• October 9, 2024

Special collection of Inna Rogatchi works from his well-known Songs of Our Souls series was a part of the national commemoration of October 7th in Finland skilfully organised by the Helsinki Jewish Community, with participation of The Rogatchi Foundation. 

A very dignified, deep and sincere commemoration at the historical synagogue in Helsinki which  was completely full, with very many attendees from different walks of life: community members, MPs, public figures, diplomats, people in absolutely all age categories, from 15 onward. The event also included a dedicated  art exhibition in which a special selection of Michael and mine works, Psalms & Songs for October 7th, was presented. 

Among the attendees were the Ambassadors of Israel H.E. Boaz Rodkin, Germany H.E. Stephan Auer , Austria H.E. Herbert Pihler , Hungary H.E. Klara Breuer, Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy HE Christopher Krafft , the Israeli Embassy Defence Attache Lt-Col. Roy Horowitz, leading Finnish MPs Peter Östman and Atte Kaleva, chairman of the Finnish-Israel Friendship Organisations Association Risto Huvila, well-known pastor and supporter of Israel John Remes, and many others. 

Michael Rogatchi, co-founder of The Rogatchi Foundation, has participated in the October 7th  commemorative event of the Helsinki Jewish Community in Finland with selected works from their special dual collection, artistic tribute Psalms & Songs for October 7th ©, which is a part of a special international project presented in Finland, Lithuania, France, Canada, the US, the UK and the other countries world-wide. 

The collection consists eight original drawings by Inna.

In the words of the artist, “The works from the series are both my dialogue with those of our people who are not with us any longer, and also my personal tribute to the past generations and to those whose lives were taken brutally and inhumanly, as in the Shoah, as in the October 7th and its aftermath nightmare”. 

Inna Rogatchi comments her works from this special tribute in the following way: “They have not disappeared, those children, youth, elderly, men and women who were all butchered in the most sadistic way just a year ago. They did not disappear for their families, friends, and colleagues. They did not disappear for their country. They did not disappear for us, those who have commitment to remember. “

Special October 7th tribute essay by the president of the Rogatchi Foundation Inna Rogatchi: Psalms & Songs for October 7th: Artistic Tribute at the time of Moral Erosion.

Detailed report about the event by The Rogatchi Foundation can be find here.

• October 7, 2024

Special selection of eight works from the Inna Rogatchi Songs of Our Souls series has been presented by The Rogatchi Foundation at the national October 7th commemoration organised by the Helsinki Jewish Community in Finland, and several other countries world-wide.

The detailed presentation of Michael and Inna Rogatchi and the Rogatchi Foundation special artistic tribute international commemorative project is below.

Specially selected artworks include eight works from Inna Rogatchi  Songs of Our Souls series ( from 2017 onward).

Five of the eights works in this artistic tribute have been created by Inna as a direct consequence of the October 7th 2023 massacre. 

Psalms & Songs for October 7th special artistic tribute has been present at the various national commemorative events  in several countries, including Finland, Lithuania, France, the US, the UK and the others.  

The entire Psalms & Songs for October 7th collection in detail can be seen here.

The collection has evoked many positive responses world-wide:

Inna Rogatchi’s special essay Psalms & Songs for October 7th: Artistic Tribute in the Time of Moral Erosion  provides details of the works and places the art tribute in the historical and present contexts.

Shtetl Stories and Memories: New Art Catalogue of Michael and Inna Rogatchi art collection is published

In September 2024, a new bi-lingual art catalogue Shtetl Stories & Memories in Lithuanian and English was produced and published in cooperation between The Rogatchi Foundation and The Grigory Kanovich Public Library of Jonava Municipality, Lithuania.  

The catalogue has been published on the occasion of the opening of the inaugural exhibition of a 25-piece special Shtetl Stories and Memories collection of artworks by Michael and Inna Rogatchi which The Rogatchi Foundation has donated to the Library in commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the outstanding writer and friend of the Rogatchi family Grigory Kanovich. 

The leading essay of the catalogue is written by Dr Michael de Saint-Cheron ( Paris, France), a close disciple of the famed French philosopher of the Litvak origin Emmanuelis Levinas, a close friend and colleague of Elie Wiesel, founder and president of the Andre Malraux Association, and the author of recent monographies on Pierre Soulages and Anselm Kiefer. Among other contributors are Dr Hannu Takkula, a long-term MEP and Member of the EU Audit Court, and well-known Lithuanian artist and art curator Alexandra Jakovsyte. 

The catalogue provides an art experts contextualised study of Michael and Inna Rogatchi art series included into Shtetl Stories and Memories collection. 

Both artists have contributed their personal introductions to the special project. 

The catalogue includes 26 full-page art plates with all works from the collection. 

After the inaugural exhibition at the Grigory Kanovich Public Library of Jonava Municipality ( until November 25th, 2024), the exhibition is planned to travel throughout Lithuania to be shown at different cultural institutions from the beginning of 2025 onward, with the catalogue to accompany the forthcoming exhibitions and events. 

The donated by the Rogatchi Foundation to the Grigory Kanovich Public Jonava Library collection includes: 

Full Inna Rogatchi Shtetl Memories collection.