April 15 — International Day of Culture: history and Traditions
Every year, Russia and other countries celebrate the International Day of Culture, dedicated to the preservation and development of science, art and national traditions. In 2025, it falls on a Tuesday. Read about how this holiday appeared and what role the artist Nicholas Roerich played in it in the Izvestia article.
International Day of Culture in 2025 — history
At the beginning of the 20th century, the artist and philosopher Nicholas Roerich thought about creating an international document that would ensure the protection of scientific and cultural monuments during armed conflicts. There were enough reasons for such reasoning — in February 1904, the Russian-Japanese War broke out, and in July 1914, Russia entered the First World War. At the same time, Roerich first appealed to the governments of the conflicting countries with a proposal to conclude an agreement on the preservation of cultural property, but it remained ignored.
Despite the refusal, Roerich continued to work on the draft international treaty. The artist was deeply convinced that culture is one of the driving forces of human progress, based on knowledge and beauty, a source of creative power and an endless feat of life. Therefore, he wanted her to be treated with as much care and respect as possible.
In 1929, Roerich presented to the general public a revised version of the treaty on the preservation of cultural property. The document was supported by many famous figures of the time: Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Rabindranath Tagore and others. The project was also approved by the Committee for Museums at the League of Nations.
In 1931, at an international conference in the Belgian city of Bruges, Roerich proposed the establishment of a World Culture Day that would promote cultural exchange, preserve beauty and create. This initiative was not implemented, but the artist's works did not disappear without a trace — on April 15, 1935, an agreement known as the "Roerich Pact" was signed in Washington. It became the first international legal act on the protection of historical monuments and scientific institutions.
The discussion on the creation of the holiday proposed by Roerich resumed in 1998. Then the members of the International League for the Protection of Culture proposed to celebrate it on the day of the signing of the pact — April 15. The initiative was picked up by public organizations around the world, and since then, in many countries, this day has been celebrated with colorful events and cultural festivals.
International Day of Culture in 2025 — events
Various cultural events are held in Russia and other countries on this day: concerts, exhibitions, folk art festivals, fairs, flash mobs, quizzes. Seminars, lectures and forums are organized for students and cultural professionals, during which pressing issues of preserving and enhancing intangible heritage in different countries are discussed. For the holiday, public organizations hold charity events, raising funds for the restoration of monuments, temples and historical buildings.
Some cultural institutions raise the Banner of Peace on April 15. It is a white flag with three red circles enclosed in a circle of the same color. Roerich developed its design at the same time as his famous pact. The figures embody the unity of the past, present and future surrounded by eternity. It was assumed that the Banner of Peace would be used to designate specially protected cultural objects so that they would not be destroyed during military operations. But over time, it transformed into an international symbol of peace and preservation of the intangible treasures of humanity.
Earlier, Izvestia told about the history of the Cultural Worker's Day and the traditions associated with this holiday.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
