Page 33 - DIVA_2_2024-web

the restored Celestial Sphere

– let’s all together keep the hope !

The Sphere – we need to preserve it as the “Spirit of Geneva International”
(but it could not have happened…)
(Story) by Evelina Rioukhina

We are all familiar with the sight of the beautiful
Celestial Sphere on the grounds of the Palais in We are overjoyed that our efforts were not in vain,
Geneva. For over two decades I had the good and that the previous and the current Directors-
fortune to be directly involved in all the Sphere General made the miracle happen. A solution was
restoration projects, along with two former found and today the Sphere is restored, not only
Directors-General (1993-2012). I was also involved as a symbol of peace and Geneva International
with the magazine UN Special that contributed but also as a witness of events at the Palais des
greatly to the awareness-raising campaign for its Nations. These started with the League of Nations
restoration; I am especially grateful here to former and go on to the renovation of the Palais today. The
Chief Editor Christian David and earlier editor story of the Sphere makes us reflect deeper on its
Jean-Michel Jakobowicz for their support and significance, and its meaning is a vivid reminder
personal involvement. Together we elaborated a that despite all cultural and religious differences
plan and attracted millions of readers. we are inhabitants of the same planet. The Sphere
is more than Pax Universalis and a monument of
We also strongly urged the repair of the rotation the “spirit of Geneva”, it is the embodiment of our
mechanism, which was broken in 1960s. There is high ideals and spiritual goal.
a general belief that the Sphere stopped rotating at
the outbreak of the WWII, as it symbolized peace, That is why on the eve of the most important
but this not exactly the case. This article will reveal event – the inauguration of the renovated sphere,
the unknown history of this important monument, I decided to visit it while it was alone and “speak”
a recognized landmark of Geneva International. with it in my imagination, hoping to reveal some
It also has a heritage as a guardian of universal unknown facts to better understand the past so
peace: its constellations mean PAX Universalis. We we can successfully move into the future. Below
raised awareness of the importance of the rotation is my imagined conversation:
mechanism for keeping world peace and addressed ER (to the Sphere): Tell us how the idea of
the watchmaking industry for a solution, so we now having a Sphere happened.
have a perpetually moving, illuminated monument The Sphere: Actually, as with many big things,
accessible to all Genevans. it happened randomly. There were many ideas

w w w . d i v a i n t e r n a t i o n a l . c h
w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h