Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Statue Park and Memento Park
A visit to Statue Park takes you back in time to an age when the Communists
ruled half of Europe and artists had to conform to the whims of a committee.
The result was some of the most striking sculpture of the 20th century, preserved
in a bizarre theme park. While most of the Soviet bloc destroyed its socialist stat-
uary after the fall of the Communist regime, the Hungarians decided to preserve
these works of art. The park was recently enlarged to include Memento Park.
Top 10 Attractions
1 Main Entrance
2 Karl Marx and
Frederick Engels
3 Béla Kun Memorial
4 Hungarian-Soviet
Friendship Memorial
5 Republic of Councils
Monument
6 Captain Steinmetz
7 Lenin
8 Georgi Dimitrov
9 Worker's Movement Memorial
0 Souvenir Shop
Statue of Lenin at entrance
Statue Park is a 20-
minute drive from
Central Pest. There
are direct buses from
Deák ter at 11am and
3pm daily, with extra
buses at 10am and
4pm during July and
August. A combined
bus and entrance
ticket costs Ft3,950,
and can be purchased
from the Statue Park
kiosk or on the bus.
• Map N3
• XXII, south Buda,
corner of Balatoni út
and Szabadkai utca
• 424 75 00
• Open 10am-dusk daily
• Adm Ft1,500
• www.szoborpark.hu
!
Main Entrance
£
Béla Kun Memorial
Although the Iron
Curtain is a thing of the
past, the austere wall that
surrounds Statue Park is a
reminder of how divisive it
used to be. The archway
on the left-hand side of the
main entrance
(above)
shelters a statue of Lenin.
In 1919, the Hungarian
Communist Béla Kun briely
ran the country, but was
overthrown by Admiral
Horthy. He led to Russia
and died in Stalin's purges.
@
Karl Marx and
Frederick Engels
The authors of the
Communist Manifesto
stand
next to each other
(right)
under a large arch on the
right-hand side of the
entrance. Note how Engels
is slightly behind - and in
the shadow of - Marx,
relecting his role in life as
the younger of the two.
32
The most notable absentee from the park is Stalin. All statues of
the leader were removed in 1956 after the Uprising and destroyed.
