future. In different years Valentina Matvienko, Ludmila Verbitskaya, Mikhail Piotrovsky, Valery Gergiev, etc. were the prize winners.

The prize is awarded by decision of the Prize Committee regardless of ethnicity, religion or social status of candidates. One can become a prize winner only once.

The founders of the Nicholas Roerich International Prize: the St Petersburg State University, the Worldwide Club of St Petersburgers, the State Hermitage Museum, the Roerich Family Museum and Institute in St Petersburg, the Nicholas Roerich Art School in St Petersburg and the Roerich Heritage International Charity Fund formed the Prize Committee which is made up of members from Europe, Asia and America. Prize Committee Chairman - Director of the State Hermitage Museum, president of the Worldwide Club of St Petersburgers Mikhail Piotrovsky.

The prize is awarded for the following categories:

• "Artistic Creativity"
• "Pedagogy and Education"
• "Preservation of Cultural Values and Peacekeeping"
• "Preservation of Roerich’s Heritage"
• "Creation of Russia’s Cultural Image in the World"

The gala ceremony was held at the State Hermitage Museum under the direction of the Prize Committee Chairman.

Prize winners were awarded commemorative diplomas, medals "Nicholas Roerich Prize Winner" and money prizes.

The Nicholas Roerich International Prize winners in 2009:

1. "Artistic Creativity" Category:

Mikhail Shuvalov - member of the Union of Russian Artists, artist-teacher of the Nicholas Roerich Art School in St Petersburg.

2. "Pedagogy and Education" Category:

Olga Aunovskaya - poetess, journalist, well-known Roerich specialist, senior representative of the regional organisation International Public Movement "To the health through the culture" in Ukraine (Kiev).

Alexander Chupakhin - teacher of mathematics at the Municipal Educational Institution "Secondary General School of Kurasovka", Ivnya district of Belgorod region.

3. "Preservation of Cultural Values and Peacekeeping" Category:

Valery Bruntsev - architect, member of the Union of Russian Architects, restorer, photography artist, music specialist and collector of musical instruments, public figure (St Petersburg).

4. "Preservation of Roerich’s Heritage" Category:

Henrih Popov- researcher of the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow).

At the State Council Hall

Nicholas Roerich International Prize

Valentina Orlova, Chairman of Board of Directors of the Worldwide Club of Petersburgers, Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, President of the Worldwide Club of Petersburgers

At the Ceremony of the Nicholas Roerich International Prize Winners