Another Kolodko Statue Appears in Budapest: Meet the Hanging Pinocchio

Budapest’s favorite tiny troublemaker has been on quite a roll lately, and this latest reveal might be his busiest day yet. Guerrilla sculptor Mihály Kolodko reportedly installed three miniature statues around the city in a single day, a first even by his own prolific standards, and the newest one to draw attention is a small bronze Pinocchio hanging from a wall near one of Budapest’s most-used tram stops.

Finding the Statue at Széchenyi Square

The new figure sits embedded in the stone wall right at the Széchenyi István tér tram stop, on tram line 2, in Budapest’s fifth district, immediately next to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Rather than standing upright, this Pinocchio hangs against the wall almost like a puppet left on a hook, wooden-jointed limbs cast in bronze, decidedly not the “brought to life” version of the character most people know from storybooks and film adaptations. A graduation cap perched on his head adds another layer to the joke, and it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking closely.

If you’re already exploring the Danube riverside near the Chain Bridge or the Parliament building, this spot is an easy detour. It sits just meters from another Kolodko piece, Piszok Alfréd, and word spread quickly through Kolodko’s fan community online after someone happened to be at the tram stop the exact moment the artist installed it, catching the guerrilla artist in the act rather than discovering the piece after the fact, which is a rare thing given how quietly he usually works.

Why Pinocchio, and Why Here

The placement is doing a lot of symbolic work. Pinocchio is world literature’s most famous liar, the puppet whose nose grows every time he stretches the truth, and Kolodko has hung him right at the wall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, an institution built on the pursuit of knowledge and truth. That contrast between fiction’s most notorious fibber and a bastion of scholarly credibility is exactly the kind of dry, layered irony Kolodko is known for.

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The graduation cap sharpens the joke further. It reads almost like a diploma-holding Pinocchio, a liar with an advanced degree, which locals online have jokingly nicknamed the “graduate Pinocchio.” Online discussion around the statue has floated a few interpretations: some see it as a wink at how academic and scientific institutions are supposed to safeguard truth, while others read it as a broader jab at misinformation, spin, and credibility issues in public life, whether in politics, media, or science itself. As with most of Kolodko’s work, there’s no official explanation attached, which is part of the fun. The ambiguity invites exactly the kind of speculation and debate that’s been playing out among fans trying to decode his intentions.

The Man Behind Budapest’s Tiniest Statues

If you’re new to the phenomenon, Kolodko is a Ukrainian-born sculptor who has spent years installing small bronze figures around Budapest without permission, official unveilings, or advance notice. His work has become something of a scavenger hunt for locals and visitors alike, with each new piece sparking online discussion about where to find it and what it might mean. This latest single-day burst of activity included not just the Pinocchio, but also a bronze rabbit tucked away on Margaret Island, playfully placed given the island’s old Hungarian name, Rabbit Island, and a tiny forklift positioned as if trying to shift the base of the Memorial for the Victims of the German Occupation near Szabadság tér, a monument that’s long been a subject of historical debate in Hungary.

Turning It Into a Budapest Scavenger Hunt

Part of the fun of Kolodko’s statues is that they turn ordinary sightseeing into a treasure hunt. Since this new Pinocchio sits right at a tram stop on one of Budapest’s most useful public transit lines, it’s easy to fold into a day of exploring the Danube embankment, the Hungarian Parliament, or even a river cruise departure point nearby. Keep your eyes on stone walls, railings, and curbs rather than the usual eye-level landmarks, since that’s exactly where Kolodko likes to hide his work.

With statues like Pinocchio, the rabbit on Margaret Island, and Piszok Alfréd just meters away from each other, this stretch of the city center has quietly become one of the best areas in Budapest to go hunting for these tiny, thought-provoking bronze surprises, and with Kolodko clearly not slowing down, it’s worth checking back often for whatever shows up next.