Commemoration of the Revolution of 1848 and the Session of Diaspora Council

Hungarian organizations inaugurated the newly erected monument of the Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956 beside the statue of Lajos Kossuth in Riverside Park, Manhattan, New York City, on 12th March, 2017, on the occasion of the national Hungarian holiday of 15th March, day of Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1848-49.

Speeched were given by George Pataki, the ex-governor of New York State, guest of honor; Ferenc Kumin, consul general of Hungary; Péter Szilágyi, deputy State Secretary of the Hungarian Government; and László Papp, president of the American Hungarian Monument Committee, immigrant of 1956. The statue of Lajos Kossuth was wreathed.

The celebration continued in the Hungarian House of New York, were director Ildikó Nagy welcomed the guests, Ferenc Kumin and Réka Szemerkényi, ambassador of Hungary in Washington, D.C. gave speeches. Owen Pataki, son of George Pataki also greeted the audience.

As the main show of the celebration a female choir sang three works of Zoltán Kodály; students of the Arany János Hungarian School danced and sang; finally folk dancers of Délibáb Folk Ensemble shown its coreography of dances of the transylvanian village of Magyarpalatka to the audience.

After the celebration the Regional Diaspora Council held its session in the building of the Hungarian House.

(Photos by: Gergely Szilvay, Viktor Janzsó and Arany János Hungarian School)