---
title: "Užupis - Wikipedia"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/cfa679f6-b1ed-4fe5-9cc0-81326b38c180
source_url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Uzupis"
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summary: "Užupis is a bohemian neighborhood in Vilnius, Lithuania, known for its artistic community and its tongue-in-cheek declaration of independence as the Republic of Užupis on April 1, 1998, complete with its own constitution and honorary citizens including the Dalai Lama. The district of approximately 60 hectares and 7,000 inhabitants has a rich history spanning from its Jewish roots through Soviet neglect to its current status as an artist-filled cultural enclave compared to Montmartre and Freetown Christiania."
tags: "uzupis, micronation, vilnius, bohemian, lithuania, art-district, republic"
key_entities: "Užupis (location), Vilnius (location), Lithuania (location), Republic of Užupis (concept), Vilnia River (location), Dalai Lama (person), Artūras Zuokas (person), Montmartre (location), Freetown Christiania (location), UNESCO (organization), Užupis Day (event), Bernardine Cemetery (location)"
classification: "reference"
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---

# Užupis - Wikipedia

Coordinates : 54°40′50″N 25°17′49″E / 54.68056°N 25.29694°E / 54.68056; 25.29694 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Republic of Uzupis ) Neighbourhood in Vilnius, Lithuania This article needs more citations . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Užupis" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( October 2018 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Užupis (2020) Užupis (2007) Angel of Užupis (2022) Fluxus Bridge (2024) Užupis ( Yiddish : זארעטשע , Belarusian : Зарэчча , Russian : Заречье , Polish : Zarzecze ) is a neighborhood in Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania , largely located in Vilnius's old town , [ 1 ] [ better source needed ] a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Užupis means "beyond the river" or "the other side of the river" in the Lithuanian language and refers to the Vilnia River ; [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] the name Vilnius was derived from the Vilnia. [ 5 ] The district has been popular with artists for some time, [ 6 ] [ 7 ] and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris and to Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen , [ 8 ] [ 7 ] due to its bohemian and laissez-faire atmosphere. On April 1, 1998, the district declared itself an independent republic (the Republic of Užupis), with its own constitution. [ 2 ] Geography [ edit ] Užupis is quite small and isolated, being only about 60 ha (148 acres) in size; [ 3 ] it has around 7,000 inhabitants, nearly 1,000 of which are artists. [ 1 ] [ better source needed ] On one side it is separated from the Old Town by the Vilnia River , on the second there are steep hills, and on the third side, it borders on an industrial area built under Soviet rule. The first bridges across the river were built in the 16th century, when the district's inhabitants were mostly Jewish . History [ edit ] Street art on one of Užupis' buildings (2011) Malūnų street (2024) Tibet Square in Užupis The district contains the Bernardine Cemetery , one of the oldest cemeteries in the city. [ 9 ] Most of the district's Jewish population were killed during the Holocaust , [ 10 ] and later the old Jewish Cemetery uphill would be destroyed by the Soviets . [ 11 ] The houses left abandoned were later occupied by marginal elements of society, mainly the homeless , prostitutes and squatters . Until Lithuania's declaration of independence in 1990, it was one of the most neglected areas in the city, containing many run-down houses, many without utilities. The district has been a common haunt of artists and bohemians since Soviet times, and even today many young artists are squatting in abandoned buildings near the Vilnia River. The Republic of Užupis [ edit ] Republic of Užupis Unrecognized micronation Signs at the border of Užupis, written in five languages Claimed by Residents of Užupis neighborhood Established 1 April 1997 Area claimed 0.6 square kilometres (0.23 mi 2 ) Location Užupis neighborhood in Vilnius , Lithuania The Republic has granted honorary citizenship to several notable individuals, including the 14th Dalai Lama , who first visited the Republic in 2013. [ 12 ] He later returned in 2018 to plant a tree in the Republic's "Tibet Square" to mark 100 years since the Council of Lithuania proclaimed the restoration of an independent state of Lithuania. [ 13 ] Artūras Zuokas , a former mayor of Vilnius, lives in Užupis. [ 14 ] Užupis does not house internet-cafes, markets, shopping malls, or governmental institutions (except Užupian), and there is no embassy to Lithuania. It is unclear whether the statehood of the Republic, recognised by no government, is intended to be serious, tongue-in-cheek , or a combination of both. The decision to place Užupis Day on April 1 ( April Fools' Day ) may not be coincidental, emphasising the importance of humor over "serious" political decisions. The flag of the Republic features the palm of a hand on a white background. The colour of the palm emblem changes seasonally, in the sequence blue (Winter), green (Spring), yellow (Summer), and red (Autumn). [ 15 ] Ambassadors of Užupis [ edit ] Installation of the Embassy of the Republic of Užupis to Munich including humanoid consul Roboy at Ars Electronica Festival in Linz (AT) in 2019. The Užupis Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed more than 500 ambassadors worldwide. [ 16 ] The ambassadors have the task to build bridges between people. Some ambassadors represent the republic and its constitution in a certain state or geographic region while others share the republic's spirit in various realms of life like the ambassador among humming birds, the ambassador of knowledge for humanity or the ambassador for whistling in the streets. [ 17 ] The Embassy of the Republic of Užupis to Munich builds bridges between arts and AI technology to make artificial intelligence more ethical and more accessible to society. [ 18 ] Well-known ambassadors include the experimental filmmaker Jonas Mekas , the art critic Konstyantyn Doroshenko , and the designer Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun . Every year the ambassadors meet for their world conference in Užupis on the day before national day celebrations on April 1. Representatives of the Republic of Užupis have met with the President and Foreign Minister of Liberland to discuss mutual recognition. [ citation needed ] Constitution of Užupis [ edit ] The Munich version of the constitution of the Republic of Užupis including an additional article about artificial intelligence (no. π). Copies of the 38 articles of the Republic's constitution and 3 mottos - "Don't Fight", "Don't Win", "Don't Surrender" - in 23 languages, can be found affixed to a wall in Paupio street in the area. Sanskrit and Hindi versions of the constitution were added on 25 May 2017. [ 19 ] Some of these articles would be unremarkable in a constitution; for instance, Article 5 simply reads "Man has the right to individuality." . Others are more idiosyncratic; a typical example can be found in Article 1 ( "People have the right to live by the River Vilnelė , while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow past people." ), 12 ( "A dog has the right to be a dog." ) and 37 ( "People have the right to have no rights." ), which can be seen as unusual compared to fundamental rights set out by the EU . [ 20 ] There are a number of paired articles, such as Articles 16 ( "People have the right to be happy." ) and 17 ( "People have the right to be unhappy." ) which declare people's right to either do or not do something, according to their desire. [ citation needed ] Minister of Foreign Affairs Thomas Chepaitis, Ambassador H. E. Max Haarich, AI -Expert Alex Waldmann and humanoid Roboy formulated an additional article for the Munich Embassy: "Any artificial intelligence has the right to believe in a good will of humanity." [ 18 ] This makes the Užupian constitution the world's first constitution to mention artificial intelligence . [ citation needed ] In September 2018 the constitution was blessed by Pope Francis during his visit to Vilnius. [ 19 ] Angel of Užupis [ edit ] The Angel of Užupis On April 1, 2002, a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet was unveiled in the main square. The idea was developed from a desire to erect an angel in memory of animator and caricaturist Zenonas Šteinys. [ 21 ] It became a symbol of the revival of Užupis. The funds were raised by selling miniature copies of the sculpture. [ 22 ] The sculptor, Romas Vilčiauskas , is also the creator of the Užupis Mermaid . [ 23 ] Previously, a temporary sculpture of an egg stood in its place. [ 9 ] After being replaced by the larger statue of Gabriel, the egg was sold at an auction for 10,200 litas and now stands on Pylimo street. Notable residents [ edit ] Notable people who have resided in Užupis include: Felix Dzerzhinsky , also known as Iron Felix — Soviet Bolshevik revolutionary and secret police founder The painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Polish romantic-comic poet Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński lived in Užupis in 1934-36 Jurgis Kunčinas , author of 2 novels about Užupis, and translator from German Artūras Zuokas , former Vilnius mayor In creative works [ edit ] The Republic of Užupis , a 2009 novel by the South Korean author Hailji , chronicles the journey of an Asian man named Hal visiting Užupis to inter the ashes of his father, believing the "Republic" to be his ancestral homeland. Užupis was the topic of a 2015 piece of music by Matt Howden's The Mighty Sieben, [ 24 ] featuring the three mottos, "Don't Fight", "Don't Win", "Don't Surrender". [ 25 ] The track was written in celebration of, and first performed at, the Mėnuo Juodaragis Festival held in Lithuania. References [ edit ] 1 2 "Arty, hipster and a country within a country: Welcome to the Republic of Užupis" . Metro . 2018-09-11 . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . 1 2 Rhone, Erin (15 October 2018). "Užupis: A tiny republic of free spirits" . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . 1 2 "The country that lives for a day" . The Baltic Times . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ www.gaumina.lt, e-solution: Gaumina. "Užupis | A Neighbourhood in the Capital" . www.lithuania.travel . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ Tourism, Vilnius (2011-08-30). "The Legend of the Founding of Vilnius | Vilnius Tourist Information Centre" . Vilnius Tourist Information Centre . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ Crabb, Jon. "Užupis: How 12 Lithuanian Artists Created an Independent Republic in Vilnius" . Culture Trip . Archived from the original on 2018-10-16 . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . 1 2 "The second renaissance of Užupis has come to an end - Ober-haus.com" . Ober-haus.com . 2016-09-13 . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ "The identity crisis of self-declared nations | International Semester – semester projects" . final16.mediajungle.dk . Archived from the original on 2018-10-16 . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . 1 2 Georgian, Elizabeth. "The Best Things to See and Do in Užupis, Vilnius" . Culture Trip . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ "JewishGen's Holocaust Database" . www.jewishgen.org . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ "The Old Jewish Cemetery in Užupis, Vilnius" . Jewish Heritage Lithuania . 2020-09-10 . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ Vidunas, Vytis (2015-07-07). "Friends of Tibet in Lithuania Celebrate the Dalai Lama" . Huffington Post . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ "Dalai Lama plants tree in Vilnius to mark Lithuania's centenary" . the Lithuania Tribune . 2018-06-13 . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ Bernstein, Roslyn (2016-06-14). "Arturas Zuokas and The Happiness Factor: A Lithuanian Perspective" . Huffington Post . Retrieved 2018-10-15 . ↑ "Užupio meno inkubatorius" . Archived from the original on 2019-07-31 . Retrieved 2013-08-09 . ↑ "Foreign Affairs Ministry » Užupis Everywhere" . uzhupisembassy.eu . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ "Užupis Foreign Affairs Ministry" . Website of Užupis Foreign Affairs Ministry . Retrieved 20 December 2019 . 1 2 "Exploring the Lithuanian Micronation Užupis" . Playboy Magazine . Equality (Winter 2020). 17 December 2019 . Retrieved 20 December 2019 . 1 2 "Constitution of the Republic of Užupis » Užupis Everywhere" . uzhupisembassy.eu . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ Mark Eric BUTT, Julia KÜBERT and Christiane Anne SCHULTZ (1999). "FUNDAMENTAL SOCIAL RIGHTS IN EUROPE" (PDF) . Working Paper . ↑ "H E R I T A G E Lithuanian Footsteps on the World's Cinema A Grand Undertaking: The Radvila Map of Lithuania They Tore Down Le" (PDF) . www.draugas.org . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . [ dead link ] ↑ "Simbolis: Užupio angelas iškilo iš mažų kopijų" . 5 February 2013. ↑ "Fotobankas.lt - nuotraukos pagal: "Romo Vilčiausko undinėlė" " . Archived from the original on 2015-12-26 . Retrieved 2012-08-14 . ↑ "The Mighty Sieben | All things Matt Howden, Sieben, and Redroom Records" . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . ↑ Interview with Matt Howden in June 2015"},"url":{"wt":"http://www.nonpop.de/nonpop/index.php?type=preview&area=1&p=articles&id=2903"},"access-date":{"wt":"2021-02-22"},"website":{"wt":"www.nonpop.de"}},"i":0}}]}'/> "NONPOP > Interview with Matt Howden in June 2015" . www.nonpop.de . Retrieved 2021-02-22 . Further reading [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Užupis . Connolly, Kate (January 29, 2000). "They tore down Lenin's statue - and raised one to Frank Zappa" . TheGuardian.com . Rhone, Erin (October 15, 2018). "Užupis: A tiny republic of free spirits" . BBC Online . "Vilnius Old Town: Uzupis - Paupys Case study 2000 - 2001" . ensure.org . Archived from the original on February 4, 2012 – via Wayback Machine . External links [ edit ] Official Website of the Republic of Užupis Video report about Vilnius, featuring a lot of scenes filmed in Užupis : Locks on bridges, the Republic and the Constitution 1 April is Užupis’ Independence Day! VilNews e-magazine 5 February 2019 54°40′50″N 25°17′49″E / 54.68056°N 25.29694°E / 54.68056; 25.29694 [[Geographic coordinate system|Coordinates]]: {{#parsoid\u0000fragment:38}}<span class=\"plainlinks nourlexpansion\">[https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=U%C5%BEupis&params=54_40_50_N_25_17_49_E_region:LT_type:city <span class=\"geo-default\"><span class=\"geo-dms\" title=\"Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location\"><span class=\"latitude\">54°40′50″N</span> <span class=\"longitude\">25°17′49″E</span></span></span><span class=\"geo-multi-punct\"> / </span><span class=\"geo-nondefault\"><span class=\"geo-dec\" title=\"Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location\">54.68056°N 25.29694°E</span><span style=\"display:none\"> / <span class=\"geo\">54.68056; 25.29694</span></span></span>]</span>[[Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas]]</span>"}}'/> v t e Micronations List of micronations Africa Kalakuta Republic M'Simbati Reunion North America Conch Republic Eastport Freedonia Ganienkeh Islandia Republic of Kinney Kingdom of L'Anse-Saint-Jean Lashburnia Republic of Molossia Most Serene Federal Republic of Montmartre New Atlantis New Utopia Nova Roma North Dumpling Operation Atlantis Redonda Slowjamastan Talossa Vikesland Sovereign State of Winneconne Zaqistan South America Glacier Republic Parva Domus Antarctica Flandrensis Westarctica Asia Akhzivland Freedomland Kingdom of Humanity Joseon Cybernation Keraton Agung Sejagat Koneuwe Morac-Songhrati-Meads Naminara Republic Sedang Sunda Empire Atlantic islands Islands of Refreshment Trinidad Europe Aigues-Mortes Austenasia Christiania Elleore Enclava Filettino Forvik Frestonia Kingdom of Germany Hay-on-Wye Jamtland Kingdom of Pineal Kugelmugel Laàs Ladonia Liberland Llanrwst Lovely Malu Entu Neustadt Other World Perloja Peščenica Romanov Empire Republic of Rose Island Rüterberg Saugeais Sealand Seborga Tavolara Torgu Užupis Vevčani Verdis Wallachia Waveland Wendland Oceania Aeterna Lucina Aramoana Atlantium Avram Bumbunga Coral Sea Islands EnenKio Hutt River Marlborough Minerva Murrawarri Republic Rainbow Creek Snake Hill Whangamōmona Wiradjuri Central West Republic Wy Sovereign Yidindji Government Extraterrestrial, global or no territory Aerican Empire Asgardia Celestia Elgaland-Vargaland World Peace Melchizedek NSKS Nutopia Obsidia Related Antarctic Micronational Union Flags International Micropatrological Society League of Secessionist States MicroCon MicroWiki Organisation de la microfrancophonie PoliNation In popular culture Empire Me: New Worlds Are Happening! 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