How much can a pink marble pedestal reveal about a literary giant? This is the Lev Tolsztoj Bust. It stands here in Budapest City Park. The Lev Tolsztoj Bust seems a bit forlorn. It is surrounded by grungy walls. Graffiti covers nearby signs. People often walk by without noticing it.
Let us delve into the story of this monument to Lev Tolsztoj. Before coming to Budapest, the sculptor searched for examples of Russian culture in the Hungarian capital. The first destination was a restaurant called Tchaikovsky. But the venerable old restaurant had been transformed into a strip club. The second destination was this Lev Tolsztoj Bust. The internet said it had been erected in Budapest City Park in early 2013. It was rather as a sign of genuflection to Vladimir Putin before he paid the city a visit that year.
Russia has often had rocky relations with Hungary. Think of 1956. So, it’s curious to see what this Lev Tolsztoj Bust might tell us. Finding the Lev Tolsztoj Bust wasn’t easy. It was a trek. The weather made it worse. There was no idea where to go. A pocket map helped. Finally, Budapest City Park was reached. It is big. There was very little idea where the bust was located. No map pinpointed it. Only a few gave vague descriptions. It was located on an alley just off of Mihály Zichy street.
The pocket map did not name the streets inside the park. So, the sculptor just forged on ahead. He went to his right toward the southeast side of the park. He thought he would at least find Mihály Zichy street. But the makers of this park did not put up street signs anywhere. He turned on his inner radar. He headed across the grass. He kept a fairly large street to his left. He passed crowds of people exercising their borzoi hunting dogs. Tolsztoj writes with great passion about borzoi hunting dogs in various of his works.
He headed through a muddy path beneath a balding hill. He came upon an ornate building. At one time, it appeared to have been a cultural center. Now, it appeared to be abandoned. He saw a statue ahead. He walked toward it instinctively. It clearly was not Tolsztoj. Having reached it he saw another statue in the distance. It was clearly not Tolsztoj. He headed to it. From that to another. Until finally across the huge muddy lawn he saw a gold head almost glisten in the murk. It was too tempting to head straight for it. Instead, he headed to see another bust. Right next to this bust he spied a street sign. It proclaimed the little promenade in front of him as Leo Tolstoy Alley. He looked down in the direction of the golden glare he had seen a few moments before. From here he could now be sure. It was Tolsztoj.
The Lev Tolsztoj Bust stands on a pink marble pedestal. The sculptor Vasil Roman put a bit of Fyodor Dostoevsky into his Tolsztoj. Call him Tolstoevsky. If you know Russian literature’s faces even cursorily, Dostoevsky will surely creep into your mind. The ears are Tolsztoj’s. They are nice and big and ready to hear everything the world has to say. So, the most Tolstoian angles are the ones from the sides.
The Lev Tolsztoj Bust is officially a gift of the Tolstoy Association for Hungarian-Russian Cooperation. It stands 235 centimeters tall. It is mounted on a 90-cm by 90-cm base. The Hungarian philosopher Jenő Henrik Schmitt was a friend of the Russian writer. Tolsztoj’s hardscrabble religious views coincided with the beliefs of the Hungarian religious anarchist.
This Lev Tolsztoj Bust in Budapest represents a complex intersection of art, politics, and history. It’s a reminder of the enduring influence of Russian culture and literature. It also highlights the complicated relationship between Russia and Hungary. As you leave this spot, consider the layers of meaning embedded in this statue. What does it say about cultural exchange, political symbolism, and the legacy of a great writer?