Exploring the Vibrant World of Stained Glass in Budapest

Beautiful Budapest stories: Stained Glass

Budapest is a city that dazzles with its architectural wonders, and among its many treasures, stained glass windows stand out as one of its most beautiful and intricate forms of artistry. These stunning windows can be found throughout the city, each piece telling a unique story through its vibrant colors and delicate designs. The tradition of stained glass in Budapest dates back centuries, and it continues to be a significant part of the city’s architectural heritage.

One of the best places to appreciate stained glass in Budapest is the majestic Matthias Church. Inside, visitors can marvel at the intricate stained glass windows that depict biblical scenes and saints, all crafted with painstaking detail. The rich colours and light filtering through the glass create a serene atmosphere that enhances the spiritual experience.

Another iconic location to view stained glass is the Hungarian Parliament Building. Here, you’ll find windows that showcase both historical and symbolic themes, blending art with national identity. The craftsmanship of these windows is a testament to the skilled artisans who worked tirelessly to bring these designs to life.

Beyond religious and governmental buildings, stained glass can be found in many of Budapest’s Art Nouveau and eclectic-style buildings. The early 20th century saw a boom in decorative glasswork, with many structures featuring stunning, nature-inspired motifs and modernist designs. These windows not only enhance the beauty of the buildings but also give a glimpse into the cultural and artistic movements of the time. ne of my favourite spots in Budapest is the Róth Miksa Museum, highly recommended for those interested in stunning stained glass art and the city’s history.

For those interested in learning more about this unique art form, the Hungarian National Museum offers exhibitions that explore the history of stained glass in Budapest and Hungary.

Stained glass in Budapest is more than just a decorative feature—it’s a reflection of the city’s rich history, culture, and artistry. Whether in a grand cathedral, a synagogue or a hidden corner of a historic building, these windows offer a glimpse into the soul of the city. So, next time you’re wandering through Budapest, take a moment to look up and appreciate the vibrant world of stained glass that tells a story centuries in the making or join me for a tour to discover more!

Beautiful Budapest Stories: Mini-sculptures by Kolodko

Kolodko mini-sculpture: the rabbit with checkered ears

Street art in Budapest has always been of great significance. Art is not only what we see, it is not only made to please the eyes, artists seek to convey meaningful messages, art can communicate ideas and feelings. Art can be interpreted in so many different ways and it also is a great source to understand a nation’s culture and spirit. During the communist era Hungarians have developed a sixth sense to decode messages hidden in art, literature and music, messages that communist censorship tried to cancel.

Contemporary street art in Budapest is playful, symbolic and it makes you think. Storytelling is still the most important function, together with aesthetics but we see the concept changing, we recognise new language, new shapes, new design and new forms. And we welcome the new creators with innovative ideas.

Mykhailo Kolodko is a young artist of the new generation. He was born in Ukraine, studied monumental sculpture at the Lviv Academy of Arts and moved to Hungary with his family in 2017. Although he studied and was originally interested in monumental art, he became popular for his mini-sculptures both in Uzhhorod, Ukraine and in Budapest. His opinion is that the time of centrally planned and determined art is over, art today should reflect the interests of the artists and the people. His self definition and inspiration is that “even in small form it is possible to depict monumental idea”.

Locals tend to call his art guerrilla sculpture, as the bronze mini-statues pop up unexpectedly at public spaces without permission. Everybody loves treasure hunting, so it is no surprise that the statuettes quickly gained popularity to such extent that certain pieces were stolen. Others are treated as humans and people often dress them up in the cold winter months. They are small, about 10-15 cm each, the concept is that large-scale statues are also created in small size first, also, Kolodko says that the small size gives him a lot of advantages in speed, mobility, value and confidence.

I love the symbolism of Kolodko’s art. Long forgotten cartoon characters or fairy tale heroes are resurrected, historical moments are revived, other pieces pay homage to famous Hungarian people. The statuette itself, its location, its appearance, they all tell you a story. There are quite a few of them located in the city centre of Budapest and I’m happy to introduce them to you on a Budapest tour. Here are a few of my favourite Kolodko mini-sculptures:

  • The Sad Tank is a Russian tank facing Parliament that reminds us of the 1956 revolution, the muzzle of the tank is down and is of the shape of an elephant trunk indicating the war is over (2017).
  • The Rabbit with the Checkered Ears is the main character of a very popular Hungarian animated children’s series in the 1970’s. The rabbit is located on top of Castle hill and is enjoying the UNESCO protected Budapest panorama (2018).
  • Emperor Franz Joseph in a Hammock is a great metaphor of the emperor re-conquering in a peaceful way the Liberty bridge that was originally named after him (2021)
  • There Was Only One Dog Fair in Buda, a very popular folk tale taking us back to the time of Hungarian king Matthias. There are many folk tales inspired by the great king and about how he always rewarded the good people and punished the bad. You can recognise the Hungarian breeds like the puli and the vizsla.
  • Kermit the Frog from the Muppet Show is sitting in front of the former headquarters of the Hungarian national television.

I wish you good luck to locate as many Kolodko statues as you can, it is not always easy because of their size, in Hungary you can find them in Budapest, Vác, Veszprém, Tihany and Eger, they might pop up in other countries as well, like Italy or Germany. You can learn more about Mykhailo Kolodko and his art here and find out more about his mini-statues on Facebook.