Page 24 - Microsoft Word - 01_A MÁSIK OLDAL English.doc

spread anyway. People came and went and they told the events
to each other. I heard the next morning that we were not to go to
school that day. What a delight, I thought, and then we made a
Kossuth Coat of Arms (a revolutionary symbol of 1848 fight),
but eventually, my sister’s version was put in the window.
In response to the demonstration and the bloody shootout at the
demonstrators, Tuesday night turned into a revolution in arms.
This event led to the fall of the government, the retreat of Soviet
troops, and it was announced that Hungary introduces political
pluralism, exits the Warsaw Pact (soviet counterweight to
NATO) and goes independent. Everyone hoped for success, in
spite of the 25 October massacre on Kossuth Square, committed
by members of the ÁVH, which resulted in the bloody fights on
Republic Square, still provoked by the same people, which two
events were ultimately bad omens for the declared-to-be-
victorious revolution and the future of the newly formed official
government. Those few living nearby hid themselves in our
neighbour’s bunker when there was shooting outside. All of a
sudden, everything went silent, and it was only years later when
I realized why. Despite the many shootouts in the country the
revolution was victorious for two weeks. We, boys, roamed the
city in small groups. I saw the remains of the giant Stalin Statue
by the National Theatre, and I wanted to break off a piece of it
to keep it as a memorial, but alas, I could not lift the crowbar. I
saw all those broken windows, the untouched display cases, the
money gathered on the ground, the young soldiers getting off
the van to mingle in the crowd. I saw the workers, who deeply
believed in the nation, and I saw the laconic subscription “We
went home” on the Thököly Street police station. I saw killed,
burnt Russian soldiers, busted tanks and armoured cars. I
gathered newspapers and leaflets, which were full of
enthusiasm, but someone later – probably after the revolution –
might have found them and made them disappear, as they never
turned up again, along with the gun I hid too.

24