Anders Lindstrøm

In 1990, the Hungarian government held its first free democratic election.

In 2022, Zoltán Keresztény carried out his first activist media stunt criticizing the Hungarian government.

Today, he fears the fight was lost from the start

The two men drive through the Hungarian countryside. It’s mid-summer. Villages, fields, and propaganda posters rush past the window.

He has teamed up with his friend and activist Tamás, who, after the invasion, seeks out Zoltán because he has followed his failed attempts at political change in recent years. The two are in full agreement about Hungary’s political situation. And that something must be done.

The car is packed with equipment they’ve ordered online over the past few days, during which they’ve planned the trip. They reassure each other about their cause as they drive far out of Budapest. They share their hopes of capturing the public’s attention. Here, in the middle of the countryside, the protest against the government’s actions will take place.

On the horizon, they see the mound. At the top stands a black dot, slowly growing larger. The wind from the open landscape tears at the handlebars as they turn off the main road.

The Soviet monument towers at the top of the hill. It’s brighter than usual, and the engraving stands out sharply on the polished plaque. After the invasion of Ukraine, Hungary’s government began restoring several Soviet monuments.

Zoltán and Tamás have driven off the road to reach the hill. The car doors slam, and the two huff and puff their way up the slope, dragging black plastic film, tape, and three flags. From up here, no town can be seen. Only fields and forests.

Zoltán has read up on the legislation and assured Tamás that they won’t get into trouble.

In the sunshine and biting wind, they wrap the obelisk. Around and around and around. They work quickly. First plastic film, then tape, then more plastic.

Where the obelisk once stood, now sits a black lump. On it are carefully placed symbols: the EU’s, Ukraine’s, and Hungary’s historical rebellion flags with a hole in the center.

With his video camera pointed at the monument, Tamás reads out the message they’ve prepared for YouTube:

“Anger has brought us here. We would have shown up with hammers, as the rebels did in 1956, to smash Stalin’s statue. But our political goals are much greater than vandalism and destruction. We want to build up, not tear down.”

The impact they will have is uncertain, but they are hopeful that they can improve Hungary’s reputation. At least among the population.

They hurry to set up a phone camera and set the self-timer. To the best of their ability, the two friends straighten up and take a photo of themselves with the covered monument.


Read the danish story in full Here