It will be 556 years on Sunday that the Christian Hungarian troops defending Nándorfehérvár, led by János Hunyadi, inflicted a crushing defeat on the army of Turkish Sultan Mehmet II on 22 July 1456 after a battle that ensued for more than two weeks, and thereby stopped the continued expansion of the Turks in Europe for some 70 years. Parliament declared this prominent day of Hungarian and European history and of Christianity the Memorial Day of the Nándorfehérvár Victory last year.

On the memorial day, a convoy of boats will arrive at the Chain Bridge, there will be a salute and, on behalf of the Government, Defence Minister Csaba Hende will deliver a ceremonial speech by the statue of János Hunyadi at the foot of Halászbástya.

The Nándorfehérvár Victory is one of the most significant Hungarian victories in Hungarian military history in the light of the circumstances of the military challenge and the long-term consequences and international significance of the victory. Bells in the Christian world have been rung at noon in commemoration of the Nándorfehérvár victory ever since; on this day, the Pope called upon people to pray for their freedom by the tolling of the bells at noon.

At 10.00 a.m. on Sunday, 22 July a convoy of civilian and military boats will arrive at the building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences with 300 elementary and secondary school pupils and students from all over the country on board. It will be an interesting feature that there will also be a fire fighting boat in the convoy which will pay tribute on the occasion of the anniversary of the victory with a water jet of the national colours. At 10.30 a.m., the Bomb Disposal and Naval Regiment of the Hungarian Defence Forces will commemorate the heroes with a salute. It will be worth observing the arrival of the boats and the ensuing salute from the Chain Bridge or the upper Buda embankments.

Following this, a procession of students led by the Defence Forces Ceremonial Battalion will set out on a march to the statue of János Hunyadi in the Buda Castle where, after the ringing of the bells at noon, a commemorative service will begin with military honours. After this, as part of the military honours, attendees will commemorate the heroes of Nándorfehérvár with a wreath-laying ceremony and a silent bow of the heads. A special history lesson will also await the attending students.

Due to the commemorative festivities, the Chain Bridge, Clark Ádám tér and Hunyadi János utca leading to the Castle will be closed to vehicular traffic.

(kormany.hu)