The article treats the Ladakh period (1925) of the Nicholas Roerichs Central-Asian expedition and lines of research of its participant George Roerich, a young scientist who was to become a prominent Orientalist. Being situated at the crossroad of the most important Asiatic trade roots, Ladakh opened unique possibilities for research work due to its vast cultural and historical heritage. George Roerich stressed Ladakhs signifi cant role in the history of Buddhism and especially in Tibet because Buddhism permitted there through this Western Himalayan princedom. For George Roerich Buddhism was not only one of the most ancient world religions but fi rst of all a unique cultural and historic phenomenon. Roerich believed that this cultural unity as an imperishable historical experience will facilitate successful progress of Asiatic civilizations in the future.