Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
The Mayor and Governor were joined by Dr. Istvan Nathon, the Hungarian Ambassador to the United Nations, Istvan Kovacs, the Hungarian Consul General and Livia Sylva, Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations and Consular Corps.
"It is only right that we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight," Mayor Giuliani said. "The spirit of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters is the same spirit that moved America's founding fathers to cast off the shackles of tyranny. We are celebrating one of the greatest examples of human courage the world has ever seen -- 40 years ago, a proud nation, just about the size of Maine, battled against the might of one of the world's mightiest super powers. For ten days, Hungarians battled highly trained Soviet soldiers and their state-of-the-art weaponry. Not until heavy reinforcements arrived from Moscow was the uprising suppressed."
The Mayor continued, "Although the former Soviet Union may have been able to suppress the out-manned and out-gunned Hungarian Revolution on the battlefield, it was never able to suppress the human spirit of the Hungarian people. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I applaud the efforts of these brave warriors."
"Anyone who has a love of country and freedom shares a special relationship with the Hungarian Freedom Fighters," said Governor Pataki, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Hungary. "I will never forget sitting with my father, grandparents, aunts and uncles watching on television with great pride, and then with great sadness as thousands of men, women and children fought for freedom in the streets of Hungary."
"Their unrelenting commitment to freedom despite overwhelming odds was a defining moment in my life, helping to shape my deep faith in the human spirit and the ability of individuals to improve the future for their families and their nation," the Governor said. "Their love of freedom and country is an inspiration for me every day."
At the reception, the Mayor presented Governor Pataki with a Crystal Apple in honor of his outstanding contributions as a proud Hungarian-American. Governor Pataki has recently returned from his second trip in a year to Hungary, where he was made an honorary citizen of a small village of Kisvarda, his grandfather's birthplace.
In 1956, following the installation of Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy by the Soviet Union, Hungarian students began peaceful demonstrations which grew into a grass roots campaign for freedom and democracy. The Soviets then clashed with the protesters for over a week. Not until some 200,000 troops and 2,500 tanks and armored vehicles arrived from Moscow was the uprising suppressed and the revolution ended.
In the months following the suppression of the revolution nearly 200,000 people left Hungary. Approximately 80,000 Hungarian refugees immigrated to the United States, where many of them settled in New York City and New York State.