In his philosophic and artistic essays, Roerich created an absolutely new concept of culture based on the ideas of the Living Ethics. Culture, in N. Roerich’s opinion, is closely related to the problems of cosmic evolution of mankind and is “a greatest foundation” for this process. He wrote: “Culture is based on Beauty and Knowledge”. And he repeated well-known Dostoevsky’s phrase with a little remark: “Awareness of Beauty saves the world”. The beauty becomes known to people through Culture only, and its integral part is creation. Books of Living Ethics created at closest participation of Roerichs, also say about this. Helena Ivanovna wrote and Nikolas Konstantinovich represented the ideas of Living Ethics in artistic images.

N. Roerich included in the broad notion of Culture a synthesis of the best achievements of human spirit in the sphere of religious experience, science, art, education. Nicholas Roerich formulated the principal difference between Culture and civilization. While Culture relates to the spiritual world of man in his creative self-expression, civilization is just external arrangement of human life in all its material, civil aspects. Identification of civilization and Culture, Nicholas Roerich argued, leads to confusion between these two notions, to underestimation of the spiritual factor in the development of humanity. “Wealth in itself does not generate Culture. But broadened and subtler thinking and the sense of Beauty produce that subtlety, that nobility of spirit which are distinctive for a cultured person. It is this kind of person that can build the future of light for its country”. Proceeding from this, the mankind must not only develop Culture, but is also obliged to protect it.

In 1929, N. Roerich in collaboration with doctor of international law from Paris University G.G. Chklaver prepared a draft of an agreement dedicated to protection of cultural values (Roerich’s Pact). Coupled with the Pact Roerich proposed a distinctive sign for identification of protected objects – Banner of Peace which was a white cloth containing a red ring and three red circles inscribed in it. The sign symbolized a unity of the past, present and future into the ring of eternity. In 1929, N. Roerich was nominated for Nobel prize for his international cultural activity and Pact initiation. Let us cite a following quotation from appeal of committee for nomination of Nobel price candidates:

Paintings of one of the greatest painters in the history reproduce the great beauty and spiritual light symbolized his doctrine. <…>

We firmly believe that final and stable international peace is achieved only by enlightenment of the people and by permanent and impressive promotion of the brotherhood created by the culture, poetry and beauty in all fields of life. Roerich’s works over a period of last thirty years are the great call to whole world: to love people each other.

In 1930, text of draft agreement with accompanying N. Roerich’s appeal to governments and peoples of all countries was published in press and distributed in government, scientific, artistic and educational institutions of the whole world. As a result, the committees supporting the Pact were established in many countries. The draft pact was approved by Committee for museum affairs at League of Nations and also by Pan-American Union.

The first and second paragraphs of the Pact run as follows:

Roerich’s Pact has large educational value. “A pact for protection of cultural treasures is not only needed as an official body, but as an educational law that, from the very first school days, will educate the young generation with noble ideas of preservation of the whole mankind’s true values”, – wrote N. Roerich.

Idea of the Pact was welcomed by R. Rolland, B. Shaw, R. Tagore, A. Einstein, T. Mann, H. Wells et al.