PHOTOS, VIDEO: the August 27 fireworks and air show in Budapest
Hungarians celebrate the foundation of the Christian Hungary every year on 20 August. Among other programmes, the highlights of the national day are the air show of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the magnificent fireworks over the Danube. Last week’s event was postponed because of the poor weather conditions. Finally, it was organized yesterday evening sending up more than 40 thousand rockets. Here is our photo and video report.
Saint Stephen, the founder of the Christian Hungarian state. Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
The story of the fireworks was the dream of a boy who meets the ghost of the Holy Crown of Hungary to discover some great chapters of Hungarian history until the 20th century. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
The first block was about the foundation of the state. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
The second one’s topic was the Hunyadi era and János Hunyadi’s victory in Belgrade over the Ottoman forces (1456). Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
The third part was about the 1848 anti-Habsburg, the fourth about the 1956 anti-Soviet revolutions. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
The final minutes compared Hungarian history with our present and future. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
The light colouring of the Hungarian Parliament. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
Here is the video of the fireworks:
Below you may find some additional photos:
Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
20 August fireworks over the River Danube in Budapest. The fireworks were postponed because of the prognosis of the Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) last Saturday. Photo: MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry
However, the rain did not arrive in Budapest. Thus, the government could have held the show last week. Photo: MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry
As a result, innovation and technology minister László Palkovics fired the top officials of Hungary’s weather authority. Photo: MTI/Zsolt Szigetváry
The decision generated domestic and international public outcry, but the minister stick to his decision. Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
A government-close journalist, András Bencsik, said such a bad decision would not have been made if the prime minister had been at home. But Viktor Orbán is still in Croatia on his summer holiday with his wife. Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
40 thousand rockets were fired. An opposition party, Jobbik, suggested the government to sell the rockets and help Hungarian families hit hard by the crisis.
Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
Some rockets were initiated from barges on the Danube. Photo:
MTI/MTI Fotószerkesztõség/Lakatos Péter
Yesterday’s festivities started with the air show of the Hungarian Gripens over the Danube in Budapest. Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
The event’s venue was the river segment between the Parliament and the Chain Bridge. Photo: MTI/Péter Lakatos
Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
4 Comments
The fireworks looked great in the article. Well done. Too bad that it had to be postponed. The firing of the weather forecaters was just. It is time for workers to take responsibility for the products or recommendations.
An extract taken from a news article for 20 August 2006.
“At least three people died and more than 250 were injured when a storm lashed Hungary’s capital, Budapest, as huge crowds watched a firework display…..
The wind toppled trees, causing at least one of the deaths at the event on Sunday on the banks of the Danube River, officials said. Many panicked when the rainstorm broke. A search is on for two people missing after their boat capsized on the river”.
Had a storm hit we would have been reading headlines like this again. The meteorologists were quite rightly being cautious. Unfortunately their proactive thinking caused them to lose their jobs which was obviously reported in many outside media agencies. Yet again government’s negative actions overshadow something they want to show off.
People rely on weather forecasts. In the US, hurricanes, big storms and even flood are forecast a week ahead. If Fox weather forcasters can do it, it is possible to do accurate weather forecasts for a small country like Hungary. Time to hire knowledgeable people.
Agree with @anonymous comments
It’s not about the size of country it’s about weather fronts. Land mass, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, jet stream, to name but a few. Climate change is starting to affect many factors now.
Am I right in thinking the other comment implies Fox is a bit of a joke if even they can get it right?!