CHARLES LESKI AUCTIONS PTY. LTD.
13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123, Victoria, Australia
Telephone: 61-3-9864-9999
Facsimile:
61-3-9822-2788
Email: contact@leski.com.au
A.B.N.13 081 928 921
Media Release
October
20th, 2008
HUNGARIAN ATHLETES FLAG THEIR REVOLT AT 1956 MELBOURNE OLYMPICS
The Soviet military intervention in Hungary had its sequel at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics when the
Hungarian Olympic team vandalised the ‘official’ Hungarian flag at the Olympic Village in Fairfield in protest.
Now the two flags at the centre of their uprising are being offered for sale in Melbourne.
The first flag is missing the Stalinist Rakosi Coat-of-Arms, while the second was apparently made by
Hungarian citizens, athletes and supporters in Melbourne and features the nationalist Kossuth Coat-of-Arms
in place of the ‘official’ symbol.
The flags are being offered for sale by
Leski Auctions on Thursday,
November 6th at 5.30pm. Each flag
has a pre-sale estimate of $1,000 -
$2,000.
“These flags are a unique insight into
how the life-and-death struggle being
played out on the streets of Budapest
impacted on the athletes in
Melbourne,” says Charles Leski.
“They are one of the few items of protest memorabilia from any modern Olympic Games that have ever
been offered for public sale.”
NB: The flags are part of an
extraordinary collection of Olympic
memorabilia from the estate of
Philip Miskin, Commandant
(mayor) of the Olympic Village.
The Miskin Collection comprises 64
lots with a pre-sale estimate of
$50,000 - $70,000 and is regarded as
the most extensive collection of its
type in private hands.
CHARLES LESKI AUCTIONS PTY. LTD.
13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123, Victoria, Australia
Telephone: 61-3-9864-9999
Facsimile:
61-3-9822-2788
Email: contact@leski.com.au
A.B.N.13 081 928 921
About Leski Auctions
Leski Auctions was established in 1973 and is one of Australia’s leading auctioneers of Sporting Memorabilia,
Australiana, Collectibles and World Philately.
Leski Auctions is a recognised leader in the area of early photography, art, wine, cameras, books, autographs,
entertainment memorabilia, medals, coins, stamps, aerophilately, cigarette and trade cards, maps, railway
memorabilia, advertising artwork and posters, and the Olympics, football and cricket..
It was the first auction house in Australia to introduce an on-line, real-time bidding system ‘Live Bid Online’™,
which allows participation from anywhere in the world. It currently runs 22 auctions per year.
Leski Auctions has previously sold many significant collections, including those of Shirley Strickland, Ron Clarke,
Sir Reginald Ansett and former RSL President, Bruce Ruxton. It has sold more ‘baggy green’ caps than any other
auction house in the world, and is one of the largest auctioneers of cricket memorabilia by value and volume.
Leski Auctions recently sold the newly-discovered Phar Lap horse tonic recipe book. It recently achieved a world
record price for a Bradman bat.
Managing Director Charles Leski is a registered valuer for the Cultural Gifts Program through the Department of
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. He is also the valuer of the displayed items at the National Sports
Museum at the MCG, Melbourne.
The company is located at 13 Cato Street, Hawthorn East 3123 Australia. Telephone +61-3-864 9999 and
Issued by:
Charles Leski, Leski Auctions
Michael Krape, Michael Krape Consulting
Tel: 61-3-9864 9999
Tel: 0403 135 880
charles@leski.com.au
michaelkrape@krape.com.au
NEWS 
