Irony in Budapest

One of the biggest ironies ever is located in Budapest, Hungary.

After the Soviets left Hungary in 1990, the Hungarians pulled down all of the Soviet style monuments…except one. The picture above is a monument to Soviet Russian troops for liberating the city from the Nazis during WWII. The monument is located in – get this – Freedom Square. No really, the monument to the Soviets is in Freedom Square. This is akin to having a statue of OJ in “Family Man Park”. A bit of a lesser irony is that the American Embassy is to right and across the street from the square.

As we strolled around this little park, all I could think of was a young nurse, in fear for life, being saved from the infamous Ted Bundy. Once the nurse is a safe distance from Bundy, she thanks her rescuer and asks how she could ever repay him. The man says, “Well I’d like to have you for dinner tonight about 8:00 pm, if you’re free.” “Sure. By the way, what’s you name?” “My name? Oh yes, my name is Hannibal Lectern.” Talk about out of the fire and into another fire, lose – lose, damned if you do – damned if you don’t. Why would any Hungarian want to leave this monument in place – particularly after the 1956 revolution? (1956 revolution is commemorated with a much smaller monument, an eternal flame, in Hossak Square next to Parliament.)

It seems to me one of two things ought to happen in this square in Budapest. One, the people ought to be encouraged to show up one Saturday morning to pull this monument down. The other is to rename it Imre Nagy Square. Nagy was the man who became Prime Minister through popular support during the 1956 uprising. The “freedom loving” Soviets rewarded his popularity among his people by murdering him in 1958.

Renaming the square after Nagy, of course, would create a whole new irony. A monument to the people who killed Nagy would exist in the very square that would bear his name. Maybe they should rename the square; let the irony set in; then, tear down the monument to the Evil Empire.