Talk:Lyudmila Zhivkova

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Disputed section[edit]

Though Zhivkova's more outlandish obsessions were concealed as much as possible from public view, they brought her the growing suspicion and alarm of Bulgaria's Soviet allies. This grew into extreme hostility when she designated 1978 Roerich Year, having encountered like-minded scion of Russian émigrés Svetoslav Roerich in India in 1975. Followers of Roerich and of his father Nikolay were much persecuted in the USSR for their adherence to Indian mysticism and aloofness from official Marxism. Roerich being fêted in "fraternal Bulgaria" by the country's leader's daughter ranked as a major diplomatic affront.
Zhivkova's nationalistic insistence on marking the 13th century of Bulgarian presence on the Balkans can only have added to extreme Soviet unhappiness with her.

According to both the Russian and English wikipedias, Svetoslav Roerich was named Honorary Academician of the Art Academy of the USSR. According to the Russian wikipeidia, he had the Order of Friendship of Peoples. Both of these may have been acquired during the Perestroyka, but it is more indicative that his first exhibitions in Russia were as early as in 1960 - in the Pushkin museum and in the Hermitage, no less! - and "starting in the 1970s, there were regular exhibitions of his paintings in the towns of the Soviet Union". This is inconsistent with any serious state persecution, of which I find no mention either. In fact, what I do find is that in the 1920s, Nikolay Roerich brought to the USSR sacred Himalayan soil to be placed on the grave of "Mahatma Lenin"! [1]

As for the 13th century of Bulgarian presence - this type of nationalism was omnipresent in Communist Bulgaria, it was seen as completely harmless if not beneficial for the Soviets, and it was something Zhivkov persevered in both before and after Lyudmila. Some of the most obvious facts pertinent to this are enumerated in the Zhivkov article, section "Subtle nationalism" (not so subtle, really).

So, if the claim that the Soviets hated Lyudmila because of Roerich isn't sourced in a few days, I'll remove it.--91.148.159.4 (talk) 18:57, 2 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

P.S. On top of it all, the Russian wikipedia article mentions that that the Soviet Ministry of connections (translation?) issued post stamps with Roerich Senior's portrait and with a painting of his in 1974 (just as Lyudmila would do in 1978), that a patriotic article by Roerich Senior from WW2 (Ne zamay) was published by major state publishing house "Molodaya Gvardiya" (Young Guard) "Molodaya Gvardiya" in 1978, that a biography of Roerich was also published by "Molodaya Gvardiya" in 1973 as part of the hagiographic series "Lives of Remarkable Persons" (which included many ideological "icons" - Russian historical heroes and revolutionaries), and that the Crimean astrophysic laboratory actually named a newly discovered planet after the Roerichs in 1969! Conclusion: it appears clear that the suggestion that the Soviets hated and persecuted the Roerichs and were angered by their being celebrated is one of the most outrageous pieces of desinformation I've seen on Wikipedia. It is very possible that it was present in some of the book sources, as modern Bulgarian sources about the Zhivkov years are often instances of vulgar sensationalism and yellow journalism.--91.148.159.4 (talk) 14:08, 9 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The real situation with Roerichs in USSR was not so simple. Nicholas Roerich and Svetoslav Roerich were indeed recognized as artists. George Roerich was recognized as orientalist. However, the followers of their philosophy (Agni Yoga teachings) was really prosecuted in Russia. Some of them died in Stalin's concentration camps. Persecution continued after 1956 - Roerich's disciple Boris Abramov was sent to internal exile in the "closed town" Venev after 1960, Roerich's follower Inessa Shumskaya was imprisoned in 1970-s for distributing Roerich's teachings. It is true that some books about Roerich were published in USSR, however, only under strict censorship. The situation was similar to that of Leo Tolstoy, who was officially recognized as a great writer and widely published, but his followers were still persecuted.

What Zhivkova tried to do in Bulgaria (and partially succeeded in that), was to popularize Roerich's philosophy, not only their art. She even placed Roerich before Lenin in the schedule of national celebrations, and that was something the orthodox communists could not forgive. --Hrisantius (talk) 02:17, 17 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]