“The Man of Many Devices, Who Wandered Full Many Ways…” these words exactly characterize Professor János Bak whose jubilee we are celebrating today. It was under János’s guidance that I took my first awkward steps into the colourful world of European academia – the phrase that can be said my many a student who ever entered the cosy home of Medieval Studies department at the Central European University. In fact, János was the first non-Russian scholar whom I happened to see at all. Our first meeting took place somewhere in shabby rooms of Kiev University where he conducted interviews for M.A. programme at CEU. First, I was puzzled: with his long silver hair, beard, frowning brows, glittering and omniscient eyes, Janos looked more of a wise magician, fairy-tale wizard Gandalf, than of a scholar-medievalist. His magic did the trick – and in September 1996 I ended up being a happy East European student enrolled on a Master programme at Medieval Studies department. In that particular year, which was on the one hand, one the most colourful years in my life, and the most stressful – on the other, János proved to be an excellent scholar, devoted pedagogue, and staunch friend. His knowledge of ancient and modern languages was fathomless, his historical expertise astonishing, his willingness to help you – officially and informally – simply unbelievable (especially for someone coming from a post-Soviet academic background with its careless and indifferent attitude to students). Having suffered quite considerably from injustice done to him personally and to his by the Soviet government in the 1950s, János had all rights to be somewhat prejudiced against those coming from the post-Soviet countries. Yet, on the contrary, he seemed to be even more careful and tactful with us than with our West-Slavic or West European peers – which was really helpful for many, including my humble self, when one takes into account the fact that for many Russian-speaking students coming to CEU it was very difficult to get accustomed to Western academic standards.
From all János-related episodes I shall recall just one, rather anecdotic event. Having dedicated too much attention to the consumption of delicacies of Hungarian Kékfrancos (in 1996 it cost virtually nothing) in the evening, next morning I did not hear my alarm-clock and nearly missed the train heading towards Visegrád. Having arrived on the train station about 3 minutes before the departure, I discovered all members of our excursion trip, including rather exasperated János, impatiently waiting for me on the platform. Heavily puffing (I had to run in order to catch the train), I enquired wrathful János: “Eeeh, where should I buy my ticket?” With a regal mien on his face quoth he: “As a punishment for your being late and idiotic one, you shall be sent directly to Siberia!” Having said no more, he pushed me inside the train with his mighty hand. Only inside, he added: “In Hungary, in contrast to Siberia, one can buy tickets inside” – and charmingly smiled. All students (including me) exploded with laughter. Our trip to Visegrád proved to be an excellent experience, János’s excursion as enlightening as ever, while train inspectors indeed sold me the ticket without charging any additional fine – something which was (and still is) unthinkable in Ukraine or Russia where one is supposed to buy tickets only in special kiosks on a train station…
I left Budapest, János, and CEU in blazingly hot June 1996 – to head for a diploma programme at Oxford. I returned to CEU only in July 1999, already as a doctoral student of Graduate School for Social Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. I did not really talk to János all these years, even though memories of the year that I have spent at CEU’s Medieval Studies department were still fresh and vivid. One morning, when I was exiting CEU’s building, I almost clashed with the so familiar figure with silver hair and beard, and piercing eyes. Before I gathered myself to say something polite and introductory (I thought that by now János have already forgotten me) – “Mishka!” – exclaimed he and hugged me in his arms, still full of vital energy and strength. Dear Teacher! Be strong, healthy, kind, and friendly – as ever – and continue taking care of your unwise young disciples from Eastern Europe and elsewhere! Teach them to be as strong-minded, independent-thinking, politically uncompromised, unprejudiced, prudent, and omniscient as you were – as you are now – as you shall be in many years to follow!
Yours as ever,
Mikhail Kizilov
Mikhail Kizilov
