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From Marx to Soviet Soldiers: An Anniversary Commemoration at the Sculpture Park

Memento Park in Budapest—better known as the Statue Park—is a unique venue: it is both an open-air museum and a journey back in time to an era whose legacy continues to resonate today. In 2026, to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence, the park will welcome visitors with a special program series that not only showcases but also helps interpret the past.

Walking among the massive statues, history appears not as an abstract concept but as a tangible reality. The monumental memorials of the socialist dictatorship serve simultaneously as works of art and historical sources: they evoke the visual tools of propaganda, the regime’s self-image, and the processes that ultimately led to the events of 1956—and then to the era of post-revolutionary reprisals.

An important element of the anniversary year is the promotion of experiential learning. The park’s themed walks focus specifically on the events of 1956 and, led by experts, help connect what visitors see with the historical context. The programs cover the events leading up to the revolution, the symbolism of the toppling of the Stalin statue, and how all of this is reflected in the public art of the era.

For those who prefer to explore the park at their own pace, a methodological guide has been prepared. It serves as a compass: it highlights the works that are particularly closely linked to 1956 and provides interpretive perspectives for processing what you see. Thus, the visit can be not just a walk, but a conscious exploration.

The concept of the Sculpture Park—associated with the architect Ákos Eleőd—is built around the dictatorship and its fall. One of its most powerful symbolic spaces is Witness Square, where visitors can confront not only memories of the past but also their meaning.

The anniversary program series is thus not only a commemoration but also a dialogue with the past. This year, the Sculpture Park particularly vividly demonstrates what has always been its essence: that history can not only be learned but also experienced.

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