Gellért Hill - Liberation Monument

The Liberation Monument was erected in 1947 in memory of the Soviet soldiers who died fighting the Nazis in the Second World War; in spite of a changed historical awareness it has become a symbol of Budapest. On the limestone plinth stands a giant female figure, 14m/46ft high, bearing a palm branch in her upraised arms. The two heroic male figures at the feet of the triumphant Goddess of Victory symbolize progress and destruction. Originally a Soviet soldier bearing a flag stood between them; this was taken away together with numerous other pro-Russian memorials and can now be seen with other statues in the Sculpture Park.