Win (Dragon) Roerich N.K. (Part 5)
Roerich N.K. – Win (Dragon)
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Location: House of Scientists, Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Roerich has a unique, "Bogatyr" series of paintings dedicated to World War II. Two canvases from this series are in the Novosibirsk gallery. One of them is called "Victory". The painting was made in 1942. The war was in full swing, the hardest days of the Leningrad blockade were still ahead. But Moscow was defended. Partly this victory and is dedicated to the painting by NK Roerich. In the center of the picture - bogatyr, who killed the dragon.
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A description of Nikolai Roerich’s painting Victory
Roerich has a unique, "Bogatyr" series of paintings dedicated to World War II. Two canvases from this series are in the Novosibirsk gallery. One of them is called "Victory".
The painting was made in 1942. The war was in full swing, the hardest days of the Leningrad blockade were still ahead. But Moscow was defended. Partly this victory and is dedicated to the painting by NK Roerich.
In the center of the picture - bogatyr, who killed the dragon. Quite a classic story, known in many countries and variations. Roerich gave this plot a new meaning.
Bogatyr is a typical Old Russian warrior in armor corresponding to the era. The dragon (probably, Zmey Gorynych, but with one head) is a dark green monster with colors reminiscent of Reich military uniforms. As a background the artist used the highest peak of Siberia, Belukha.
Sunrise. The sun is already flooding one side of Belukha, and will soon move higher. The significance of the situation is emphasized by the dawning scarlet sky that occupies about a third of the painting. A small platform on one of the mountains.
The Battle of Moscow is one of the first battles where divisions coming from Siberia took part. And the warrior himself is a Siberian, with eastern features, wearing medieval armor.
For Roerich, a bogatyr is, first and foremost, strength and power. Like the dragon - because the artist lived so many years in the East. The man who killed the dragon himself can barely stand. There is no jubilation or pathos; there is only weariness and a sense of accomplishment, joy and anxiety. Joy - that he has won after all. Anxiety that another head might grow or another dragon might fly in.
In 1975 the youngest son of the artist donated the painting to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the donation it was specifically noted that in this picture Roerich tried to express faith in the victory and a great future for all.
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Here we see a formidable figure of a man, clad in armor and helmet, standing upright, his posture suggesting both defiance and triumph. He holds a sword aloft, its blade catching the light, creating a focal point that draws the eye upward. The warrior’s stance is rigid, almost theatrical, conveying an impression of unwavering resolve. His face remains largely obscured by the helmets shadow, contributing to a sense of anonymity – he could represent any champion facing adversity.
The dragon dominates the foreground with its immense coiled form. Its scales are rendered in dark hues, contrasting sharply with the lighter tones of the surrounding environment and the warrior’s armor. The creature appears defeated, its head resting low on the ground, suggesting submission or exhaustion rather than active aggression. A faint glow emanates from beneath the dragons body, hinting at a contained power or perhaps a symbolic representation of vanquished evil.
The backdrop is defined by towering mountains, their peaks dusted with snow and rendered in cool blues and whites. The sky above displays a gradient of warm colors – oranges and pinks – which soften the harshness of the scene and imbue it with an almost ethereal quality. This atmospheric perspective creates depth and emphasizes the scale of both the landscape and the figures within it.
The painting’s subtexts revolve around themes of courage, victory over adversity, and the taming of primal forces. The dragon, a traditional symbol of chaos and destruction, is subdued by the warriors strength and determination. However, the subdued nature of the dragon also suggests that true victory may not always involve complete annihilation but rather a form of control or understanding. The anonymity of the warrior allows for a universal interpretation – he embodies the potential for heroism within anyone facing their own personal dragon. The overall effect is one of restrained power and symbolic resolution, presented through a stylized aesthetic prioritizing emotional impact over naturalistic accuracy.