Albeit 20 000-forints banknotes can make your wallet look much better, in this article currency value doesn’t matter at all. Actually, I am going to speak about the portraits on Hungarian forints, which we see and, I hope, we will every day.
It is always useful to start from the very beginning. For this reason, meet Stephen I (967–1038), the first King of Hungary and the factual founder of Hungarian state, depicted on the 10 000-forint banknote is a rightful symbol of the glorious past as well as of the sovereignty of Hungary. You can encounter the image of Stephen all over the country from fascinating Basilica building named after him, and his famous crown that is a part of Hungarian national emblem to the national brands naming. Interestingly, there are no authentic pictures of Stephen, as he lived long before Homo sapiens invented instagram. His image, bearded, longhaired, finalized with the crown is more likely to be the collective image of Early-Medieval European monarchs. Still this assumption does not mean that King Stephen did not wear a beard or a long hair, most probably, he did. 
History leads us and we humbly follow from the medieval times to the Renaissance . If you have ever held the 1 000-forint banknote in your hand, you, apparently, had a chance to become familiar with the picture of the Roman-looking man with aquiline nose and laurel wraith. Meet the Renaissance King, Matthias Corvinus (1443 –1490). There is nothing strange in such an antique representation of 15th century ruler -it is what the whole Renaissance was about, bringing the Antiquity back. Not for nothing does King Matthias rest on his laurels (look at the picture) of a great reformer, educator and patron of arts and science. He actually introduced the Renaissance culture to Hungary as well as Hungary to Renaissance. Being a philosopher-king, Matthias also was a great warrior, unfortunately, the empire that he created, collapsed after his death. By the way, for those who are interested in fashion, among six depicted men, the only one who is shaven perfectly is King Matthias. Well, they did not like beards during the Renaissance in neither Hungary nor anywhere else.
One century after Bethlen another prominent figure emerged on the historical scene. It was the famous Hungarian aristocrat and the leader of anti-Habsburgian uprising, Ferenc II Rákóczi (1676-1735), the national hero of Hungary. By the way, Racozci is depicted on the 500-forint banknote.
The rest two persons are from the 19th century. Count István Széchenyi (1791-1860), the founder of the Hungarian Academy of Science is depicted on the 5000-forint banknote. Moving further, the last, but not least figure, Ferenc Deák (1803-1876), one of the greatest Hungarian statesmen (“the wisest man of the nation” as they used to call him), looks at everyone who is lucky enough to have the 20 000-forint banknote. Actually, Isztvan Sechenyi and Ferenc Deak, were not great monarchs of the past, as Saint Stephen and Matthias or vigorous fighters for Hungarian independence as Bethlen or Racozci. Both their images symbolize liberal values, civil rights and aspiration towards economic and cultural progress.
Summing up, not by chance have I chosen the historical order of presenting. It was chosen for the sake of demonstration how pivotal themes in national history such as state founding, uprisings, Enlightenment and liberalism are represented via images we see every day.
Alexander Minbaev
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