HUNGARY: Hungarians prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1956 revolution and uprising against Soviet rule; Prime Minister Ferenc Gyursany at ceremony at Serbian Embassy

Record ID: 725803

  • Title: HUNGARY: Hungarians prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1956 revolution and uprising against Soviet rule; Prime Minister Ferenc Gyursany at ceremony at Serbian Embassy
  • Date: 23rd October 2006
  • Summary: (BN12) BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (OCTOBER 22, 2006) (REUTERS) VIEW OF DANUBE RIVER
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Hungary
  • Country: Hungary
  • Topics: History
  • Reuters ID: LVA99KUEC75EKN10WIV09DUBNJOD
  • Story Text: Large '56 revolution flags were put up around Budapest as Hungarians prepare for the 50th anniversary of the revolution.
    At several venues across the city open air museum installations show old '56 tanks and military vehicles as well as posters of archive photos.
    Delegations from at least 56 countries are arriving during the day to be present at the opening gala this evening. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Spain's King Juan Carlos are among the expected guests. The U.S. delegation is led by New York Gov. George Pataki, whose paternal grandparents were Hungarian immigrants.
    The actual anniversary day is Monday (October 23) when the revolution began fifty years ago.
    Anniversary events will include a remembrance ceremony at the statue of Imre Nagy, who was appointed Prime Minister during the uprising but was hanged by the Soviet regime after a secret trial two years later.
    The central memorial will be inaugurated at 7.56pm local time - represented on the 24-hour clock as 1956. However, the country's main opposition party is to boycott many of the events after the Prime Minister admitted lying to win election. They will hold their own commemoration rally in the afternoon on Monday.
    For Hungarians the '56 revolution and uprising is one of the greatest moments of their history even though it failed. But the country rose in one brave move against communist dictatorship and Soviet occupation in a unity that has not since come about again.
    "I respect those people who went out to the streets because I think they were very brave," Noemi Bulla said as she was looking at old military vehicles on display. "Well, it was a great feeling and we had high hopes. But unfortunately not much of it have been realized, not even till today, that's the trouble," Lajos Nagy said who himself was among the student demonstrators on the 23rd October fifty years ago.
    Around 2,800 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed in the uprising that was crushed on November 4, 1956. Some 200,000 Hungarians escaped the country and at least 225 Hungarians were executed for taking part in the uprising - including Imre Nagy, the prime minister of the short-lived revolutionary government.
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