Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Stalin Monument in Budapest

The Stalin Monument in Budapest was a central sculptural work in the Hungarian capital until 1956. Installed in December 1951 as a gift from the Hungarian people for Joseph Stalin’s seventieth birthday, it stood on Dózsa György Avenue near the city park. Created by Hungarian sculptor Sándor Mikus in the classical period of socialist realism, the monument rose 25 meters with its pedestal, and the bronze statue of Stalin was eight meters high. He was shown as an orator, with reliefs on the pedestal symbolizing the Hungarian people greeting him. The monument was destroyed by protesting crowds on 23 October 1956 during the Hungarian Uprising. In 2006, a reduced reconstruction of the brick pedestal and Stalin’s boots was installed in Memento Park in Budapest.

Stalin Monument in Budapest with a towering statue on a large pedestal and socialist realist bas-reliefs below.
The Stalin Monument in Budapest rises above the plaza, with its massive pedestal and relief sculptures visible below.
January 1953 © Gyula Nagy · CC BY-SA 3.0
Stalin Monument with a towering statue on a stepped stone pedestal, with crowds gathered below and around the base.
The Stalin Monument rises above a crowd gathered at the base of its stepped pedestal.
1955 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Stalin Monument rises on a tall pedestal in a large square, with a woman posing in the foreground and people nearby.
The Stalin Monument in Budapest’s parade square, seen with a woman in the foreground and the monument’s sculpted base below.
1952 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Stalin Monument with a uniformed figure gesturing from a tall pedestal above a crowd holding flags.
The Stalin Monument rises above a large crowd gathered with flags during an outdoor event.
1955 · CC BY-SA 3.0
A veiled Stalin monument stands on a tall stone pedestal as a large crowd gathers around it.
The Stalin monument is unveiled before a large crowd in Budapest.
December 1951 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Stalin Monument seen from behind, with a fountain and a star-topped building in the background.
The Stalin Monument stands in a public square, with a fountain and a star-topped building behind it.
1955 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Crowd parades past the Stalin Monument, with flags, balloons, and portrait banners around the towering statue.
A large crowd passes the Stalin Monument during a parade, with flags, balloons, and banners visible around the statue.
1952 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Stalin Monument overlooking a large parade formation in a public square.
The Stalin Monument rises above a vast parade formation in Budapest\'s public square.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
A model for a Stalin monument showing a figure in a long coat and cap before a curved colonnade with relief sculptures.
Model for a proposed Stalin monument, with a standing figure before a curved colonnade of relief sculptures.
1950 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Weathered stone relief with three male figures in caps and uniforms around a central lightning-bolt symbol.
Weathered relief sculpture from the Stalin Monument, showing three uniformed figures around a central symbol.
1990 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleStalin Monument
Alternative titleStalin Monument in Budapest; Пам'ятник Сталіну в Будапешті; Stalin-Denkmal
TypeMonument; statue

Creator

SculptorSándor Mikus
Sculptor nationalityHungarian
Award to sculptorKossuth Prize / Kossuth Order, the highest distinction a Hungarian artist could receive at the time

Historical context

Historical context of destructionDestroyed during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; in the context of the Polish October, demands for political liberalization, and support for reforms in Poland; revolutionaries acted against the communist dictatorship and the Soviet occupation
Political significanceDemonstrated Stalin's power and also the power of the Hungarian Workers' Party; a Budapest journalist remarked on this after completion
Cultural interpretationA cult object presenting Stalin as having almost mystical powers
Function and significance in Socialist RealismAn official art form of Stalinism intended to instill Party ideology in the people; realistic and didactic; celebrated the hard-working proletariat and the cult of personality around Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Stalin, and other Eastern European communist leaders; depicted leaders of communism in a personality-cult setting surrounded by the proletariat
Historical contextStalin statues appeared across Eastern Europe from the 1930s to the 1950s; after Stalin's death in 1953, Socialist Realism began to decline; the decline was connected to political changes initiated by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956 at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; Khrushchev denounced Stalin's cult of personality in 1956; de-Stalinization ended the cult of Stalin's personality and affected his monuments
Associated ideologyStalinism
Art movement and styleSocialist Realism; classical period of Socialist Realism; classical Socialist Realism

Discovery and provenance

Dedication / presentationPresented as a gift from the Hungarian people to Joseph Stalin for his seventieth birthday (21 December 1949); a smaller analogous replica was sent to Stalin for his birthday; made retrospectively for Stalin's 70th birthday in 1948
Commemorated personJoseph Stalin
Commemorative occasionStalin's seventieth birthday; 21 December 1949

Location and ownership

LocationBudapest, Hungary; Felvonulási tér (Parade Square), at the edge of City Park / Városliget (Stadtwäldchen), Budapest, Hungary; later the reconstructed remains were in Memento Park, Budapest
SiteDózsa György Avenue; on the edge of the city park; the parade ground at the edge of City Park; directly opposite MÉMOSZ, the headquarters of the construction workers' union
Nearby buildingMÉMOSZ, the headquarters of the construction workers' union; condemned for its modernist architecture, which was said to bear Western influence
Role in cityCentral sculptural work of the capital of Hungary until 1956

Physical characteristics

Base width18 metres
Statue height8 metres
Height25 metres total; 25 metres including the pedestal; 25 metres tall
Base height4 metres

Materials

Statue materialBronze
Base materialLimestone
Inscription materialBronze

Appearance

Depicted figureJoseph Stalin
PoseStanding tall and rigid with his head raised and his right hand on his chest; portrayed as an orator / speaker
Pedestal decorationRelief sculptures on the sides of the pedestal showing the Hungarian people greeting, cheering, or welcoming Stalin
Inscription"Leader, teacher and best friend of the Hungarian people"; the bronze-inscribed name and epithet were torn from the pedestal

History and restoration

Final dismantlingThe remains of the pedestal-tribune / pedestal-podium were completely dismantled in the early 1990s
Associated slogan"Russia go home!" was chanted while the statue was being pulled down; a protest sign over Stalin's mouth read "Russians, when you run away don't leave me behind!"
Associated accountAccording to Sándor Kopácsi, head/chief of the Budapest police, who reported and narrated the incident; he described the statue as 25 metres tall and said it fell about an hour after work began
ReconstructionIn 2006, a reduced-scale reproduction of the brick pedestal and the lower part of the sculpture, Stalin's boots, was made; reconstructed in Memento Park in Budapest, the park of sculptures of the socialist era
Date destroyed23 October 1956; October 24, 1956; at the beginning of the Hungarian uprising of 1956; 21:37 on 23 October 1956 (according to other accounts)
Post-destruction useThe empty pedestal was reconstructed and used for a long time as a government tribune/podium for festive processions, parades, and demonstrations
Aftermath of destructionOnly Stalin's boots/shoes remained on the pedestal; parts remained on the streets for several days; a Hungarian flag was placed in the boots; insulting remarks such as "W.C." were scrawled on the fragmented remains; a sign reading "Russians, if you flee, don't leave me behind!" / "RUSOS, CUANDO HUYÁIS NO ME DEJÉIS AQUÍ!" was placed over Stalin's mouth; the bronze image titled "Leader, teacher and best friend of the Hungarian people" was torn off the pedestal; Stalin's name on the pedestal was ripped off / erased; the statue was destroyed, leaving only the boots
Destruction methodPulled down using a thick steel cable/rope around the neck; oxygen cylinders, welding equipment, metal cutting blowpipes, and trucks were used; it fell from its pedestal about an hour after work began
Destroyed byA crowd of protesting, rebelling, or revolutionary Hungarians; about 100,000 Hungarian revolutionaries; around 200,000 Hungarians gathered in Budapest
Date completed / installedDecember 1951; 1951
Associated proposalStudents of the Budapest University of Technology demanded a monument to the Hungarian Revolution of 1848/1849 in place of the Stalin Monument