On May 23, 1786, Count Móric Benyovszky, one of the most famous Hungarian world travelers, sailors and soldiers, who, with his travels in four parts of the world, was included in the list of geographical writers and, based on the memoirs he left behind, became a popular hero of literature, died on 23 May 1786. On the occasion of the 280th anniversary of his birth and the 235th anniversary of his death, a commemorative year is being announced, in the framework of which there will be an international scientific conference, book publication, statue installation, lectures and commemorations at home and around the world, primarily among Hungarians living abroad. In honor of the former soldier, explorer, and writer, József Zelei started a 2,500-kilometer bicycle tour on Friday from Budapest's Kossuth Square. The peace ambassador's mission touches on important locations in the life of the Hungarian patriot who lived in the 18th century in the name of the commemorative year.
The main patron of the commemorative year, State Secretary for National Policy János Árpád Potápi, opens the series of events in the garden of the Malagasy House of the Budapest Zoo, at the Benyovszky memorial site, and contributes to the worthy commemorations by issuing a commemorative stamp of the Magyar Posta and an honorary medal of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank.
Among the plans is the presentation of a new Hungarian musical by Benyovszky, and valuable materials from foreign archives will be presented with the help of the Hungarian National Archives to explore his life, rich in many interesting twists and turns. The commemorative year offers a good opportunity to create a realistic portrait of Móric Benyovszky, who lives in the public mind as the "King of Madagascar". The events of the commemorative year are organized by the Benyovszky National Committee and the Benyovszky Society.
Peace ambassador József Zelei started a Benyovszky memorial tour
In honor of Móric Benyovszky, a former soldier, explorer, and writer, József Zelei started a 2,500-kilometer bicycle tour on Friday from Budapest's Kossuth Square. The peace ambassador's mission touches on important locations in the life of the Hungarian patriot who lived in the 18th century in the name of the commemorative year.
"Móric Benyovszky was an outstanding personality and talent, but the public knows little about him nowadays. The current bicycle tour was organized on the occasion of the 280th anniversary of his birth and the 235th anniversary of his death," said Vince Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Deputy Secretary of State for Civil and Social Relations at the Prime Minister's Office, at the launch in front of the Parliament.
He touched on the fact that József Zelei, as a peace ambassador, has so far visited one hundred and twenty countries on five continents and has taken the cause of the unity of Hungarians everywhere. He added: this is also extremely important for the government, which is why they support József Zelei's project.
József Zelei spoke about the fact that he has been traveling the world for eighteen years in the name of peace, but the current one will be his largest and most difficult undertaking.
"We divided the tour into four parts. In the first part, mainly neighboring countries are included, in the spirit of the period before Benyovszky's exile, I will visit Verbó in the highlands, where he was born, and visit the most important stations of his youth, as well as the locations of successfully fought military battles. We'll touch Ukraine, then via St. Petersburg and Moscow we'll get to Kamchatka, where he spent his second exile," the sportsman listed the stops of the tour.
According to the plans, the memorial tour will continue in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines, returning from there to Madagascar, and then József Zelei will participate in a roadshow involving forty to fifty Hungarian-inhabited settlements in the Carpathian Basin as the "crowning" of the mission. A short film is being made about the memorial tour with the participation of cameraman Balázs Bulcsú, which will be shown at the Benyovszky memorials.
István Jakab, the vice-president of the Parliament, highlighted at the event: just as Móric Benyovszky was the strongest in situations that always seemed impossible, József Zelei can now prove this about himself with his business.
"Unfortunately, Benyovszky's name is not present enough in the public mind, but following the path of the patriot, he may become the center of interest. He was a soldier, but he couldn't lose in battles, but he fought so that peace could be made," said István Jakab.
One of the most famous Hungarian world travelers, sailors and soldiers, the first European ruler of the Indian Ocean archipelago, was born on September 20, 1741. He also lived in Madagascar, Poland, France, America and visited Formosa (today's Taiwan), among others. Benyovszky, who visited several battlefields and was imprisoned in Siberia, landed in Madagascar in 1774 and significantly contributed to the knowledge of the interior of the island. In 1776, he was supposedly elected king. He later returned to Hungary, and then traveled again to Madagascar, where, after capturing a French fortress, he built the new "capital" at Angontsy, the fortress of Mauritania named after himself. The French sent a punitive expedition against him, and Benyovszky was killed in the clash on May 23, 1786.
MTI, MTI OS
