April 15th International Day of Culture congratulations. International Day of Culture: the meaning and history of the holiday

Small archipelago in the west Mediterranean Sea became a long time ago favorite place holidays for tourists from all over the world. Certainly, we're talking about about the Balearic Islands. Mild climate, 300 sunny days year, magnificent landscapes, azure beaches, rich culture, excellent opportunities for leisure and recreation for any, even the most demanding taste, have turned this place into a real paradise on earth. Getting to the Balearic Islands is not difficult; each of them has its own airport, from which planes fly both on domestic flights and to all major European cities. Also present in Mallorca (or Mallorca) Railway. The archipelago has a very well-developed bus service and car rental is quite popular, the services of which are used by many tourists. Therefore, there are no problems with getting somewhere; the main thing is to make a choice. Many come here for vacation, and some come here to stay here forever.

The largest island of the archipelago is Mallorca.

Despite big flow tourists from different corners planet, it is one of the most environmentally clean resorts Mediterranean Sea. The history of its popularity began back in the 19th century, when Frederic Chopin and George Sand spent several unforgettable months in Mallorca, after which this place became widely known among artists, musicians, aristocrats, fed up with life, and just amateurs. have a nice holiday. It should be noted that every summer the royal family visits Mallorca.

Today this island is one of the most popular resorts in the Mediterranean. Generous nature has not been stingy in providing Mallorca with amazingly rich landscapes: protected forests and fertile valleys are hidden behind the mountain ranges, and sandy beaches are washed by a crystal clear, bright blue sea.

The swimming season lasts from May to October, the water temperature at this time ranges from 18 (May) to 28 (August) degrees Celsius. There are several resort areas on the island.

The largest of them is Arenal/Can Pastilla, famous for its extremely long sandy beach. There is “Aquacity” (a water amusement park), a mini golf club, many cafes, restaurants, and discos.

Cala Major/Illetas occupies the mountainous part of the island, where small cozy beaches coexist with picturesque cliffs. It is here, near the city of Palma, that the summer residence of the Spanish kings is located - the Marivent Palace.

In the resort area Palma Nova/Magaluf The “Marinaland” (sea animal park), so beloved by children and adults, the “Pirates Show” attraction, the “Palladium” casino, and numerous discos and entertainment centers were built.
And for those who prefer a relaxing holiday and quiet bays, the most best places - Santa Ponsa, Paguera, Andrax.

Thanks to rich history(the island was conquered over the centuries by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Catalans and Spaniards) Mallorca has big choice attractions: the invaders left behind many historical and architectural monuments, varied in color and style.

The capital of the island, Palma de Mallorca, is especially magnificent. Narrow streets in the center, fountains, parks and spacious squares make up the unique architecture of this city. You can’t pass by indifferently, for example. cathedral or Bellver Castle, and the Arab baths or the fish market in the port give the city a unique flavor.

Valldemosa is a charming village with cobbled streets, where a Carthusian monastery has been preserved - a place of idyllic winter romance George Sand and Frederic Chopin. Of particular interest is the small museum of the tireless traveler and talented writer Archduke Louis Salvador, as well as the ancient monastery pharmacy.

April 15 is celebrated as International Day of Culture. The date is associated with the signing on April 15, 1935 in Washington of the Treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and historical monuments", which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact.

The initiative to celebrate the day of signing the Pact as International Day of Culture was taken in 1998 by the public organization International League for the Defense of Culture, founded in 1996 International Center Roerichs.

Since that time, in many cities of Russia and around the world, on April 15, a solemn celebration of Culture Day is taking place with the raising of the Banner of Peace. In some Russian cities, International Day of Culture has been celebrated since 1995.

Since 1999, on the initiative public organizations this day is celebrated as international culture day.

In December 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, it was created International movement for approving April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace.

Proposal for holding world day culture was put forward by the artist Nicholas Roerich in 1931 in the Belgian city of Bruges at a conference dedicated to promoting an international treaty on the protection cultural values. Roerich considered culture to be the main thing driving force on the path of improvement human society, saw in it the basis of unity of people different nationalities and religions. At the same time, the main task of the Day of Culture was named - a broad appeal to beauty and knowledge. Nicholas Roerich wrote: “Let us also affirm the World Day of Culture, when in all churches, in all schools and educational societies at the same time, we will be reminded in an enlightened manner of the true treasures of humanity, of creative heroic enthusiasm, of the improvement and beautification of life.”

First international legal act on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments was also proposed by Roerich.
The idea of ​​​​creating organized protection of cultural values ​​arose from him at the very beginning of the century while studying the monuments of Russian antiquity. Russo-Japanese War 1904 forced the artist to think seriously about the threat that lurked in the technical improvement of military means of destruction. In 1914, Nicholas Roerich addressed the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural property by concluding an appropriate international agreement, but his appeal then remained unanswered. In 1929, Roerich prepared and published in various languages ​​a draft treaty on the protection of cultural property, accompanying it with an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty received worldwide fame and wide response among the world community. Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, spoke in support of the idea of ​​Nicholas Roerich, H.G. Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann, Rabindranath Tagore. Committees were formed in many countries in support of the Roerich Pact. The draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

On April 15, 1935, in Washington, the leaders of 21 states of the American continent accepted international treaty"On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments", known as the Roerich Pact.

As part of the pact, the distinctive sign proposed by Roerich was approved, which was supposed to mark protected cultural objects. This sign was the “Banner of Peace” - a white cloth on which three touching amaranth circles are depicted - the past, present and future achievements of mankind, surrounded by a ring of Eternity. The pact contains general principles regarding the protection of cultural property and the respect due to it. The provision on the protection of objects is unconditional in the pact and is not weakened by clauses on military necessity, which reduce the effectiveness of the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts.

Translated from Sanskrit, “culture” means “reverence for light.” And these words really convey the true essence of the phenomenon: the desire to experience beauty, self-improvement, and search for ideals. Culture is what turns a person into a truly intelligent thinking being. Culture unites the human race into a single whole, despite the place of birth and native language any person.

Story

Our country has the most direct and immediate relation to the establishment of the holiday under discussion. For the first time such an idea was expressed by the world famous Russian philosopher and artist Nicholas Roerich. He announced his proposal in 1931 in the Belgian city of Bruges at an international conference dedicated to the development of a pact for the protection of cultural property. Later, it deservedly received the name “Roerich Pact”, signed on April 15, 1935 in Washington. It was this day that was subsequently chosen as the date of the new holiday.

The International Center of the Roerichs, created by the descendants of the artists in 1998, proposed celebrating April 15 as a world holiday. As part of the initiative, an international movement in its support was established already in 2008. Having not yet received official recognition, World Day of Culture (that's exactly what it sounds like in English language name of the holiday), nevertheless it is celebrated very widely almost all over the world.

Traditions

List of promotions and events taking place on April 15 all over the planet, including Russia, recognized as one of most cultural countries planet, is as vast as the phenomenon of culture itself. IN cultural program includes:

• exhibitions dedicated to various national cultures;
• scientific conferences devoted to this topic;
• educational lectures on the culture of the peoples of the world;
• gala concerts;
• poetry and musical evenings;
• performances and theatrical performances.

An indispensable attribute of the celebration is the solemn raising of the Banner of Peace, designed by the same Nicholas Roerich - a white cloth with the image of three touching amaranth circles, symbolizing the past, present and future.

Roerich Pact

Modern humanity differs from its ancient ancestors by more high level development. In principle, this difference can also be characterized by using the term “civilization.” However, it is wrong to think that people who lived long before us had completely wild ideas about certain things. For example, in the same Ancient Egypt, ancient Greece there was a concept of culture, and in the 19th century the development of the latter reached, one might say, its apogee. However, today every effort is being made to preserve cultural values ​​and traditions. One of the steps taken in this direction is the annual celebration of April 15 International Day culture.

Information about the holiday April 15 International Day of Culture

This date was established in 1998. The initiative to include it in the calendar of public events with international status belongs to representatives of the International League for the Defense of Culture. This public organization began its functioning two years earlier, having been established by the International Center of the Roerichs.

It must be said that International Day of Culture is even more closely connected with this surname. The fact is that on April 15, 1935, the so-called Roerich Pact, which is officially called the agreement “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments,” was signed in Washington. Nicholas Roerich, after whom this was named important document, was famous artist. 4 years before signing it, within the framework of a conference held in the Belgian city of Bruges, the figure proposed holding a World Culture Day. Roerich admired this, as he believed, the main driving force for the improvement of society and was absolutely convinced that it was culture that was the unifying link between people, regardless of their religion and nationality. Of course, Roerich’s proposal was supported, and as a result, those present made the appropriate decision to establish a holiday. At the same time, a clear formulation of the main task appeared significant date: call of the masses to knowledge and beauty.

The Roerich Pact, based on the unofficial name of the agreement, was also proposed by the artist. First, Roerich made a corresponding appeal at the very beginning of the last century to the warring states, including Russia, with a request to do everything possible to preserve cultural values ​​through the conclusion of a specific international agreement. However, the artist was not heard then. Roerich did not abandon his idea and in 1929 he independently developed and then published a draft of the corresponding treaty. The Roerich Pact became widely known throughout the world. He was supported by many cultural figures: writers, scientists, artists. Among them were Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, Herbert Wells, Bernard Shaw, Rabindranath Tagore and others. And in many countries committees were formed in support of the famous document.

Currently, every year on April 15, a considerable number of world powers celebrate Culture Day by raising the Banner of Peace. This is happening in Russia too. This tradition appeared in December 2008, when public organizations in our country, Latvia, Lithuania, Cuba, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Argentina took the corresponding initiative. “Banner of Peace” is a distinctive sign proposed and approved, just like the Pact, by Nicholas Roerich. The author intended them to mark those under protection cultural sites. The "Banner of Peace" is a banner white depicting three touching amaranth circles, representing past, present and future human achievements. The listed circles, in addition to everything else, are framed by the ring of Eternity.

The meaning and principles of the Roerich Pact

The Treaty “On the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments” subsequently served as the basis for the creation of many modern documents in the field of protection cultural heritage. For example, on the basis of the Roerich Pact, some acts of the UNESCO organization were developed: “Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict” (1954), “Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illegal Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property " (1970), "Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and natural heritage" (1972), "Declaration on the Deliberate Destruction of Cultural Heritage", "Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity".

The principles and provisions of the Roerich Pact played a huge role in the continued formation of legal norms in the field of cultural heritage protection. This is explained general character basic ideas agreement. Here they are:

The Roerich Pact is unique. In fact, it became the first international document entirely devoted to the protection and preservation of cultural property, moreover, not containing a clause on violation of the document due to military necessity. IN in a broad sense The Roerich Pact should be understood as the entire complex of measures to protect the cultural heritage of the planet. It turns out that in addition to the legal Pact, it also has philosophical, evolutionary and educational significance.

Concept of culture

It remains to penetrate into the meaning of the hero of the occasion. In other words, to answer a seemingly banal, but in reality, answer is enough complex issue: “What is culture?” Translated from Latin, this term, derived from the verb “colo”, “colere”, means “cultivation”. Later, this word acquired a slightly different sound, while retaining its original meaning: culture is upbringing, development, education, reverence.

As a rule, the concept of culture is applicable to human activity, expressed in various manifestations. The source of culture is creativity and knowledge. At the same time in different periods development of mankind had its own concepts of culture. Thus, the ancient Greeks associated the latter with a sincere attitude towards everything they did, even cultivating the land. And in Russia XVIII– XIX centuries the word “enlightenment” was synonymous with culture.

Today we are accustomed to understand by culture all the best that has been created and is being created in the field of art, classical music, literature. And we associate the word “cultured” with a person who is literate, educated, and has good manners. However, there is no doubt that scientific and technical progress has a detrimental effect on the development of culture. Confirmation of this is the words of Oswald Spengler: “Civilization arises where culture dies.” The conclusion suggests itself: incredible efforts must be made to reconcile these two powerful “engines” of human development.

“Culture” translated from Sanskrit literally means “reverence for light,” expressing the desire for knowledge of beauty, ideals and self-improvement.

It is necessary to study culture, remember it and protect it constantly. After all, it is the consumer attitude towards nature, the destruction of historical monuments, the crisis of spirituality in society, the pursuit of material assets- all these are the first signs of lack of culture. A conscience, compassion, pride... - these feelings are inherent only to man, and they can be nurtured and developed only with the help of true culture.

Therefore, to once again emphasize the importance of all areas of activity cultural world, a special holiday was established - the International Day of Culture, which is celebrated in many countries around the world annually on April 15.

It was established in honor of the adoption on April 15, 1935 of the international treaty “On the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments,” which became known in international legal practice as the Roerich Pact. The initiative to celebrate the date of signing the Pact as the International Day of Culture was taken in 1998 by the International League for the Defense of Culture, founded two years earlier by the International Center of the Roerichs. This is a public organization whose activities are aimed at protecting and enhancing the achievements of culture, art, science, and religion.

Later, proposals were also made to establish this holiday, and it was even celebrated in a number of countries. And in 2008, on the initiative of public organizations in Russia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Latvia, and Lithuania, the International Movement was created to establish April 15 as World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace. And today this holiday noted in different countries peace.

Although Culture Day was established not very long ago, it has a centuries-old history.

The idea of ​​​​creating organized protection of cultural property belongs to the outstanding artist and figure of Russian and world culture Nicholas Roerich, who considered culture the main driving force on the path to improving human society, saw in it the basis for the unity of people of different nationalities and religions.

At the very beginning of the 20th century, During the period of wars and redistribution of territories, when studying the monuments of Russian antiquity, he understood how important it was to preserve them, and in 1914 he turned to the Russian government and the governments of other warring countries with a proposal to ensure the safety of cultural values ​​by concluding an appropriate international agreement. However, this appeal then remained unanswered.

In 1929, Roerich prepared and published a draft treaty for the protection of cultural property , accompanying it with an appeal to the governments and peoples of all countries. The draft treaty received worldwide fame and wide response among the world community.

Romain Rolland, Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Herbert Wells, Maurice Maeterlinck, Thomas Mann, Rabindranath Tagore supported the idea of ​​Nicholas Roerich.

Committees in support of the Pact were formed in many countries. The draft Pact was approved by the Committee on Museum Affairs of the League of Nations, as well as the Pan American Union.

He consolidated the progressive public, became an ideologist and creator of a document on the protection of world cultural heritage, which was conceived as an international legal act of a universal nature.

And on April 15, 1935, on the eve of World War II, in the White House in Washington, the heads of 21 states signed the first international treaty in the history of the Earth “On the protection of institutions serving the purposes of culture, science and art, as well as historical monuments,” named after him creator of the Roerich Pact.

The Covenant contains general principles regarding the protection of cultural property and the respect due to it. The provision on the protection of objects is unconditional in the Pact and is not weakened by clauses on military necessity, which reduce the effectiveness of the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts.

The universality of the Pact lies in the fact that it contains general, fundamental provisions on the protection of cultural property, and also in the fact that it could be put into effect through the conclusion of both global and regional treaties. This treaty was used as the basis for many modern documents international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection. Including in a number of UNESCO acts.

On the International Day of Culture itself, many countries hold various holiday events. So, in Russian cities gala concerts and exhibitions are organized national cultures, conferences and lectures at various cultural themes, musical and poetry evenings, dance and theatrical performances and much more. Also on this day, the Banner of Peace is raised and all cultural workers are congratulated on their professional holiday.