Helena Roerich

Helena Roerich was born on February 13, 1879 under the name of Elena Ivanovna Shaposhnikova in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her mother was the grand-daughter of Mikhail Kutuzov, the field marshal who had led the Russian army against Napoleon; Modest Mussorgsky was another prominent relative. Helena spent most sommers of her childhood at the estate of her aunt, princess Putyatine, in Bologoye. She was a very sensitive child, a gifted pianist and had a lively interest in art. When Nicholas Roerich, the famous Russian painter fell in love with her in 1899 he wrote in his diary: "I am afraid for myself - there are so many good things about her."  "...Honesty, justice, a constant search for Truth and love for creative works...". They married in 1901 and had two sons, George and Svetoslav (who painted the above portrait of his mother). Though Helena had chosen to remain out of the public eye during her lifetime, she had collaborated closely with Nicholas on all his endeavors and had published several books of her own. She also maintained a voluminous correspondence with her students and friends all over the world. She wrote on ethical and spiritual subjects, especially on the importance of the woman's role in the New Era and is best known for the Agni Yoga teachings she published as a result of her contact with Mahatma Morya. The first Agni Yoga book "Leaves of Morya's Garden" was published in 1924 after the couple came to New York for Nicholas first exhibition in the United States. In 1941, on their fortieth marriage anniversary, Nicholas wrote about Helena:

Forty years is quite a long time. On such a long voyage, meeting many storms and dangers from without, together we overcame all obstacles. And obstacles turned into possibilities. I dedicated my books to "Elena, my wife, friend, fellow traveler, inspirer!" Each of these concepts was tested in the fire of life. And in Petersburg, Scandinavia, England, America, and in all Asia we worked, we studied, we broadened our consciousness. Together we created, and not without reason is it said that the work should bear two names - a masculine and a feminine.