The bronze cast was lifted off the pedestal on Thursday and transported to the Hungarian Heritage Prize-winning sculptor Lajos Győrfy, who is restoring it in his workshop in Püspökladány.
The statue of the poet, one and a half times the size of a life, stood on a pedestal nearly four meters high and was placed in 1948 as part of a centenary celebration of the Hungarian War of Independence. In the very scarce financial situation after the Second World War, the sculptor Ferenc Medgyessy used the two sculptures removed from the pedestal of the national flag – 6 glazes of bronze material – as the raw material of the Petőfi statue.
Over the years, excellent copper oxide has infiltrated the statue into the original red sandstone pedestal, discoloring it that has started to the weather due to improper conservation. The work will therefore receive a new reddish granite pedestal, which is scheduled to be erected in May, according to its original dimensions.
Petőfi’s statue is expected to return to its original splendor in early July.
Road Closures, Parking Lot Closures and Traffic Changes in Petőfi Square
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