Richards Rudzītis

Richard Rudzitis (; February 19, 1898 – November 5, 1960) was a Latvian and Soviet poet, writer, translator and philosopher. He was chairman of the Latvian Roerich Cultural Relations Association from 1936 to 1940.

Biography Richard Rudzitis was born on February 19, 1898, in the village of Melluzi, in a peasant family. He taught himself to read, and loved books all his life. He graduated from the local gymnasium, continued his studies at the University of Tartu (1916–1918) at the Department of Philology. Subsequently, he learned seven languages. In 1920, he entered the Department of Philosophy at the University of Latvia, where Rudzitis graduated in 1931 with a thesis "About the category of the beauty and the goodness" / "The Metaphysical Aspect of Beauty". He returned from the camps at the end of 1954 as a complete invalid, occasionally earning money from translations of scientific texts and literary works. From 1957 to 1960 he met George de Roerich many times. Rudzitis wrote a book about Nicholas Roerich entitled "Cosmic strings in the works of Nicholas Roerich". The manuscript was approved by George de Roerich.

In 1935, Rudzitis's book "Nicholas Roerich – the Guide of Culture" ("Nicholas Roerich. Peace through Culture") was published. This book highlights the activities of Nicholas Roerich in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1957, the son of Nicholas Roerich transmitted to Rudzitis the wish of Helena Roerich to write a book about the work of Nicholas Roerich. In 1960, George de Roerich approved the manuscript of the book "Cosmic Strings in the Works of Nicholas Roerich", written by Rudzitis. About 50 books were published by the "Uguns" publishing house of the Latvian Roerich Society. Rudzitis was the head, editor, proofreader, and often translator of this publishing house. You can find many good words about Rudzitis in Helena Roerich's dairy. Under the leadership of Rudzitis, the Society published the works of the Roerichs, Living Ethics, H. P. Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine and the works of Rudzitis himself. "A scientist and a poet, such a combination is rare, but you have it, your work and your scientific nature is remarkable", – Helena Roerich wrote.

"Thank you for the joy your new book gave to us", Nicholas Roerich wrote after receiving Rudzitis' work "The Awareness of Beauty Will Save the World" – truly, not only is it rich in thoughts and the way the message is delivered, but it is also the clearness of mind that makes this book attractive. It is so valuable that such clear ideological books are being published and I can only wish for it to spread among wider social groups. The book must go to school libraries. It must find a way to foreign countries, so that people elsewhere know what keeps the spiritual fire of Latvia. Thank you one more time for this celebration of the spirit". Rudzitis wrote about Nicholas Roerich: "What is especially very attractive to us in the personality of Roerich is that he is not just a thinker, a prophet or a dreamer, he has not told any idea that you could not realize and in whose realization he had not already laid the foundation. He has established the base of many beginnings, cultural institutions that are so monumental that they make people remember the great creators of the past". ("Nicholas Roerich – The Herald of Culture").

Works

Cilveka dziesmas (1922); Saules kultura (R. Tagor, 1923); Dailajai Dveselei (1933); Svetcelotaja piezimes. Riga: Jana Rapas apgads, 1929.; Atzineji un cinitaji (1935); Nikolajs Rerihs, kulturas celvedis (1935), (1936), (1937); Dailuma apzina pestis (1936), (1936)