The Lajta Museum Ship at the Parliament can be visited again, the Military History Institute and Museum of the Ministry of Defense (HM) told MTI.
As they wrote: the warship from the time of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy has already arrived in front of the Parliament, where it is planned to be open for visitors until August 23.
On the unique museum ship, those interested can see contemporary weapons, equipment, uniforms, as well as the weapons on board.
The exhibition can be viewed individually or with a guided tour free of charge every day of the week, except Monday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Details can be found at lajtahajo.militaria.hu.
In a statement, the Military History Institute and Museum recalled: the Lajta monitor was launched on May 17, 1871, on the border between Angyalföld and Újpest. She then served for 46 years, from March 5, 1872 to April 10, 1918, under the name Leitha, in the Danube fleet of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. In this capacity, he took part in the occupation of Bosnia in 1878, then in the battles along the Sava, Belgrade and Al-Danube during World War I. In 1918 - after 47 years of military service - it was decommissioned.
During the Soviet Republic, it was put into service again for one month, from May 27 to June 26, 1919, under the name Lajta, when it took part in the battles on the Danube section between Komárom and Esztergom, then, together with its sister ship, the Maros monitor, it participated in the anti-communist "monitor rebellion" and was its namesake.
From the 1920s to 1994, for more than 70 years, it was used as an elevator boat in river gravel dredging, while thanks to the struggle of volunteer rescuers, it was declared a protected monument in 1992 and added to the collection of artefacts of the HM Military History Institute and Museum. After 20 years, its restoration could begin. Within this, the breakthrough may have occurred in 2008, when the "Zoltán Gőzös" Foundation professionally began the restoration of the ship.
The former Austro-Hungarian warship was reconstructed in accordance with its original condition in 2010, and at the rechristening ceremony, it was inaugurated as the honorary flagship of the 1st Gunnery and Warship Regiment of the Hungarian Armed Forces.
The Lajta, the world's only restored monitor-type ship floating on water, is anchored every year from spring to autumn on the Danube bank in Pest, on the north side of the Parliament, - reads the announcement of the Military History Institute and Museum.
Source and image: MTI/Zoltán Máthé
