Last Budapost

On the last stop of our Budapest/Communism tour, we went to Memento Park on the prettiest day we had.

So...the Soviets put up all these huge Soviet-looking Socialist-Realist sculpture, art, and monuments in all of their "satellite" countries in Eastern Europe.  After the fall of communism, the Hungarian people, rounded up all the horrible statues reminding them of their past, and put them in one big park as far outside the city as they could get.  Pretty interesting stuff.

According to Rick Steves, this propaganda showed that "individuals didn't matter.  Everyone was a cog in the machine - strong, stoic, doing their job well and proudly for the good of the people.  Individual characteristics and distinguishing features were unimportant; people were represented as automatons serving their nation."

A giant solider holding the Soviet flag.  He has a "clenched fist, (symbolizing strength) and a face that is inspired by his egalitarian ideaology."

These are two comrades, shaking hands: the "Hungarian worker thrilled to meet the Soviet soldier, protector of the proletariat."

The Hungarian worker and Soviet soldier who appear to be doing calisthenics.  

This was one of the more artistic sculptures that didn't seem to fit.  Designed by Imre Varga,  this shows Bela Kun (one of the important former leaders of Hungary, the guy pointing above) over the workers' fighting force of the Red Army (with the bayonets). There's also a lamp post there, which is a metaphor for the gallows.  Yikes.

My fave statue: a "communist worker charging into the future, clutching the Soviet flag."  Or some people joke that he's a Hungarian thermal bath attendant that's chasing after someone with a towel.

The bust of Vladimir Lenin.

The entrance to the park, which also holds Stalin's boots in the very top center.  His huge statue was sawed off at the knees during the revolt in 1956 and his boots are the only thing that remained.

We came back and walked along the river, over to the "Shoes on the Danube Promenade".  This grim memorial honors the Jews that were shot and thrown into the river without their shoes in 1944.  There are 60 pairs of rusted shoes of all types to show that no one was spared when this happened.  It's one of those things that still makes me sick to my stomach.  But the memorial was well done and beautiful.

We then went back to the Easter market to buy some knick-knacks and headed over to Parliament for one last shot.

A "chimney cake", a cinnamon sugary tube-shaped delight wrapped around a cylinder to bake.  Tasted like a donut.

Pottery!

Cutie Easter egg ornaments.  We bought one, duh.

Parliament.

Though a lot of the things we saw were sad, and this country has a very rough and depressing past, we had a GREAT, relaxing time and really enjoyed the bustling metropolis that is Budapest!