Luxurious building of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. parliament building in budapest hungarian parliament building

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The Hungarian Parliament is one of oldest buildings among legislative institutions in Europe and the second largest!

A spire rises in the sky of Budapest majestic symbol independence and unity of the Hungarian nation - Hungarian parliament building.

Seven years after the unification of Buda, Pest and Obuda, in 1880 the National Assembly decided to build the parliament building to emphasize the sovereign right of the Hungarian nation. A competition was announced, which was won by the architect Imre Steindl. Thus, construction began in 1885, and the first meeting of the State Assembly was held in the building already in 1896, during the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Finding of the Motherland (although the construction was finally completed only in 1904).

Thousands of people worked on the construction, 40 million bricks and 40 kg of gold were used. Unfortunately, the building's architect went blind before completion and was unable to see his creation.

Parliament of Hungary organically fit into the space between the two bridges - the Margaret Bridge and the Chain Bridge. The main façade faces the Danube and features 88 sculptures of Hungarian kings and leaders. The main entrance overlooks Lajos Kossuth Square. It is called "Lion's Gate" - because of the sculptures that adorn it.

Like the British Parliament building, the style of the building is neo-gothic. The building covers an area of 18,000 sq. m. The building is 268 m long and 123 m wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 elevators, 27 gates, 29 stairs and 691 rooms. The height of the building is 96 m, it is one of the highest in the city.

The building is not only a value in the architectural sense, but also has a great historical meaning. Here, under the dome, the Sacred Crown is kept, which is over a thousand years old!

Given the size of the building, some parts of it are almost always under restoration, but despite this, the Parliament is always open to visitors.

At night Hungarian parliament building beautifully illuminated

At the end of the 19th century, the capital of Hungary, the city of Buda, was combined with Obuda and Pest into a single city - Budapest. The Danube became the central axis of the new city; many significant architectural buildings were oriented towards it. the Hungarian capital. One of the largest government buildings in the world, the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, is also located here.

Parliament in Budapest. History and brief description

Ideas for the construction of this seat of parliament in Budapest arose immediately after the unification of cities in 1873. The building was erected in 1885-1904 according to the developments of the architect Imre Steindl. The Neo-Gothic building is 265 meters long, 118 meters wide and 96 meters high along the central dome. On the facade overlooking the river, neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance influences are noticeable. The central main portal of the building overlooks Lajos Kossuth Square. By location and architectural style the building resembles the famous Palace of Westminster.

The interior design and the scope of the premises are also striking. There are more than two hundred halls, 500 rooms, a dozen courtyards. Among this vast number of rooms, one can single out a large domed hall, in which receptions and solemn meetings of the parliament are held. The hall has a diameter of 21 meters. The vault at a height of 27 meters is supported by 16 groups of columns. The capitals of these columns contain sculptures of major Hungarian figures. The hall acts like the center of the building, the rest of the rooms are symmetrically from it.

The premises are decorated with sculptures, frescoes, paintings made by the best Hungarian artists. There are also tapestries and paintings of Lots, Rudnai, Munkachi.

Now tourists are freely taken to the building of the Hungarian Parliament with excursions. The position and grandeur of the building quickly made the Parliament a symbol of Budapest and one of the most famous sights in Hungary.

The Parliament building in Budapest is the real seat of the Hungarian Parliament on the very banks of the great Danube. The architecture of the building whimsically combines neo-Gothic elements, which resembles the Palace of Westminster and the features of the Parisian Beaux-Arts, like the Hotel de Ville in Paris.
It was planned to build the parliament building immediately after the unification of Buda and Pest in 1873. A competition was held for the best architect, in which the famous Hungarian neo-Gothic enthusiast Imre Steindl won the right to build a landmark building in Hungary.
The site was selected for east coast The Danube is right in the middle of two bridges in Budapest - the Széchenyi and Margaret chains. Construction began in 1885 and lasted until 1904. But not the whole complex is the work of Steindl. The projects of his rivals in the competition were also accepted and according to them were built next to the parliament Ethnographical museum and the Ministry of Agriculture. Under them, the Lajos Kossuth Square was allocated.
The built parliament building in Budapest became the largest in Hungary and remains so to this day. It has a little less than 700 rooms, which can be reached by 29 stairs. There are exits to 10 courtyards.
Initially, the parliament building in Budapest was intended to be erected for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarians finding their own homeland, that is, by 1896. But, alas, by this time it was not possible to erect such a large-scale structure. At that time, only the central domed hall was ready. Its height is 27 meters, and the diameter of the dome is 20 meters. On both sides of the dome in the outbuildings are the meeting rooms of the Parliament. There are two of them, since earlier the parliament in Hungary was bicameral. Today conferences are held in one of the halls.
The facade of the parliament building in Budapest is decorated with iconic statues of 88 kings and leaders of Hungary and Transylvania. The interiors of the parliament building are decorated in a medieval style, mosaic panels and stained-glass windows are used everywhere, there is a lot of gilding. The spire of the building is crowned with a red star, which was installed during the years of the socialist regime. In the domed hall of the parliament building there are 16 statues of kings and rulers of Hungary. Since 2000, the crown, scepter, orb and sword of St. Stephen have been kept in the parliament building.
Tours for numerous tourists from different parts of the world are now being held around the building of the Hungarian Parliament.

The main facade of the building faces the Danube, and the main entrance is called the "Lion's Gate", they overlook Lajos Kossuth Square.

And his symbol. The article presents detailed description and a photo of the building of the Hungarian Parliament.

Parliament - Orszaghaz

The Parliament is a grandiose building on the east bank of the Danube in Budapest. The building of the Hungarian Parliament is like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum in Rome, iconic and most famous building cities. It is also the largest building in Hungary and one of the tallest in Budapest. Translated from Hungarian as "house of the nation".

The Parliament building was built in the Neo-Gothic style by the famous romantic of this architectural direction, the architect Steindl. This beautiful building was erected as a symbol of the birth of a new capital almost immediately after the unification of the three cities. Construction continued from 1885 to 1904. For the construction of this magnificent building it took 40 million bricks, 40 kg of gold and more than half a million precious stones. This construction site involved 100,000 workers.

The Parliament building has a symmetrical façade and a large central dome. The facade is decorated with statues of famous historical figures of Hungary.

Opening hours for excursions

April-October from 8.00 to 18.00, daily.
November-March from 8.00 to 16.00, daily.

Cost of visiting

Adults (non-EU citizens) - HUF 5400
Students and children from 6 to 24 years old (non-EU citizens) - 2800 forints
Children under 6 years old - free of charge

Important information for tourists

It is forbidden to enter the Parliament with large bags. There is a security check at the entrance.
Photos are prohibited in the Great Domed Hall.
Parliament may not accept tours during state events.
When visiting the Parliament, it is recommended to observe the minimum dress code, to be clean and neatly dressed.
It is forbidden to behave loudly, bring flags and other bright visual paraphernalia.

Guided tour of the Parliament

The Parliament tour is visited by 1.5 million tourists annually. After buying tickets, groups of 50 people are formed. Approximate tour time is about an hour.

The interior of the Hungarian Parliament is richly decorated, even pompous staircases and halls with beautiful furniture and decoration.

The main points of the tourist excursion:

The tour begins with a beautiful 17th century staircase framed by statues, stained glass windows and rich, decorative frescoes. Staircase ends beautiful view to the newly renovated Kossuth Square.
After that, you should definitely see the hall of the Upper Chamber - oak panels, gilded decorations, beautiful furniture and excellent acoustics. The furniture is in the shape of a horseshoe. Behind the main figure are beautiful frescoes.
Hall of the Upper House - interesting sculptures and Europe's largest handmade carpet.

The domed hall is the heart of the Parliament, which houses the Hungarian royal regalia - one of the oldest in Europe. The hall is beautifully decorated with stained-glass windows and sculptures of Hungarian rulers.
The Grand Staircase is the final chord of the excursion, 96 steps covered with red carpets, decorative stained-glass windows and granite columns.

The grandiose building of the Hungarian Parliament is best admired from the Buda embankment. From here, the largest building in Hungary opens in all its glory. During the day, the Parliament seems strict and majestic, and with the onset of the evening, when the lights are turned on, it turns into a magical golden palace.

English word"Parliament" comes from the French word parler - to speak. This is the name of the highest representative and legislative body in democratic states. This body is called Parliament, for example, in Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Belgium, in the USA and most Latin American countries it is called Congress, in Russian Federation- the Federal Assembly, in Lithuania and Latvia - the Seimas. In Hungary, it is called the “Country Assembly” (Országgyűlés), and the building in which the parliament is located is called the “Country House” (Országháza).

Until the Middle Ages, the Hungarian People's Assembly did not have a permanent building. The medieval chronicler Anonymous in his monumental work “The Acts of the Hungarians” (Gesta Hungarorum) says that the very first meeting dealing with state issues, the leader of the Ugric tribes, Prince Arpad convened in the Chongrad region, next to the Dyumölchen forest (Gyümölcsény еrdő).

Révay Kalmán: Prince Árpád. 1943.
Ferenc Nádasdy Museum (Nádasdy Ferenc Múzeum)

For centuries, state meetings were convened from time to time, by order of the king, most often in a huge field outside the Pest city wall, in the town of Rákos-mező (Rákos-mező). During the years of Turkish rule, the people's assembly was out of the question, and at the beginning of the 19th century, with the advent of the era of reforms, people's meetings began to be held in Pozhoni (present-day Bratislava). The first meeting in Buda took place in 1825. The memory of it historical event is worn by Parliament Street (Országház utca), and a memorial plaque is installed on house number 28.

Congress hall.

At a meeting of parliament in 1830, the question of a new building was first raised. Architect Mihai Pollak completed the design of the building in the classicist style, but construction was postponed indefinitely, citing a lack of funds.

An unrealized project by Mihai Pollack.

August von Pettenkofen: Opening ceremony of the Hungarian Parliament, 1848

In 1861, according to the project of Miklós Ybla, a temporary palace building was finally built in Pest for meetings of members of Parliament.

After the conclusion of the Treaty of Equality between Hungary and Austria, Emperor Franz Joseph in December 1880 put his signature under the law on the construction of a new building of the Hungarian Parliament. But building such a representative building is no easy task!

In 1882, an international design competition was announced, for which 19 works were submitted. It is interesting to note that the Hungarians, having declared the competition international, cheated a little: the announcements were placed only in the Hungarian language. So the formalities were observed, and there were no foreigners.

Several projects submitted for the competition

(Ferdinand Fellner - Hermann Helmer)

(Schikedenz Albert)

(Forster Emil)

(Hauszmann Alajos)

The winner was the project of the Hungarian architect, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, lecturer at the Technical University Imre Steindl. All members of the competition committee were satisfied: only two changes were proposed to the project of an imposing eclectic building with a neo-Gothic facade, a Renaissance dome, a magnificent Baroque interior and neo-Byzantine decorations - it was necessary to build on a half-story and change the domes over the meeting rooms of the chambers.

Winning design by Imre Steindl

In his memoirs, Imre Steindl wrote that when working on his main project, he was inspired by the impressions of traveling abroad, in particular, from a trip to London, where he visited with his teacher, the Viennese architect Friedrich Schmidt, where Steindl was delighted Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames. Steindl called the City Hall in Vienna another such building.

In Steindl's workshop during the construction of the Parliament.

Construction began in October 1885. The place allocated for the construction was a real dump: construction debris was brought from the rapidly building Pest to a field outside the city wall.

The first step was to prepare the site for construction.

Start of construction, 1886

1890

The fact that the building is located right a stone's throw from the Danube is, of course, very beautiful, but this greatly complicated the construction. So that the construction site would not literally slide into the river, so that the huge building would not tilt and settle, several thousand larch piles were first driven, and a layer of concrete was placed on top, reaching five meters in the center of the site!

1891

1892

1894

A separate condition was the use of only Hungarian building materials. For seventeen years in a row, at least a thousand Hungarian workers were employed in construction under the guidance of the most famous Hungarian specialists at that time. The construction took on a grandiose scale and became a good impetus for the development of many branches of the Hungarian industry (for example, the extraction of marble, the production of electric lamps). To erect a building with total area 17,745 m², 176,000 cubic meters of earth had to be moved, 40 million bricks had to be laid. The planned building estimate of 18,500,000 gold crowns was greatly exceeded, totaling 37,000,000 crowns. At that time, it would have been possible to build a city of 40,000 inhabitants for such an amount!