"Preservation of cultural monuments during hostilities as the first step towards world peace." These words were first heard in the ancient capital of West Flanders, Bruges, more than 70 years ago. The idea of the International Pact and the Banner of Peace was proposed by the artist and traveler, historian and philosopher Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich. Perhaps, under a different set of circumstances, the Roerich Pact could change the entire course of the history of the 20th century.