Journal 20 – Hungarian Uprising in 1956

The Hungarian people revolted against the Soviet Union in October, 1956. It was the biggest crises of the Communist system in the world. During the Hungarian uprising were killed about 2,500 people, 20,000 citizens were sentenced and 200,000 had to go into exile.
But the Hungarians had won a great moral victory for freedom. On October 23, hundreds of students and workers marched through the streets of Budapest shouting, “Out of the Russian!” During a peaceful demonstration before the Hungarian parliament the Soviet troops opened gun-fire (in the above picture Soviet troops and tanks surrounded the Parliament Building.) Finally, Janos Kadar, the communist leader who was supported by the Soviet comrades, took power and held it until 1988.
In these days, the Hungarians solemnly celebrated 50 anniversary their revolution. The delegates from over 40 countries have come to Budapest.
I visited Hungary a few times; the Hungarians hated the Russians.