STORY: Dressed only in his protective work apron, baring his tattoos and beer belly, metalworker Janos Bocs is posing for a camera wearing while an industrial fan—usually used to cool red-hot metal—blows his long hair.

Bocs, 42, is modelling for an annual charity calendar by a team of metalworkers in a workshop in Budapest, inside what remains of a vast industrial complex that used to be a major hub for Hungary’s communist-era steel and heavy metallurgy.

"We are not these muscly perfect poster guys but real people, maybe that is why it is so popular," Bocs says.

Profits from the calendar will be used to buy supplies for schools. Last year, the team's first calendar sold about 100 copies. They used the profits, about 500,000 forints ($1,524.81), to buy a smart board for a school.

This year, after local media reported on their project, the team have received about a thousand preorders, allowing them to support several schools.

All members of the team, who have been working together for decades, were happy to strip half-naked for the good cause, worker Janos Somogyi told Reuters.

"This is who we are, and I don't think we look so very unhealthy in the photos. Any man under a hundred kilos is just a bookmark," Somogyi jokes.

The main goal is to raise money for the schools, but they also hope their photos will inspire more young people to learn metallurgy, a trade that is not popular at the moment in Hungary.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. METAL WORKER JANOS BOCS REMOVING HIS CLOTHES TO PREPARE FOR CALENDAR PHOTO SHOOT

2. METAL WORKER JANOS SOMOGYI BEHIND INDUSTRIAL FAN SMILING

3. VARIOUS OF BOCS POSING AS INDUSTRIAL FAN BLOWS HIS HAIR FOR CALENDAR SHOOT

4. CALENDAR PHOTO OF BOCS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) METAL WORKER, JANOS BOCS, SAYING:

"No one in their right mind would make such a calendar. According to the comments, most people find it funny. We are not these muscly perfect poster guys but real people, maybe that is why it is so popular."

6. METAL WORKER MATYAS SCHON WALKING WEARING ONLY WORK APRON AND POSING

7. SCHON'S LEG

8. SCHON PUTTING ON HIS GLOVES

9. CALENDAR PHOTO OF SCHON

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) METAL WORKER, MATYAS SCHON, SAYING:

"It is light, funny and each of us is being just themselves."

11. CALENDAR PHOTO

12. METAL WORKER JANOS SOMOGYI LOOKING AT CALENDAR

13. PAGES OF CALENDAR

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) METAL WORKER, JANOS SOMOGYI, SAYING:

"This is the raw reality, these are honest pictures, it is not manipulated. This is us. The pictures also show that we are a good team in the 'Csepel Szerszamedzo' (Csepel Heat Treatment Workshop), and I think this is why women love it."

15. VARIOUS OF METAL WORKER SZILARD HERCZEG POSING ON FORKLIFT

16. CALENDAR PHOTO OF HERCZEG

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) METAL WORKER, JANOS SOMOGYI, SAYING:

"It is an important message that this how we are. I don't think we look so very unhealthy in the photos. Any man under a hundred kilos is just a bookmark. We have real men bodies, I think, but everyone can decide what they like when they see the photos."

18. METAL WORKERS AT WORK

19. BOCS WORKING

20. SOMOGYI AND HERCZEG WORKING

21. VARIOUS OF SOMOGYI AND HERCZEG WORKING WITH HEAT TREATMENT OF STEEL PART

22. SCHON CONTROLLING HEAT TREATMENT

23. VARIOUS OF METAL WORKER ISTVAN SZIKSZAI WORKING WITH HEAT TREATMENT

24. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) METAL WORKER, JANOS SOMOGYI, SAYING:

"With the smart school boards and presents children benefit the most from this. On the other hand, it is also an advert for us and we hope that those who buy the calendar will find some joy or just smile a little every day, that is already a big thing. And also, while the downtrodden Hungarian metallurgy will not revive because of this, but if only five or six more people go to the University of Miskolc to study metallurgy, then we will be happy."

25. SZIKSZAI WEARING PURPLE SCARF ON NAKED CHEST CHEERING HIS FOOTBALL TEAM SAYING "Go Ujpest"

26. SZIKSZAI AND SOMOGYI SHAKING HANDS AND WALKING AWAY

27. SCHON WALKING AWAY WEARING ONLY APRON AND REMOVING HIS HAT