The Sacred Union of the East: Spiritual and Geopolitical Utopia of Nicholas Roerich
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Transcript of The Sacred Union of the East: Spiritual and Geopolitical Utopia of Nicholas Roerich
The Sacred Union of the East: Geopolitical Utopia of Nicholas Roerich
Andrei ZnamenskiThe University of Memphis
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947)
US Department of Agriculture “botanical expedition,” 1934-1935
Botanical Expedition with a Geopolitical Twist
Louis Horch, rich patron Master Building, 1929
Beacon for Humankind in Manhattan
TheocracyBlueprint for a new orderCarrier of the highest spiritualityFrom Siberia in the north to the Himalayan mountains in the southEconomic foundation: cooperativesIdeology: universalist religion (Theosophy + Buddhism)
The Sacred Union of the East (Kansas, the Great Plan, the New Country)
FDR Secretary of Agriculture, later VP
Agriculturalist, reporter
Frustration about mainstream Christianity and cut-throat competition
Interested in cooperatives
Light from the East Dreams of New Order(Novus Ordo Seclorum)
Henry Wallace
Sparks to help launch the Scared Union of the East Mongolia and Manchuria, the “Power keg” of
Asia (1930s) Invaded by Japan (1931): autonomy for
Mongols Rise of Mongol Nationalism Revolt in Red Mongolia against
communism (1930-1931 Inner Mongolia against Chinese land
advances (1930s) Rise of popular prophecy about the
Shambhala War and the end of the world
Why East Asia?
Nicholas Roerich, “Armageddon”
Courting “white” Russians in ChinaCourting Mongol nationalist leaders, Inner MongoliaMilitary reconnaissance of Manchuria/Inner Mongolia
Roerich in China: Gathering the Russian-Mongol “Shambhala Army”
Context: Spirit of Time (Zeitgeist), 1920s-1930s
“Big is Beautiful” Social engineering by a state “Worship” of Science Cultivating community Cult of enlightened master (e.g.
Mussolini, Stalin, FDR)