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If your goal was to hunt down all the famous mini statues in Budapest you better extend your stay here. With the rate that they have been appearing in recent weeks, it's hard to keep up!
One of Budapest’s most recognisable miniature sculpture artists has added two new characters to the city’s streetscape – and this time, they are bringing a little bit of childhood nostalgia to the fence of a children’s hospital.
Two new mini sculptures by Hungarian artist Mihály Kolodko have appeared beside the Bethesda Children’s Hospital in Zugló: As the hospital has revealed on their Facebook-page: the beloved owl doctor Dr. Bubó and one of his patients, a small, frightened rabbit. The pair can be found along Hermina Road, turning an otherwise ordinary stretch of the hospital fence into a playful little open-air attraction.
The sculptures were unveiled as part of the Bethesda Children’s Hospital’s 160th anniversary celebrations, with the project carried out together with the District 14 municipality. Rather fittingly, Dr. Bubó has been given his own little outdoor “clinic” at a real children's hospital.
A doctor familiar to generations of Hungarians
Dr. Bubó is the central character of Kérem a következőt! (1975–1986), one of Hungary’s best-loved animated series. The wise but sometimes comically overconfident owl doctor, together with his nurse Ursula and the other colourful inhabitants of the forest, became a familiar part of childhood for generations of Hungarians.
Kolodko’s new sculpture captures the character in his role as the confident doctor, while beside him stands a small rabbit – one of the characters appearing in the second episode of the series.
The choice of location gives the sculptures an extra layer of meaning. At Bethesda, Dr. Bubó is no longer treating fictional forest animals: his tiny practice has appeared beside a hospital where children are actually cared for every day.
The hospital has been operating since 1866 and is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. According to Bethesda's director-general, Dr. György János Velkey, the institution's work has continued without interruption for 160 years. The anniversary project brings together the idea of healing with something equally important for children: stories, imagination and a little humour.
The rabbit is not simply another character from the cartoon. Its official name for the Bethesda project is the “Healing Rabbit”, making the connection with the children's hospital particularly clear.
Where to find the new mini sculptures
The new Dr. Bubó and Healing Rabbit sculptures are located beside the Bethesda Children's Hospital on Hermina Road in District 14. The hospital's Hermina Road site is at 1146 Budapest, Hermina út 57–59. The sculptures are on the hospital's Hermina Road fence.
Yellow markers indicate mini statues that are on private property, such as museums, red markers indicate the statues that are unfortunately gone.
PHoto credit: Bethesda Children's Hospital Facebook page
