Sándor, it is a great honor for us to have a conversation with you within the Expert Opinion section, where cultural scientists, architects and museum managers introduce our readers to the rich historical and architectural heritage of our country. You are a person whose life and professional activity are closely connected with Russia. Please tell us about your attitude towards our country and the emotions that you feel while living in the capital for such a long time?
I have a lot in common with Russia. Despite the fact that my father is Russian, I still consider myself Hungarian – I was born in Hungary, I started speaking Russian much later than Hungarian, and I think and write in Hungarian, too. And, indeed, in terms of cultural mentality, I consider myself a Hungarian. But Russian culture is very close to me – in my youth I lived in Russia, by the way, I graduated from MGIMO, so I can safely say that Russian is my second native language.
I saw Moscow in the 80s and 90s. Now I can say with confidence that this is one of the greatest megacities in the world. I am happy to see the progress that has been achieved by the efforts of the city authorities over the past 10-15 years.
I cannot fail to note the approach to the preservation of cultural heritage sites, the city is very clean and beautiful, and most of the historical buildings are perfectly preserved. At the same time, the city remains alive, it is constantly changing – new beautiful and elegant neighborhoods and buildings appear here.
For several years, you have been the Director of the Liszt Institute, the Hungarian Cultural Center (HCC). Please tell us more about the Center's history and functions.
The Cultural Center was opened in Russia in 1990 with the priority task of promoting Hungarian culture in the Russian Federation.
There are 26 such Centers in the world, which perform different functions depending on the region of presence. There are countries with a large Hungarian diaspora: for example, in the UK, the Cultural Center works both with local audiences popularizing Hungarian culture and with representatives of the Hungarian diaspora helping to maintain continuous communication with the homeland.
In different years, the Liszt Institute had different names: the Hungarian Cultural Scientific and Information Center, the Balassi Institute. Now it is called the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center (named after Franz Liszt, the famous Hungarian composer of the 19th century), but the specifics of our work remains unchanged – we are still focused on popularizing Hungarian culture.
What projects in the field of cultural cooperation between our countries are implemented by the Liszt Institute on a regular basis? How are they implemented?
We strive not to limit ourselves to traditional bilateral cooperation, but create projects that result in the synthesis of Russian-Hungarian culture giving rise to something unique. Here is one example: on our initiative, the artists Andrei Tot and Nikolai Kopeikin created a joint painting, the first for the two countries. It is interesting that the artists worked on it simultaneously.
I would also like to note that our activities are not limited to the capital. We work a lot with other Russian cities. We are developing ties with Tver, last year we were in Tula and Murmansk, we travel to Izhevsk, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod every year and we visit St. Petersburg every two months. Now we are discovering the Caucasus and have already visited Kabardino-Balkaria.
Some projects of the GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia are focused on cultural education of young people. For example, for the third year in a row we are holding the Architecture of Diplomacy All-Russian competition for young artists. Now we are planning to hold another international competition. Please tell us, does the Center hold events for young people? Could you please share your experience in this regard?
Young people are our key target audience, especially since the average age of our visitors is 34 years old. This is what we proceed from when planning our events.
Of course, we do not forget about students, so we actively cooperate with Russian universities. To begin with, Hungarian is already being taught in 4 Russian cities. These cities are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Izhevsk and Nizhny Novgorod. In addition, we have 11 "Hungarian points", a kind of representations within universities, and they are not necessarily in those universities where Hungarian is taught. In addition, there are Hungarian rooms with libraries and other artifacts of Hungarian culture.
Speaking about working with young people, I would like to note that it is important to create conditions for them to become active participants in the process, creators, not just passive consumers. For example, such a project was implemented with the HSE Faculty of Design. The task we set for the students was as follows: Hungary is rich in long and complex geographic names (for example, Kiskunfélegyháza, Székesfehérvár or Hódmezővásárhely), so that tourists visiting our country face significant difficulties. Here is what we did: we offered students 12 such towns and asked them to study their geographical location, history, culture and other features and, based on these studies, to rebrand them. The students translated the names into Cyrillic, designed coats of arms, design and navigation elements, in other words, presented the towns to tourists.
As a result, the students studied Hungarian culture and history, but were also able to create something new.
Please tell us what distinguishes the events that were held and are being held at the Center?
Our program is quite extensive and interactive, we strive to surprise our audience. I would like to note that each of our events is unique, so it is impossible to single out one thing. We try to avoid formality, even if we talk about classical art, we do it from the perspective of modernity.
For example, we try to make an ordinary literary evening or another book presentation memorable. We involve actors, do some kind of mini performances, make shows to get acquainted with the topic. This is how the presentation of the book by Sándor Márai The Candles Burn Till the End was held, which was accompanied by a mini performance delivered by actors of the Meyerhold State Theatre.
That is what distinguishes the team of our Cultural Center – we strive to look for new approaches and make sure that our guests have bright memories and emotions.
At the same time, we take into account modern trends. Now, in my opinion, there seems to be an exhibition Renaissance in Moscow – Moscow residents are happy to visit museums, art galleries, and exhibition spaces. And, by the way, Moscow cultural institutions also feel this – take, for example, the Cube Gallery, which exhibits works by contemporary Russian artists – interesting, original and innovative works. I regularly visit this space myself. Therefore, of course, we pay attention to exhibitions in our work.
We are also looking at the areas that, in our opinion, have not yet received due attention from the general Russian public. Take modern dance, for example! Russia is a superpower in the classical ballet – this is indisputable. But getting to know the modern choreography, to which we plan to dedicate one of the upcoming projects, could be very, very interesting in this perspective. Hungary has something to show the Russian audience in this regard.
And the main thing is that learning culture with the help of museums, cultural spaces and even our Cultural Center is really good. But culture is a living organism, and a meeting with it can happen anywhere. For example, this is the main idea of our videos "Hungary in St. Petersburg" and "Hungary in Moscow", which tell about memorable places, streets, restaurants and coffee shops associated with Hungarian culture and Hungary.
It is very important for us that our audience is not just a passive observer, but a full-fledged participant in the cultural process. Thus, we can create something brand new, interesting and memorable at the intersection of cultures.
Therefore, I urge everyone to discover new opportunities and explore this world, to do it in any way convenient for themselves.
Do you hold literary evenings and what are they usually dedicated to?
Of course! We pay special attention to Hungarian literature, we read it both in Russian and in Hungarian. By the way, we annually hold seminars for translators of literary texts with workshops and master classes on the peculiarities of their profession.
Another format is events bringing together Hungarian and Russian writers related in style and genre. These are meetings of like-minded people, which often end in poetic "battles", as young people would call it now.
And we have enough material for such work – Hungarian writers are sincerely interested in Russian literature and, in particular, the work of Maxim Gorky. György Spiró found a non-trivial artistic method to tell about the last days of the writer's life in his book "The Devil of Gorky", and István Orosz began the story "Chess in the Island" with the chess game played by Lenin and Bogdanov on Capri while visiting Gorky – indeed, this is a reconstruction and fiction, but really great.
By the way, let us talk about Russian writers. The Hungarian Cultural Center is located in the Homestead of Nosenkov, which is associated, among other things, with the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin. Have there been any events related to his work?
Of course, Pushkin is well known and read in Hungary – many of his works have been translated into Hungarian. There are also monuments to the poet, and a huge number of public places bear his name. Even one of the most popular cinemas in Budapest, by the way, one of the first in Hungary, is called Pushkin.
Therefore, of course, we share everybody's love for Alexander Sergeevich. Here are some of these projects: "How Pushkin is Read in Hungary", "The Hungarian Analog of Pushkin".
Let us talk about the Homestead of merchant Nosenkov, where the HCC is located. How long have you been in this building?
The Center has been located here since 1999, before that we occupied premises in the Russian State Children's Library on Oktyabrskaya Street.
Despite this, the Homestead of merchant Nosenkov is closely connected with the history of diplomatic relations between our countries. The building accommodated the Hungarian diplomatic mission in 1935 – the Hungarian Embassy was located there for more than 30 years.
Since 1967, a trade representative office of the Hungarian People's Republic and representative offices of Hungarian commercial companies have been located on Povarskaya Street.
Since 2020, large-scale restoration work has been carried out in the building. What caused the need for them and what work has been done?
The building has not seen a restoration like this for its almost century-old history – only maintenance repairs were carried out here.
As a result of the restoration, which has already come to an end, a large-scale complex of works has been carried out to restore the historical appearance of the interiors and facades. Today, the mansion welcomes its visitors with the color solutions, decorative elements and other details that were conceived by the architect at the time of its construction.
When restoring mansions under the jurisdiction of the GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia, our colleagues often discover decorative elements and other architectural details that were hidden behind layers of paint or disappeared as a result of the operation of the building. For example, a unique Moorish hall was discovered in our administrative building at 20 Prechistenka Street. Were you lucky enough to discover such architectural surprises at the Homestead of merchant Nosenkov?
Yes, we were! The restoration showed how the color solutions in different rooms changed over time. For example, we found out that in one of the main halls, which today is the Béla Bartók Concert Hall, the number of paint layers reached 14. The painstaking work with the coating of the walls rewarded the restorers – marble was hidden under. Today, marble adorns this hall!
Often, amazingly beautiful ornaments under the suspended ceilings and doors laid during the late operation of the building were found. These and many other elements were restored based on historical photographs and archival materials, as well as on the results of scientific restoration that preceded the active phase of work.
Will the features of Hungarian culture be reflected in the interiors of the Liszt Institute?
Of course, we will bring our own vision to the interiors of the building, but we will do it with respect to its historical style.
For example, furniture – it was selected for us by Hungarian restoration specialists. Soon, the mansion will house decorative elements that reinterpret Art Deco from the modernity perspective, while maintaining the harmony and character of the overall appearance. It is also important that the furniture will both maintain the character of the building and meet our objectives. Here you can feel the beat of life, not a soulless history.
How will the activities of the Liszt Institute change with the return to the historical building? What events can be expected in the near future?
Perhaps, the cultural program of the new season started with the festival "Day of European Languages", which we held on September 21 in partnership with the Cervantes Institute.
Classical concerts will be held at the Center every last Thursday of the month. We will start with the popularization of Hungarian composers of the second half of the 20th century, such as György Kurtág and György Ligeti.
I would like to note that we are talking about intimate events: literary evenings, readings, Hungarian language courses, official receptions. As I have already noted, acquaintance with our culture is not limited to the mansion on Povarskaya Street. We are focused on a wider audience, so we regularly hold events at city venues. You can always find out about the future events and their venues on our website and on social networks.
Where to start exploring Hungarian culture?
Literature, cinema and music are the three routes that I suggest starting this fascinating journey with.
Books:
· The postmodern novel "Satantango" by the winner of the International Booker Prize László Krasznahorkai;
· The story "Chess in the island" by István Orosz, which I have already told you about;
· The collection of works by Margit Kaffka – the example of modern Hungarian literature;
· The novel by Sándor Márai "The Candles Burn Till the End" is less youth–oriented, it is more about the Hungarian bourgeois class of the mid-20th century, so one has to get prepared before reading (laughing).
Special attention should be given to the collection of poems by János Pilinszky, which was recently published in Russian. Among the iconic writers are Péter Nádas, Péter Esterházy, Ádám Bodor.
Classical Hungarian films:
· Films by István Szabó: "Mephisto", "Hanussen", "Sunshine", "Taking Sides";
· Films by Béla Tarr, Zoltán Fábri, Zoltán Huszárik, Miklós Jancsó or Márta Mészáros.
Some modern movies or TV series available on Russian streaming platforms include:
· Ildikó Enyedi's films: "On Body and Soull", "The Story of My Wife" and "My 20th Century";
· Films by directors such as László Nemes, Kornél Mundruczó, Antal Nimród; György Pálfi, Ibolya Fekete or Gábor Reisz;
· TV series "Golden Life";
· Péter Bergendy's Hungarian agro-horror "Post Mortem";
· animated films "Robbery according to Freud", "Four Souls of Coyote", or short films from students of the László Moholy-Nagy University.
And finally, Hungary is a real musical superpower. Our folklore tradition is very unique, especially it is worth paying attention to the Táncház dance movement. The classics Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók are the pillars of the world's musical heritage, and such innovators in academic music as György Ligeti and György Kurtág are considered the most important composers of the second half of the 20th century.
I would single out the following bands from modern popular music: Mordái, Jü, Bohemian Betyars, Deva, Analog Balaton, Mörk, Middlemist Red, The Qualitons, Dorota or Decolonize Your Mind Society.
To conclude our conversation, please tell us about your favorite places in Moscow. Which corners of the capital make your heart beat faster?
I really love the aesthetics of old Moscow, especially Pyatnitskaya Street, Chistye Prudy, Rozhdestvensky Boulevard and Kitay-Gorod. Of the more modern places, I like ArtPlay, Vinzavod, the Garage Museum and GES-2.