Kinga

Kinga

Monday, October 23, 2006

1956


Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the uprise in 1956.
A short review on the revolution:
prelude:
...students of the Technical University compiled a list of sixteen points containing several national policy demands. After the students heard that the Hungarian Writers’ Union planned to express solidarity with Poland on the following day by laying a wreath at the statue of Polish-born General Bem, a hero of Hungary’s War of Independence of 1848-49, the students decided to organize a parallel demonstration of sympathy.
the 15th point on this list:
"The students of the Technological University of Budapest declare unanimously their solidarity with the workers and students of Warsaw and Poland in their movement towards national independence."
of course they also demanded the soviets to leave the country, free elections, democracy, economy policies on a new bases and so on...

On the afternoon of October 23, 1956, about 20,000 protesters convened next to the Bem statue. ...someone in the crowd cut out the communist coat of arms from the Hungarian Flag, leaving a distinctive hole and others quickly followed suit.
...then the crowd of appr. 200,000 people headed towards the Parliament.
...a large crowd gathered at the Radio Budapest building, which was heavily guarded by the ÁVH. The crowd eventually occupied the building and their demands had been announced.

Next day soviet tanks and the AVH tried to drown the uprise. to cut the story:
on 28th Oct the Hungarian revolution succeded! soviet tanks left Budapest and a new government was formed. the so far banned political parties also started working again.

on the 4th Nov at 5am an announcement was read into the Radio that the revolution was seen as a fascist protest and the new Hungarian government appointed by the soviets (!!!!!) took measures to break down the uprise. then soviet tanks entered budapest and the revolution died.

Blaha Lujza Square:

Corvin Cinema, 200m far from my flat. National Flag with the whole in the foreground:

burning Rakosi's pic, first secretary of the "Party".
my university:
Stalin's head. his statue weighed 6 tons. destroyed on the first day of the uprise:
Freedom Bridge with tanks. what a paradox.



it is not necessary to emphasize that the Polish-Hungarian relationship was of a special kind throughout the communist era, both nations were fighting against the same system, same oppression, same cruelty and inhumanity. we always felt solidarity for each other and i have several more reasons to take care of that good relationship. We all know that:
Polak Węgier dwa bratanki i do szabli i do szklanki.
Lengyel magyar két jó barát, együtt harcol s issza borát.
that is:
Polish and Hungarian are good friends, they fight together and they drink their wine together.

dla moja Poziomko:
Flaga Węgier: czerwony, biały, zielony, symbolizujące odpowiednio: siłę, wiarę, nadzieję

1 comment:

~Gosia~ said...

oh, good job Medvekomam! very good choice of pictures and texts. just talked to my mum who also said that they said so much about the uprise in HU and Hungarian-Polish cooperation in Polish TV yesterday.
p.s. waiting for You! :*