Monument
«Hungarian-Soviet Friendship»
The monument “Hungarian–Soviet Friendship” stands in Friendship Park, Moscow (Leningradskoye Shosse, 90). It was unveiled on 15 September 1976 during the Days of Budapest Culture. The first monument to Hungarian-Soviet friendship had been erected in 1975 in Budapest’s Friendship Park to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Hungary from Nazi Germany. The Budapest work was created by Hungarian sculptor Barna Buza and architect István Zilahy. At its unveiling, it was announced that a copy would be presented to the Soviet Union. That copy was cast at a factory in Pécs and then transported to Moscow. For installation in Friendship Park the monument’s architectural setting was further developed: the site adaptation was designed by architect I. Fyodorov and the technical design by K. Savelyev. After Hungary’s political changes, the Budapest monument was dismantled and is now displayed in Memento Park (a counterpart to Moscow’s Art Park). In Moscow, the monument remains in its original location. The work consists of a 10‑meter concrete stela curved inward. In its central section is a bas‑relief showing two female figures – one Russian, one Hungarian – releasing doves and holding a flag. The composition is crowned with a five‑pointed star. The stela is faced with smooth tiles of light ochre pyrogranite, while the bas‑relief sits against a brownish glazed background. Beneath the bas‑relief runs the inscription: “Eternal Hungarian-Soviet friendship is the guarantee of our freedom and peace!” The monument stands on a circular platform 11.4 meters in diameter, surrounded by a walkway and bordered by flower beds. A two‑flight granite staircase leads up to the platform and promenade.
Address: Moscow, Friendship Park
