The series “Sancta” was written in 1922 during the artist’s stay in America. Translated, “Sancta” means “Saints,” but Nikolai Konstantinovich himself preferred the word “Ascetics.” The series includes the paintings “And we open the gates,” “And we continue fishing,” “And we work,” “And we are not afraid,” “And we see,” “He himself went out,” “Saint Sergius.”
In these canvases, Roerich recreates his native nature and ancient Russian architecture close to his heart. On their background, scenes from the life of Russian devotees unfold. The artist shows the moral strength of Russian monasticism, his selfless deed. An interesting fact: there is no analogue to the word “feat” in any European language. In the painting “And we open the gates,” we see a monk opening the arched gates, behind which is the road leading to the old Russian monastery.
Through open gates one can see wavy hills, a winding river – a landscape so characteristic of northern Russian nature. On one of the hills is a chapel. As in the “Flowers of Moria”, the open gate and landscape signify spiritual awakening and the road ahead. “No one and nothing can deprive a person in striving towards a brighter future, towards the open gates of Light,” wrote Nikolai Konstantinovich. March 24, 1924 in America for the first time opened a museum dedicated to the work of one artist, the Museum of Nicholas Roerich. In the museum that opened, a series of works called “Sancta” was presented.
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