Everydays in Hungary under Russian occupation

Hungarian Freedom Fighter During Revolution Against Soviet Backed Government


Hungarian Man Singing Patriotic Song as Soviet Tanks Move into Budapest During Hungarian Revolution

I know Dad - you were heading to Budapest with some guns when the Soviet tanks arrived .It was too late ...

I was around 8 years old when we left our charming hometown and moved to an another area .The new town was very strange for me . It was full of historical buildings and some strange families.They used to stroll along our compound .They were carrying carpets usually . They were heading to their own compound which was around a kilometer far .
"Mum - who are these people ?"- I asked
"These are the Russians or they are called the Soviet as well ."
"What are they doing here ?"
"Protecting us from the enemy !"
But we can protect ourselves ! My father is working for the Hungarian army !Why are they here ?



But as I did not get clear answer on how the baby is created in the womb of the woman similarly the presence of the Russians remained a mystery for me as well .


Young Soviet Boys Looking from Car Window

I went to have music lessons to the historical town center . The historical building where my school was found and where Franz Liszt had given a concert long time ago was partially given to Russian officers and their families . At the historical windows there were strings of smoked fish hanging . That was the sign of a Russian family .The Hungarians used to put strings of red pepper or nothing . For us eating smoked fish sounded very strange . As Hungary has no access to the sea - fish is not so common and not eaten smoked .It seemed that for the Russians it was a kind of staple food .
Then their bread .We often saw them carrying some black bread unwrapped .That was also known only from stories - that the poor used to eat black bread in the past .
At weekends they used to walk to the town .Grown up men or women hand in hand .It was a sign of friendship for them .For us it was just a childish thing to laugh at .

My brother was in the 5 th grade .It was the time when every child in Hungary had to start to learn Russian . There was no choice : learning English , German ,French ?
Only from age 14 and one was forced to learn Russian all over his studies until he graduated . The Russian was hated -other languages were not available .
That was not the case for my brother . He enjoyed learning Russian - and he was able to communicate to the Russian kids soon .
He found a very good friend : Andrej - a blond Ukrainian boy . They were a lot together and were playing chess , were riding their bikes ,or went for a picnic .
I wished very much to learn Russian myself .Then I was so happy to be able to communicate a little . We used to go in summer to their compounds . they had very nice things there and a little swimming pool .We were welcomed and I had some play mates : Lena , Irina , Alek . After some years they returned to Russia . That was the law of their own.One family was allowed to stay only 3-4 years then others were sent . They disappeared for ever from our life ...Most probably they were not allowed to keep in touch with us .
It was sad .. So after our friends left we did not look for friendship with the newcomers .


Zov Ilycha, Waitresses Dressed as Pioneers at Soviet Themed Restaurant, St. Petersburg, Russia

I was around twelve when our teachers gave us some drawings and a letter and told us to go to the Russian school to invite them for a friendly contest . The school was found inside the barrack of the Red Army .
That was the first time that I was there . I was surprised to see that like they had a little town there inside : there was cinema ,clothes shop , grocery , outpatient clinics .
We were welcomed by the principal .He was strikingly intelligent and had very fine manners as he talked to us .Everything around the school and the teachers had so special atmosphere .Only selected teachers were allowed to come to Hungary to teach the Russian officers' children . It was like a great reward .Hungary was so much better place than Russia !

I do not remember much .There was a Russian team competing with the Hungarians .They kept winning . We were in the gymnasium .
Then the teacher told .
"each team has to send a contestant to climb up the rope " There came a big Russian guy with big muscles. As nobody else was willing to contest with him then I went there . Climbing up the rope used to be my favorite sport ! The thin little girl was up in a second and saw the big guy being very very furious .
Ooooh my , how nice feeling it was !


Soviet Athlete Vira Rolleid Practicing for the Russian Olympics

As we learned some Russian our teacher had offered us to look for penfriends in Russia .I wished very much to communicate to someone in Russian so I applied for one .Soon I got a letter from her .It saddened me . She wrote that her father had just died near the Chinese border .He was an army officer .
We had heard about China -Russia border clashes which took the life of two soldiers .
"How very strange that exactly one of these two victims child is writing me now ! "

When I mentioned it to my teacher she seemed to be very upset .She wanted to see that letter at once and she took it to the principal .They forbade me to write again to this penfriend . No explanation !

So I did not hear about her anymore .

But I learned two interesting things later :

1. In fact not two soldiers died at the Chinese border clashes - but hundreds !

2. Most of the Russian "pen pals " were not real - just some Russian political propaganda agency's work .

So ,what would you think about the whole matter ? Was she real ?

I was still at the secondary school . Our teacher of librarianship , a fine , highly educated man made a speech against the regime of Hungary .
We were all shocked . Some years later I learned that one of our classmates whose father used to be in high position at the local communist party used to call his dad at such occasions . "Dad ! Again he got this attack "let's change the regime " ! "
At such cases he was threatened that he will be forced for a treatment at the psychiatry .Sometimes he was forced to be there .
I was shocked to see how the local health care is collaborating with some evil powers . I felt at times I will suffocate in my own country . I felt I needed some fresh air !
I wished to go out form Hungary very much at least for a short trip !

As I was growing up I missed more and more traveling abroad . I had thought that my parents are not interested in it - and I decided to travel abroad as soon as I am 18 and can decide on this on my own .
When i told about it to my father he invited me for a chat .
" Have you noticed that nobody travels in the family ,nor your uncle or aunt does . ? "
"Do you think it was just due to our lack of interest ?
No , most probably nobody is allowed out from our family .
The he told me the story of my grandfather a prominent catholic thinker and artist.And about the 1950's when though granddad was already dead but still his past devotion to the church meant danger for the remaining family members . It was the time when a lots of families were deported into punishment camps .So much suffering ,humiliation and even death was their fate there . My grandma with her kids were living in fear during long years .
Then instead of deporting them - they gave them good education as they grew up .. Later even important and delicate position was waiting for them - but the label was still on them "suspicious background " .So when my uncle got a job - he was told that he should never apply for a passport going to western countries or elsewhere because simply he will never get any .The same applied for his siblings and children .

I was shocked hearing that story which had never been told me before .
My father told me that they may harass me after applying ." The simple fact that you apply may result in being under observation after ." "They will read your letters and tap our phone !"

"Better not to do so !" -was the final word of my father .

But I wished to travel very much . I applied for a passport for the"friendly countries " alone .It meant the other communist countries in the area and the great Soviet Union . To the greatest shock of our senior family members I got it ! The winds of change were blowing in Hungary then !

I rushed to the travel agency to book a package tour to Tbilisi ,Georgia .
We got only Sochi - told the travel agent .
But look it is only 200 km from Tbilisi . You will visit it during your holiday !

So my brother and me we went to the Soviet Union for a luxury sea side holiday .
Sochi was the name of the place . A great resort by the Black sea . We were staying in a luxury hotel and everything was wonderful around us .It was a great adventure .I met so many western people there ! It was full of Americans . I would not have ever supposed that .We were in 1984 .Moreover - they did look to be in high position .They were there with their families and stayed reserved .They did not mix with the others !
Later in my life I worked with American tourists a lot .I know that they are always open for a chat and they are rather curious and anything but reserved .
So even nowadays I can not tell you who on the earth those people might have been !
We met also a lots of British and Scandinavian people there !
And what about my trip to Georgia ? The hotel's travel agent informed me that it is forbidden to roam the great Soviet Union on my own . Simply they did not organize a tour to Tbilisi and there was no way to go there !


U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Right, Talks with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev

I remember a nice summer day sitting in the yard of our compound when the men started to criticize the soviet occupation of Afghanistan .I could not understand a lot about it . Then a year later we noticed that some Russians walking towards their compounds have strange behavior: they were wearing Cardin clothes ,smelling by French perfumes, and were behaving like the new rich bum . Then we learnt that some of them became very rich in Afghanistan...


Afghanistan Map by mapshoppe
See other prints & posters on zazzle.com

In my twenties I moved to Budapest to our capital .I felt better there at that time .Lots of universities with students -lots of intellectuals - the spirit of the city was better than the spirit of the countryside . On our national day after the official celebration I happened to find myself in a crowd .I just wanted to place a flower at our national poet Petofi's statue - when the crowd of students just came to the same place .I found myself shouting for freedom for more rights among 10 thousand protesters .It was a cold spring day and I was not dressed for staying out hours . But I did not catch cold at all . The happiness we all felt prevented me from that .It was like we were taking part in a movie .As we were walking in the residential area windows opened with happy people and they were cheering with us .When we were strolling along an avenue then a Soviet school bus was blocked by the crowd . Some people were banging the bus shouting "Go home " .The driver was scared to death .It must have been bad for the kids as well ...
Our demonstration did not result in regime change - but all we felt that the governement had hard time because of those manifestations .

Things that we did not hope had happened . The Russians had left our country after four decades . Many of them complained - they did not have enough room for those families who lived abroad . Their accommodation was not solved when they returned .
Suddenly you could hear the voice of " brave" Hungarians . Many of my compatriots started to speak up against them when there was nothing to fight against ...
One of the political party made a poster . Our leader who called them into the country was kissing with one Soviet leader . The famous Slav kiss on the lips . it was written on it " Camarade -it is over "
Suddenly the church was full of ex-communists . One day they were cheering for the Soviets the day after they went to church .
It was a good lesson for me on human nature ...

Yet there is one thing I do not understand ! after all the atheist propaganda we got how and why we managed to keep our national anthem even during the darkest periods . At every celebration we sang " God bless the Hungarians with good mood and wealth "
Just before or after the Soviet anthem !

I would like to give here tips and tricks of learning Russian .
Russian reading is easy . It is phonetic - every letter is related to one sound . The letters are easy to learn . It's matter of days or weeks only .

To learn basic words you can use Google /translate program

Also you can take online Russian lessons .
Learn Russian online from native speaker !

photo source



Stalin's boots



Soviet car, Moskvich 407 - 1959