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Memento Statue Park

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idared
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Editor Pick

A Reminder of the Dark Days of Communism

  • October 16, 2009
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Praskipark from Warsaw, Poland
What is a country to do with the symbols of a hated totalitarian regime when the oppressors are overthrown? Usually, it is not long before the statues and memorials that honour the regime are overturned and destroyed amid scenes of joyous celebration. Conversely, no matter how much a society wants to forget reminders of a horrible past, the obliteration of historic truths does not have a place in a modern democracy. This was the dilemma that Hungary faced when Soviet hegemony fell apart in the year of 1989.

Budapest resolved this issue by establishing a statue park in the southwest of the city.The park opened in 1993 with 41 works that had previously occupied prominent positions in the city. A niche at one side of a monumental psuedo-classical red-brick entrance to the park houses a statue of Lenin; on the other side is a Cubist style carving of Marx and Engels. Revolutionary music blares out of a ticket office from early morning until dusk. From the same office you can also buy drinks with such names as Molotov cocktails and kitsch items such as Marx T-shirts and Che Guevara socks, to cans of 'the last breath of socialism.'

Huge statues of pre- World war II Hungarian communists and assorted Soviet heroes are arranged in six groups. A fierce, flag waving soldier based on a call-to-arms poster issued by the communist government in 1919 typifies the chunky totalitarian style favoured by Soviet art lovers. The statue was moved from its former position at the foot of the Liberation monument on Gellerthegy. Less imposing but quite evocative is the monument depicting the 1919 Hungarian revolution leader Bela Kun urging a crowd of soldiers and workers on towards the dictatorship of the proletariat. Given the nature of Communist ideology, it's not surprising that some statues commemorate groups, such as Spanish Civil war martyrs, rather than individuals.

The statue park was always on my list of things I should see in Budapest but I was really disappointed with the whole affair. I enjoyed the short journey out of the city by bus but the fact that the park is just plonked in the middle of nowhere has no appeal whatsoever. It is quite exciting to see the heads of Lenin and Marx rising above the field from the coach window as you approach the park. Howevver, it seems to me that the authorities have just picked up the statues of old and deposited them in a dusty field with no thought or organisation. There is very little information regarding the statues and once you have walked around and taken a few photographs there is very little else to do except go to the toilet which are very basic but clean, or buy some postcards or a piece of kitsch. It would make economic sense to open a small cafe or at least a rest room where videos of these turbulent times could be shown so people could understand why the statues are detested by the people of Budapest.

The park is dusty and very flat with no protection at all so I can imagine in autumn and winter it will be very cold and windy walking around. The road leading away from the park leads on to a main road which is a bit hectic. People waiting for the bus sat on a the bank of the road as there was no specific bus stop or shelter.

If you are a quick viewer and find you have finished the tour of the park before the bus back to Budapest is due I suggest you turn left as you come out of the park and walk along the main road where you will come to a small village shop. Here you can buy soft drinks and other foodstuffs. They don't sell pre-packed sandwiches but if you buy a bread roll the assistant will make you a cheese or ham sandwich.

To visit the Statue Park you can catch a non-stop bus that leaves daily from Deak ter (Mar - Jun, Sep-Oct - 11am and 3pm).

July - August - 10am, 11 am, 3pm, 4pm; November -Feb, 11 am.

Ticket price includes admission and return trip (allow 1 hour and 45 minutes in total).

Alternatively, you can catch a No 7 red bus at Ferenciek ter to the Etele ter terminus and then go to stands 7 or 8 and catch a No 7 yellow bus towards Diosd -Erd.

From journal 5 Days in Hungary's Capital

Editor Pick

Communist Sculpture Kultura

  • May 24, 2009
  • Rated 3 of 5 by sararevell from London, United Kingdom
Communist Sculpture Kultura

If the joy of traveling is derived more from the journey and less from the destination then the Memento Sculpture Park delivers much happiness. I admit that I am doing the park a little disservice saying this but on a bitterly cold January day, I found myself squelching around the parks boggy pathways thinking that I would much rather be holed away in a café wrapping my blue hands around a mug of very hot chocolate.

The journey though was an interesting one and I had expected it to be. If you go to the park website (www.szoborpark.hu - ‘szobor’ being Hungarian for monument or statue) you’re presented with no less than five options of getting there. It’s only a 10-15 minute drive outside of Budapest but assuming that few foreign visitors will be hiring a car, the bus is the natural choice. My favourite suggestion however was the "on foot" option: "a 20-30-minute walk from Kamaraerd through the woods". I’m assuming that there’s only one footpath through the woods as that’s the only direction you get.

We took the less adventurous route of hopping on a tram to Kelenfold station. Kelenfold is at the end of the tramline so this first pit stop is not a hard to find. Once we arrived, a succession of posters and arrows directed us to the Volanbusz Station. The staff at the ticket counters is obviously used to the trail of uncertain foreigners coming through so buying tickets and finding the correct bus stop was an incredibly straightforward process. Additionally the bus driver knew to give us the signal to disembark, which was helpful as the entrance to the Sculpture Park is somewhat obscured from the main road.

It seemed all too fitting that this assembly of communist propagandist sculptures should now be banished to a soggy, desolate corner outside of the city walls. We paid the 1500 HUF (£4.67) entrance fee and were issued two pairs of blue plastic booties to protect our shoes from the sodden paths, which kicked up mud onto our trousers even as we tramped around carefully.

The park displays 42 Communist sculptures commissioned between 1945 and 1989 and displayed in and around Budapest. For examples the 6m tall Liberation Army Soldier sculpture used to stand on top of Gellert Hill so that it could be clearly seen from the city.

Famous personalities on display include Marx, Engels, Béla Kun and of course Lenin. The diminutive Red Star Store offered a rather small collection of souvenirs that included t-shirts, postcards, badges and CDs. I’ve since read that there’s an exhibition in the barracks hall across from the park but the lady at the ticket counter didn’t direct us to it so we missed out on it completely if it was open.

Park architect Ákos Eleod has said that the park is about democracy. It would have been nice if the staff had showed a bit more enthusiasm in promoting the park and his vision to independent visitors.

From journal Kavehaz Kultura in Budapest

Statue Park

  • April 20, 2005
  • Rated 1 of 5 by jg_heidelberg from Heidelberg, Germany
Statue Park

Getting to the Statue Park is a 90-minute excursion (transfers from strassenbahn/tram to bus) to the hills out of town. The marketing is excellent, but the site itself is quite disappointing. Even with several large, impressive statues, there is not enough to hold your interest more than 30 minutes. The sparse landscaping of the park and bathrooms gives it a real Soviet-era feel. I spent 5 hours total for a visit. Only go if you have a week or so in Budapest. Also note that it's very muddy, so be ready for some dirty clothes if you go in the rain.

From journal Easter Weekend 2005 in Budapest

Statue Park

  • March 16, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by PDT from Cheltenham, England
Statue Park

There are 40 statues arranged around a gravel park. The statues, busts, and plaques were moved there from the city after the communists lost power, when the Hungarian people did not want the reminders of the past. A great idea in lieu of them being destroyed!

The statues range from Communist favourites like Lenin and Marx to figures from WWII and the uprising of 1956

The park makes an interesting diversion from the city. To get there, get a tram to Etele Ter and then take the Volan bus. Every city map has an advertisement for this place, so just show that to the person at the ticket office and they'll know what you want. Alternatively, you can get the expensive bus from the city centre, BUT the journey is half the fun and the former is cheaper.

See www.szoborpark.hu.

From journal Valentine's in Budapest

Editor Pick

Szoborpark - Statue Park

  • September 8, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by drumzspace from Napa, California
Szoborpark - Statue Park

Not really a "museum", per se, but a collection of the Soviet/Communist statues that once dotted Budapest. Since the fall of the iron curtain they have thankfully been preserved and relocated to a fairly remote field just outside of Budapest. Although lacking in much detail or information about the statues and what they meant in their Hungarian context, the park still provides a truly unique experience to visitors.

Please note: for this solo traveler, it was a bit of a task to get there. After taking the tram to the south of Buda, one must take a bus, which entails purchasing a ticket from non-English speaking people. Which means one must try to speak Hungarian. Which means giving one's self an anyeurism. Bring the pamphlet and show it at the ticket window if you think communication will be a problem.

From journal One Week In Budapest

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