Lenin Lives

There is life at death, even for statues

It's hard to believe that after decades of waiting to pull down the symbols of tyranny, these same objects that had once caused revulsion throughout Central and Eastern Europe are slowly making their comeback. Yet in Hungary, this is exactly what has happened. The past has not only been forgotten; it has become utterly meaningless.

Last weekend, in the town of Dunaujvaros in Central Hungary, the town council decided to do something that ten years ago people would have never dreamed of: a statue of Lenin was erected. For a country that prided itself in being one the first to have pulled down Uncle Joe in the mid-1950s during a bloody revolution, this dedication to the founding father of Soviet Communism is inexplicable.

What is even more inexplicable, however, was the total lack of interest in the event. When the decision by the town council was first made, it made only a passing remark in the news headlines. Such was the non-coverage of the issue that by the time the date of the inauguration had taken place, most had forgotten about it. Not only this, but many are also dimly aware of the significance about where Lenin had made his comeback. The town of Dunaujvaros used be the Hungarian version of the city of Stalingrad, and during the Stalinist era was even called such: Stalinujvaros.

Even among nationalists, the knowledge and reaction to Lenin's return seemed muted. No doubt the town took the necessary precautions for what they feared would be a major outcry. Hence, the statue was erected ahead of schedule in the middle of the night. It seems Lenin prefers to make his appearances and disappearances in such a manner: over ten years ago, the massive Lenin statue which overlooked Budapest from the city park disappeared in the same, secret way.

If the town of Dunaujvaros was concerned about a public backlash to its decision to raise Lenin from the dead, they needn't have worried. Not only was the event not covered by the mainstream media, but those who did show up to protest were few in number. So few in fact, that there were more police than demonstrators.

The reason the town decided to put up a statue of Lenin was to commemorate a major historical figure of the past century. Although Lenin is a historical figure of great significance, his statues and portraits nevertheless represented to many in Central and Eastern Europe a system of terror and foreign domination. There are many historical figures of the past century of great significance, yet not all would be considered appropriate to have placed in a public space for remembrance: Stalin and Hitler are just the top two of a long list of such figures.

What all this signifies is how aimless and apathetic Hungarians have become of late. In essence, the political and social spirit of the general population has been broken. The old are forgetful and long for an illusory past that never was, but one with a sense of security and familiarity; the middle-aged are too concerned with surviving in an increasingly competitive and cutthroat economy; and the young are too concerned with themselves to care much about anything beyond the latest cultural trash imported from abroad, namely the US.

All this enables the establishment of an Orwellian society, albeit on a much subtler scale than the original 1984 version. The framework for such a dystopia is already firmly in place: a dim recollection of the past, a constantly revised present, and a future based on perpetual war and fear. The only way to live through all this is by a process of doublethink.

If this indeed is an indication of things to come, it will be interesting to see what Iraq will be like in a decade or two from now. Perhaps we should start documenting the pictures and video footage of the Saddam statues falling from grace, so that by 2020 when they are put back people will have an idea of why they were torn down in the first place.

http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/15/15135/1.html