Today was a great day, exploring and learning about life during the communist era – the weather and temperature were perfect. Our guide, Orsolya, is in her late 20s and graduated from college where she majored in anthropology with a focus on the Gypsy culture. She’s been a guide for about seven years and thoroughly enjoys meeting people from throughout the world. She was factual and mixed a lot of Hungarian humor, much of it self-deprecating, into her stories. Her driver, Mika, we learned is her fiancé, and is from Slovenia – a mixed marriage in the way they view things. They joked that if there was another crisis, they may have to decide in which country they want to live.
Boots from Stalin’s 70 foot statue
Momento Park
Hungary’s Trabant Car
Budapest has a lot of youthful energy and excitement. The city is continuing to rebuild following the end of the communist era, embracing the future yet making sure they don’t lose its history or its learnings. For our first stop, we drove 10 km out-of-town to Momento Park. It is a collection of more than 40 communist statues and busts, collected from throughout Hungary. They are just a small sampling, since most were destroyed or trashed. The main attraction is Stalin’s boots, the only surviving part of the huge statue of Stalin pulled down (the rest of that statue had been destroyed) during the 1956 Uprising. Across from the boots is the prominent entrance marked with a façade reminiscent of a Hollywood set. As we paid our entrance fee, a 1940’s radio was playing music from that period. On our way in, we had fun looking at Hungary’s “people’s car:” the Trabant. These cars were built between 1958 to 1990. It sported a two-cylinder engine, 26 horsepower, and a body made entirely of recycled material. Most people could afford it but had to put down half the price in advance, and then wait up to 8 years for delivery. Such a deal!
Soviet Soldier Statue in Momento Park – Originally from Liberty Monument
Second statue from Liberty Monument
Each of the statues in the park has a story behind it. Included were the two very large statues that had originally flanked the base of the Liberty Statue, which we visited yesterday. Almost every statue was either of an armed military person in uniform, or a worker, with hands clenched in a fist, displaying power and furor. We encountered no tour buses, just a few foreign tourists…like us. Orsolya joked that old Hungarians, feeling nostalgic, probably come and relive the good ‘ol days.
Monument to Russian Army in Freedom Square
Bronze statue of Ronald Reagan in Freedom Square with Parliament Building in background
Continuing the communist era thread of today’s tour, we made our way to Freedom Square. Located in the central area of Pest, it is the site of an obelisk dedicated to the Soviet Army’s liberation of Hungary, with the Communist Star at the top. When Hungary talked about removing it in the 1990’s following its independence, Russia protested and threatened sanctions, claiming that Russian soldiers were buried under the monument and should not be disturbed. So the square has come to symbolize the ongoing struggle between the past and the future. As a nearby cafe makes the point with its banner – ‘things of the past live always with us.’ The tension between retaining and honoring the past, and the desire to tear down everything communist, is best captured when they placed a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of Ronald Reagan just a few yards from the Russian monument. Why Reagan? Hungarians credit him for helping to tear down the wall and for the collapse of communist governments in the Eastern countries. It seemed like a reasonable counter to retaining the Russian monument. Reagan’s eyes look directly at the American Embassy, ignoring the Russian monument. As a side note, a wing of the third floor in the American Embassy, with its windows boarded up to discourage snipers, was the home of Cardinal Mindszenty for 15 years, starting in 1956 after the US granted him political asylum.
American Embassy – 3rd floor home to Cardinal Mindszenty for 15 years
Orsolya commented with a smile, that it was difficult to put up a Hungarian military statue, because there were no heroes – Hungarian Generals and armies couldn’t win any battles. The last win was by King Stephens, against the Turks in about 1000. The Pope was so pleased with the defeat of the non-Christian Turks that he awarded King Stephens a crown, and made him a saint. However, Stephens lost the next two battles against the Turks. So the winning streak stops at one!
Tension surrounding the square continued to accelerate with the addition of a statue of Miklós Horthy who was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary between WWI and WWII, who declared war on Russia, and who aligned Hungary with the Nazis in order to regain some lost territory. Another memorial dedicated to the deportation of Jews in 1944, suggests that Hungary was merely a victim of Nazi aggression and therefore shares no blame for expelling them – basically, attempting to rewrite history. As I said, there a lot of conflicting messages imbedded in this Square.
Scanning the buildings surrounding Freedom Square, some have been cleaned up, while others remain dirty and in need of maintenance – it’s a work in progress. The communists did not have the funds, nor the interest, in cleaning and maintaining historically important buildings. When they needed space, they would build proletarian, box-like structures – all painted in their favorite two colors (per Orsolya): Gray, and Gray.
The Past-to-Future bridge with Nagle looking towards Parliament Building, flanked by Barbara and Mel
We continued our walk from the monument, past the Ronald Reagan statue, towards the Parliament building. Along the way we stopped at a small square, site of a monument to Imre Nagy. He was the mayor of Budapest during the revolution in 1956. Following the failed revolution, Nagy was imprisoned, tried, and executed 1958. Symbolically, he stands on the bridge which links the past to the future. His back is to the Russian monument, as he faces the Parliament complex, representing the future democracy.
Kossuth Square
Bullet Memorial to demonstrators killed by Soviet snipers
A short walk further, we arrived at the Kossuth Square, in front of the Parliament Building. It was the site of the infamous gathering of demonstrators on October 23rd 1956, when Russian snipers situated on the roofs of buildings around the Square started firing into the crowd. More than 70 demonstrators were killed by the snipers. The revolution was squelched a few days later by the invading Russian Army.
Homemade Food operating since communist era.
A good, calorie-heavy, home cooked meal
To get a sense of life during that period, Orsolya suggested we take lunch at a small hole-in-the-wall eatery, Kádár Étkezde, which was one of the few places open to the people at that time. It served traditional Hungarian home-cooked meals. The small menu changes each day depending on what ingredients are available. We were the first group that she has taken there. Smiling, she warned us that while the food was delicious, it was heavy. Most Hungarian dishes contain pork fat. There goes my cholesterol level!
Terror Museum
Soviet tank used on 1956 demonstrators. Photo wall of people who died during the failed revolution
Hungarian Communist era flag with Russian crescent in center
1956 Revolution’s flag with the Russian crescent blown away by a cannon ball
Our final stop for the day was at the Terror Museum, which was the headquarters of the White Arrow (Hungarian Gestapo) and Nazi Gestapo organization. Painted in the standard gray, and used from 1935 to 1945, it was a prison and interrogation facility. We were asked not to take photos. It continues to be mind-boggling to see what a human can do to another human. Referring to our species as humankind is but an oxymoron for pathological dualism. Our guide, Orsolya, did a fantastic job, tying all the pieces together to give us a coherent overview of life during that era. It was a scary time.
Ending on a high note of life in Hungary today, we attended the Tauck Tour welcoming reception and dinner at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which dates back to 1825. The Neo-Renaissance building and rooms decorated with artwork and walls lined with filled bookshelves, felt like we were back in the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The four-course meal was served with lots of theatre – six, tuxedoed, white-gloved men delivering food to our table, and unveiling each course with a synchronized “ta-da!” To complete the experience, a six-member group played traditional Hungarian music. The main instrument was a concert cimbalom which is typically found in Hungary and other eastern bloc cultures – we were all fascinated to watch the player strike the two sets of strings stretched over a percussion board, with a small mallet. A beautiful, tingle sound. A great way to end an impactful day. Everyone felt like royalty.
We walked the short distance back to our hotel, with streets and parks filled with young people sitting on blankets, talking, drinking beer and having a great time. Budapest is an exciting city! We will come back and spend more time here.
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