[Message received from Jan Jelle Keppler]
From 23 till 25 June 2017, at the time of this year’s summer solstice, a three day Theosophical seminar was organized in Dnipro, Ukraine, in the house where Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born in 1831. (see phtoto)
The theme of the seminar was:
“The Inspirational Mind: Fusing Love and Knowledge for Human Welfare”.
Eleven reports, eight in English and three in Russian, as well as three presentations, two in Russian and one in English were given by nine speakers, three from Ukraine and three couples from the United States of America.
Each talk was translated simultaneously. After the reports, there were lively question and answer sessions, in which most of the time the questions were put by the speaker and the answers had to be given by the audience.
The audience varied between 30 and 60 persons who with a few exceptions were all from the Ukraine.
The subjects treated were:
1. “Regenerating the Inspirational Mind: H.P. Blavatsky on The Eye and the Heart Doctrine”, report in English
2. “The Religion of Responsibility”, report in English
3. “Science and art through the prism of eternal philosophy”, report in Russian
4. “The scientific concept of the Museum Center Helena Blavatsky and her family”, presentation in Russian
5. “The Philosophy of Perfectibility: Eros and Sophia”, report in English
6. “Pythagoras on the Soul, Music, and Community”, report in English
7. “H. P. Blavatsky on Education”, report in English
8. “The Science pf Spirituality: Psychic and noetic Action”, report in Russian
9. “Native American Stories”, presentation in English
10.”The Amazing Ukraine”, presentation in Russian
11.”Toward a Universal Culture” report in English
12.”Gandhi: The Ethical Basis of Non-Violent Action”, report in English
13. The Dalai Lama on the need for Universal Ethics”, report in English
14.”The role of imagination in shaping the future”, report in Russian
The house where H.P.B was born by night
On the last day there was a musical evening with song and dance by the participants. The atmosphere was very joyful and uplifting.
This summer solstice seminar is only one of the now four annual international activities organized by the Theosophists in Dnipro, of which the three others are the “Volunteer Decade” for the renovation of H. P. Blavatsky’s birth-house around the time of her birthday, 12 August; the Theosophical “Studio of H. P. Blavatsky” during the time of the spring equinox at the end of March; and a seminar at the “White Lotus Day” for the commemoration of the death of H. P. Blavatsky on 8 May.
During the seminar the foreign guest and the management of the Museum Center were invited for a lunchtime meeting with the regional Governor. He informed them that the Museum Center in the house where H. P. Blavatsky was born, was the property of the Government, but that one of the rooms with a surface of about 60 m2 had for many years not been the property of the government. This room, he said, had been donated by its owners to the government, two weeks ago. As far as the project for the Museum Center with the re-establishment of the one hectare Estate of Fadeef, grandfather of H. P. Blavatsky, was concerned, he had been informed by the landowners that they would be willing to sell this one hectare of land. The more futuristic project of a “Blavatsky Universum”, consisting of a scientific and cultural center on a neighboring piece of land of about one hectare also had his agreement and the landowners were ready to sell this property for an acceptable price as well. The governor considered though that it would not be possible to realize this project on the short term. All in all he was rather satisfied with the new situation and confirmed that the government would now install a heating system in the Museum Center and would take care of the maintenance of the outside of the building.
Later the architect confirmed that the house and its foundations are in good condition. After more than 25 years of pioneering since 1991, the Museum Center now will be renovated with and a new roof, new supports of the floors, and a new electricity system. The original windows and doorways will have to be reopened and the walls will have to be plastered. For the time being the Literature Museum has conserved about eight thousand objects ready for exposition in the Blavatsky Museum Center, when this will have been renovated.