Hungary is definitely a beautiful country with mild climate, the return from which is given with great difficulty, while the anticipation of the next visit is at the cost of a long and impatient wait.

Hungarian mentality

Despite various disputes about the peculiarities of the character of the Hungarians - supposedly they are rather complex natures with whom it is difficult to find a common language, the locals are distinguished by their perky and cheerful disposition. Many who have visited Hungary for the first time are struck by the vitality and positive attitude of the indigenous population, which is surprisingly combined with high spirituality and careful attitude to the centuries-old traditions of their ancestors.

The majority of the population, including in rural areas, strives for self-education and constant spiritual development, which leaves an imprint on their whole life - you rarely meet an uneducated Hungarian with whom you have nothing to talk about: you can often safely develop any topic - from the latest political news to the classic Hungarian literature.

Most famous city Hungary is, of course, Budapest. Every newcomer to the country strives to get here - both a simple traveler and an emigrant. Among other things, Budapest is called the city of music and dance, as an incredible number of festivals and national holidays take place here throughout the year, the most famous and revered of which is Revolution Day. Its celebration begins on March 15 and lasts for several days, during which the city plunges into an atmosphere of euphoria and joy.

Having fun is distinguishing feature the entire indigenous population of Hungary and Budapest in particular. The townspeople love to spend free time in dance schools, unable to cope with indifference to this art. Although this is rare for the rural population, since they have much less opportunities for such active leisure, it is not difficult for a simple traveler to accidentally get to a noisy Hungarian dance festival.

A little about the nature and ways of greeting the Hungarians

The inhabitants of Hungary are quite friendly people - it is customary here to greet absolutely everyone, even if it is a completely unfamiliar people in public transport. If the eyes of two passers-by Hungarians crossed, a friendly greeting will certainly fly from their lips. Tourists and expats have to get used to the fact that they will have to say hello to local residents everywhere: at the entrance to the store, when visiting a local coffee shop or bank.

A greeting for men is a strong, warm and one-time handshake, a hug is possible only with close and well-known people, which is often accompanied by a kiss on the cheeks. By the way, the handshake is found not only among men, but also among women who shake hands much softer and longer. Often women in Hungary introduce themselves to men, thereby expressing their respect, although it is more desirable for Hungarians to be introduced to each other by a common good friend; independent acquaintance, according to the rules of etiquette, is allowed only in case of emergency, although it does take place in certain cases, places and circumstances. During the performance, it is customary to call your last name first and only after it - your first name.

By the way, as a greeting is often used air kiss, which from the outside looks quite touching, and therefore, only young girls who are well acquainted with each other resort to it.

In Hungary, “you” and by name are addressed only if it was suggested by the interlocutor himself; in other cases, it is customary to start a conversation with the surname or title of the person being addressed.

Hungarians, for the most part, are quite calm and balanced people, and therefore prefer quiet conversations. Perhaps it is precisely for a certain irascibility and lack of a soft tone in the conversation that some locals openly ignore many foreigners, including Russians, knowing about their quick-tempered and flamboyant character. However, perhaps this is the only thing that can explain some dismissive attitude towards Russian emigrants, which representatives of the Russian diaspora in Hungary sometimes complain about.

An acceptable topic for a conversation with a new acquaintance is always cooking, Hungarian cuisine, family and children (unlike some countries and peoples, the local population is quite frank and accepts conversations on a personal topic). But about health, work and marital status It is better not to ask the Hungarians, it is also categorically not recommended to compare them with other Slavs. To gain trust, it is enough to show photographs of your children, and the Hungarian will immediately take out his own in response.

The disadvantages of the nature of the Hungarians include their optionality, which does not apply to all local residents, but, of course, to their majority. Often, against this background, problems arise with business, which many Russian emigrants are accustomed to building, if not on parole, then often on mutual trust. With the Hungarians, as many businessmen who have become familiar with the local mentality advise, any work should be carried out only through written contracts with precisely agreed dates, numbers and volumes. By the way, Hungarians perceive Russians first of all as a money bag, unable to adequately assess the situation, set the price correctly and profitably for themselves and bargain in the right place.

Slowness in business, which many characterize as "Hungarian slowness" is another feature of most Hungarians. It is faced by both business owners and ordinary workers: sluggishness and slowness manifests itself in everything - when serving in a restaurant, cafe, shops and other places.

Getting used to Russian workaholics who, for one reason or another, ended up in Hungary, is also difficult with a clear Hungarian principle: work affairs - during working hours, personal time - for the family. This cannot be called a disadvantage, but such an attitude often causes irritation, especially against the background of the fact that it is sometimes impossible to solve all cases within the hours allotted for work with a Hungarian who is not familiar with such concepts as punctuality, commitment and speed.

In addition to the fact that the inhabitants of Hungary are quite reverent about the places where they live, they demand the same careful attitude from all visitors. If it corresponds to the proper, then their friendliness will know no bounds, otherwise you can come across open hostility.

A little about the language

The majority of the population of Hungary speaks only one language - Hungarian. Those who have tried to master it know firsthand how difficult it is to learn, although it has something in common with other languages. However, knowing Slavic, English and German does not make it any easier to communicate with the locals - the Hungarian dialect is quite complex, difficult to hear and requires a single month of painstaking study.

It should be noted that sometimes it is the language barrier that makes life difficult for emigrants in this country - without normal knowledge state language it is difficult not only to get a job, but also to go shopping and solve various kinds of everyday problems. English and German are known tolerably only in resort areas, largely due to the fact that these languages ​​are taught at school as foreign languages. But the Hungarians not only do not respect the Slavic language, but are also offended if they are addressed in it, and not a single Hungarian knows his knowledge.

What girl doesn't dream of becoming a beauty queen? Proudly walk the catwalk in a magnificent outfit under the admiring glances of thousands of people, get the coveted royal crown and conquer the whole world?



The first European beauty contest was held in 1888 in the Belgian resort town of Spa, where 21 out of 350 candidates reached the finals. An exclusively male jury “examined” their magnificent forms behind closed doors. The first competition of German beauties took place in the summer of 1909 in the Berlin cabaret "Promenade".

A start has been made!

Hungary took over the European baton in 1925, when the Keszthely Beauty of Keszthely (Keszthelyi Korzó Szépe) competition was held in Keszthely, and then the second, the Balaton Beauty (Balaton Tündére), took place. Both competitions were organized by the city's publication Theater Life (Színházi Élet). It was then that the Hungarian public became aware of the name of Simon Böske, who won both competitions. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find any information about these photo contests.

The first archival photographic evidence is a beauty contest, which was held on August 21, 1927 in Szolnok, on the city beach. He became a real sensation! The competition was organized by the social and cultural publication "Newspaper for All" ("Mindnyájunk Lapja"), the initiator of the competition was the writer and sculptor Szandai Szabó Sándor író, szobrászművész. The announcement of the event appeared in the newspaper and gathered a huge number of spectators on the hot asphalt of the Szolnok embankment. At the same time, the men present at the event were dressed in tailcoats, the women in long dresses.

The first competition, called "Miss Hungary" was organized in January 1929 in the editorial office of the publication "Theatrical Life". The jury of the competition were invited famous writers and actors, the jury was headed by the guest of honor, Chief Editor French magazine "Le Journal" Maurice de Waleffe and editor-in-chief of "Theatrical Life" Sandor Intse (Incze Sándor)

There were so many people that the police had to be called.

Out of 218 contenders for the crown main beauty in the first round 35 girls were chosen, in the second round there were four left.

The winner was Böschke (Erzibet) Shimon, already known to Hungary for two previous victories four years ago. In an instant, a young girl from the Jewish family of the district head physician turned into the most famous person in the country.

Upon returning home, Böshke Shimon was given a truly royal welcome!!!

When the beauty queen returned home by train, the car, besieged by innumerable admirers, could not leave the East Station for a long time. Only the mounted police were able to restore order. In honor of Böshke Shimon's victory, a ball was given.

Journalists and politicians called the victory of the girl no less than a national feat that broke the ice of European alienation after the participation and defeat of Hungary in the First World War on the side of Germany.

In 1931, the winner was actress Maria Tasnády-Fekete Mária.

1935 winner Maria Nagy (Nagy Mária)

1936 winner Gábor Sára

Zsa Zsa Gabor, born Shara Gabor (Gábor Sára), was born in Budapest on February 6, 1917 to Vilmos and Yoli Gabor. She received her name, Shari (the Hungarian equivalent of Sarah), in honor of the Hungarian actress Shari Fedak, but due to her underage burr, she could not pronounce it correctly and introduced herself as Zha-zha (Za-za). Subsequently, this name became her stage name. In 1936, Gabor won the Miss Hungary. A year later, she went to Vienna, where tenor Richard Tauber noticed her and invited her to sing the role of soubrette in his new operetta Der singende Traum (Singing Dream) at the Vienna Theatre. Then Zsa Zsa Gabor moved to America.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, in addition to participating in many films, television programs and numerous entertainment performances, has also become one of the most notable stars of social life. Her sense of humor, extravagance and penchant for loud scandals and sensations allowed her to maintain her popularity, regardless of the vicissitudes of her film career.

In 1985 the ban was lifted and the Hungarian girls were back on the European podium.

Thousands of enthusiastic and envious eyes were fixed on a young girl who was only sixteen years old.

After winning the competition, Chilla was swirled by the circle of obligations stipulated by the contract. Now she no longer belongs to herself - interviews, photo shoots, shows, trips, receptions ... Chilla naively expected only carefree joy and frank admiration of others, but she did not see around her a simple-hearted - admiring glances, no outright friendliness, no propriety, no commercial decency. In fact, she was surrounded only by cultural officials who were hungry for pleasure and money, "all-knowing" pseudo-businessmen.

Each people of the world has its own characteristics, which are absolutely normal and ordinary for them, but if a person of a different nationality gets into their midst, he may be very surprised at the habits and traditions of the inhabitants of this country, because they will not coincide with his own ideas about life. We invite you to find out 9 national habits and features of the Hungarians, which may seem surprising and a little strange to Russian people.

They eat paprika anytime, anywhere.

Paprika is an integral part of the Hungarian national cuisine. This spice (powder of dried mild pepper) is added everywhere and everywhere, but especially in goulash - another culinary treasure of the nation. Paprika is sold in bags in the markets and as a souvenir for foreigners. The number of its varieties is calculated in a dozen varieties, and a tree strewn with small red fruits grows in the garden or on the windowsill of almost every Hungarian.

They don't drink tea

Accompanying any dessert with tea, which is customary for a Russian person, does not work in Hungary. With all the richness of flour pastries and national sweets, Hungarians prefer plain water or coffee to wash down their dishes. By tea here is meant rather remedy in illnesses. (By the way, it is very similar to the Bulgarians. Indeed, why drink tea if excellent freshly brewed coffee is sold everywhere for €1?

They go to baths

The thermal baths of Budapest are a world-famous attraction. In outdoor pools, it is customary not to swim, but to sit. The water temperature varies from 16 to 42 °C. Daredevils prefer contrasting transitions from hot to cold, pensioners sit under hydromassage, children frolic in warm “paddling pools”. The Hungarians themselves go to the bathhouse not so much to wash or improve their health, but rather to relieve stress. Yes, healing properties thermal water really have a beneficial effect on the skin and joints, but for Hungarians, this is above all a great opportunity to spend time with family on the weekend.

They are not afraid of the homeless

In Budapest, there are a lot of people without a fixed place of residence. They are literally everywhere: begging, sleeping, eating, talking to each other. They are expelled only from the most central and tourist spots cities. This is done by representatives of the foot patrol as politely and delicately as possible. This way of life is associated not only with the economic situation in the country, but also with the nomadic nature of a certain stratum of society. Not working and living on the street is a conscious choice of many. They are clean, take care of themselves and for the most part are no different from ordinary passers-by. Unless they live in tents, wash things in the waters of the Danube or in a street column and dry right there on the branches of trees.

They are very patriotic

A sense of pride in their history and the unity of the nation is in the blood of every Hungarian. In Budapest, on Heroes' Square, the central part is occupied by the Memorial of the 1000th Anniversary of Finding the Motherland, founded in 1896. Throughout the second half of the 9th century, the ancestors of the current Magyars moved from the Trans-Urals to the Danube valley. And until now, the Hungarians protect their language from foreign influences. In general, they are quite active citizens: posters are hanging everywhere on city streets with a call to influence domestic corruption, actively vote in elections, and take part in the country's political situation. If something goes wrong, they feel it is their responsibility to change it. Here it is not customary to be ashamed of one's origin, and in the event of a career success, the Hungarian often writes it off as his ancestry.

They spoil the kids

Here and there you can hear everywhere: “Mit seretne?”, which means “what would you like?”. The opinion of the child is respected from childhood and is extremely careful about the process of education. Children for Hungarians are not people, but little deities who can do anything. Of course, this is reflected in the kids, but surprisingly, they grow up not as spoiled egoists, but open, smiling, kind and not at all shy of strangers. Each child, in the opinion of his parent, needs his own individual pace of development. So, for example, staying for a second year here is not considered humiliating.

They don't go undocumented

Firstly, the police in Hungary can simply and completely legally check the documents on the street from any pedestrian. Secondly, the ticket here can only be bought with an ID-card. In this case, the authorities are guided by a simple logic: only one citizen of the country, and not all members of his family, can ride on one certificate. Tourists, on the other hand, buy a long-term travel ticket with a passport or a one-time pass without identity verification. And finally, no one canceled the procedure for verifying their age when buying alcohol in bars.

They are foreign to ceremonies

Hungarians address each other with "you". Everything and always. An exception can only be called an appeal to older people in order to emphasize respect for a particular person. After the greeting, an obligatory kiss follows: first they kiss on one cheek, then on the other.

They celebrate birthdays

Don't be surprised if no one wishes you a happy birthday. This holiday is not usually celebrated here in the usual sense for us. A much more important day for a Hungarian is a name day. For name days, as for any serious celebration in Hungary, a noisy feast is arranged and gifts are given.

Hungarians - the largest (14.5 million people) of the Finno-Ugric peoples, belong to the Ugric group.

The alleged ancestral home of the Hungarians is the region east of the Urals. Unlike their closest linguistic relatives - the Khanty and Mansi, who remained in the taiga - the Hungarians went to the steppes and began to lead an almost nomadic lifestyle. In the 9th century AD the Hungarians roamed the southern Russian steppes until they were driven out by the Pechenegs, after which the Hungarians were forced to move west. In 896, the Hungarians settled in Transylvania, from where they took possession of Pannonia. In 1001 the Kingdom of Hungary was formed.

Currently, 8.5 million Hungarians live in Hungary. There are large Hungarian diasporas in neighboring Romania (1.2 million) and the USA (1.5 million).

Hungarians profess Catholicism and Protestantism (mainly Calvinism).

20th place. Claudia Kozma / Claudia Kozma- Hungarian model, represented Hungary at Miss International 2012.

19th place. Anett Szigethy- Hungarian fitness model, Miss Supranational 2013.

18th place. Andrea Osvart / Andrea Osvart(born April 25, 1979, Budapest) is a Hungarian actress and model.

17th place. Barbara Palvin / Barbara Palvin(born October 8, 1993, Budapest) is a Hungarian model and actress. Height 175 cm, figure parameters: chest 81 cm, waist 66 cm, hips 95 cm.

16th place. Eva Gabor / Eva Gabor(February 11, 1919, Budapest - July 4, 1995) - American actress. Born and raised in Hungary. Her father is Hungarian and her mother is Jewish.

15th place. Catherine Bagala / Chätrin Bagala(1968, Estonia - June 6, 2012, Hungary) - Soviet actress of Hungarian origin. played leading role in the film-tale "Caroline's Silver Yarn" (1984). This is her only film role.

Catherine Bagala in Carolina Silver Yarn (1984)

14th place. Eniko Mihalik / Enikő Mihalik(born May 11, 1987, Bekescsaba, Hungary) is a Hungarian model. Height 179 cm, parameters 84-61-87.

13th place. Teri Tordai / Teri Tordai(born December 28, 1941, Debrecen, Hungary) - Hungarian actress.

12th place. Anita Hudacek / Anita Hudacek(b. May 27, 1976, Budapest), better known as Anita Blond / Anita Blond, - actress and fashion model. From 1995 to 2001 she starred in more than 100 porn films. In 1999, for the first time she played in a non-pornographic film, namely in the arthouse film "The Wind in the Night" / "Le Vent de la nuit", where Catherine Deneuve played the main role, and Anita herself played a prostitute. Anita's height is 172 cm, figure parameters are 92-59-92. It is worth noting that Anita Blond has never done breast augmentation, which is popular among porn actresses.

11th place. Annamaria Rákosi / Annamária Rákosi- Representative of Hungary at the Miss World 2013 pageant.

10th place. Katalin Koller / Katalin Koller- Miss Hungary 2007.

9th place. - Hungarian model.

8th place. Ildiko Pecsi / Ildiko Pécsi(born May 21, 1941) is a Hungarian actress and director.

7th place. Zita Szelecki / Zita Szelecky(April 20, 1915, Budapest - July 12, 1999) - Hungarian actress.

6th place. Eva Szőke(June 18, 1927, Budapest - August 1, 1998), better known as Eva Bartok / Eva Bartok - British actress. Her father is Jewish and her mother is Hungarian Catholic. Since for Jews, belonging to a nation is determined by their mother, Eva Bartok was included in the rating of the most beautiful Hungarian women, and not in the rating of Jews.

5th place. Agnes Dobo / Ágnes Dobo(born September 5, 1988, Debrecen) - the winner of the Hungarian selection for Miss World in 2010. However, she could not go to Miss World, because. broke her arm shortly before the competition.

4th place. Orshoya "Orshi" Kocsis / Orsolya "Orsi" Kocsis(born September 6, 1984, Debrecen) - Hungarian fashion model. Height 175 cm, figure parameters 91-63-89.

3rd place. Eva Serenci / Eva Szerencsi(May 5, 1952, Budapest - September 6, 2006) - Hungarian actress.

2nd place. Ebergeny River / Reka Ebergeny(born 1982, Budapest) is a Hungarian model. Height 178 cm, figure parameters 89-59-89.

1st place. Catherine Schell / Catherine Schell(born July 17, 1944, Budapest) is a British actress of Hungarian origin. Real name - Katherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott / Katherina Freiin Schell von Bauschlott. Despite the German surname (inherited from her German great-grandfather), Catherine Schell is almost completely Hungarian by blood, her parents belonged to the Hungarian nobility: her father bore the title of baron, and her mother was a countess.
Most famous movies with her participation: the 6th Bond film "On secret service Her Majesty" (1969, the role of Nancy), "Moon 02" (1969, the role of Clementine), "Return of the Pink Panther" (1975, the role of Lady Claudine Lytton). In the UK, the actress is best known for her role as Maya in the science fiction series 70- 1990s "Cosmos: 1999".

Katherine Shell in Luna 02 (1969).

(Flora Borsi) has appeared on the pages of BigPicchi more than once. This spring, she created another amazing photo series! In the new project, she presents surreal self-portraits in which she combined her face, or rather her right eye, with the eye of an animal or bird. With these fantastic works, the author demonstrates how much in common between people and animals and that it is in peaceful coexistence with nature that the secret of harmony and happiness is.

Flora Borsi, a talented young photo artist from Hungary, is known for her impeccable mastery of the art of photo manipulation.

In her new photo project, she decided to take self-portraits in such a way that one of her eyes overlaps with the eye of an animal. Spectacular surrealism is achieved through the use of color filters and the necessary props.

Borsi is not an amateur photographer: for several years she has been shooting portraits and making conceptual photographs. Her work has been exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, the Louvre and has also been used in commercial software such as Adobe Photoshop CC.

“I wanted to show how unique animals are, every little detail is special, and at the same time somehow we are similar to them,” Borsi shares his thoughts. - Once I tried to take a selfie with my dog ​​and her eye was exactly like mine. This photo inspired me to create the project. Each portrait takes approximately 15-20 hours, including makeup, hair styling and other manipulations. Retouching takes about 12 hours.”

With her mystical project, a young talented photo artist wanted to show how much in common between people and animals.






Here's how the project went: