Photo credit: piter.tv
Roerich’s paintings, which will be handed over by Serbia, will be stored in two Russian museums, TASS reports. According to the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Yarilova, the work of Nikolai Roerich will replenish the collections of the Museum-Institute of the Roerichs in St. Petersburg and the Museum-Estate of Roerich in the village of Izvara, Leningrad Region.
The Serbian authorities are exchanging Roerich's paintings for the 166th sheet of the Miroslav Gospel. The Ministry of Culture noted that all procedures are planned to be completed during the spring. Yarilova explained that Serbia completed the internal procedure necessary for the exchange. Russia is also ready to ratify the corresponding agreement.
Moscow and Belgrade agreed to exchange relics during a visit to Serbia by the Russian president in early 2019.
According to the Minister of Culture and Mass Media of Serbia, Vladan Vukosavljević, the issue of returning the page of the ancient manuscript to Belgrade has been discussed for many years. Roerich’s paintings were considered missing since 1941, until two years ago they were accidentally spotted at the National Museum of Serbia. The head of the department recalled that the agreement should be approved by the parliamentarians of both countries.
The Gospel consists of 171 sheets. It was written in 1180 for Prince Miroslav Zavidovich - the founder of the Serbian dynasty Nemanichi. For many years, the unique book was kept on Athos, and only in the 19th century it was presented to the Serbian king. The manuscript is currently kept at the National Museum of Serbia. Russia possesses one page of the Gospel. It was brought from Athos in the second half of the 19th century.
Russkiy Mir
