Soviet War Memorial, Liberty Square, Budapest

This is the monument at the other end of the square in Budapest where the controversial monument to the German occupation is being erected. The monument you see here has also enjoyed its fair share of controversy. Erected in 1945, it shows Red Army soldiers engaged in fighting at Elizabeth Bridge. The names of Soviet soldiers who died in the war are engraved on it and there's a hammer and sickle as well as the words "Glory to the liberating Soviet heroes." I have heard people say that this one will eventually be removed. Down at parliament, which is only a few hundred yards away, they are in the process of doing further work on other statues and monuments. At each building site there is usually a photograph of how the place looked before the Second World War.Basically, statues and monuments are being used to make a political statement. In the context of current developments in Hungray how you interpret history has taken on added importance. This has gone as far as influencing how school textbooks are written, what authors are read and what types of plays are supported and financed.