Republic of Užupis
Welcome to the Republic of Užupis!
Tourists are greeted into the micro-nation with a beautiful plaque of the Constitution of Užupis, a core document in the country, imprinted on the walls of the city. It is translated into over 10 different languages, so that tourists from all over the world are able to understand the rules and core values of the country in which they are entering.
The Constitution features some quite comical clauses.
Some of my favorites are: “Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.”
“Everyone has the right to understand”
“Everyone has the right to understand nothing.”
“Everyone has the right to be happy. Everyone has the right to be unhappy”.
"The dog has the right to be a dog."
Art in Užupis
When we initiated our tour early in the morning, I was excited to know that we would be visiting a country which I did not even know existed until then: The Republic of Užupis.
An independent state so small that it really looks more like a neighborhood within Vilnius, Užupis struck me because of its strong celebration of the Arts. Art, in fact, appears to be the main preoccupation of the Republic; their own President, Romas Lileikis, is a poet, musician, and film director.
Art is truly a pillar of Užupis: from pottery, to music, to paintings, to dance, and to witty marketing signs, Užupis stood out to me as having a very strong personality through its artistic expressions, seen throughout the town.
Given my interest in Marketing, I especially liked the sign below which highlights, in a very witty way, the 4 main rules in Užupis.
“Here in Užupis, we only have 4 laws: 1. You shall smile 2. You shall not be a crazy driver 3. You shall appreciate art and 4. You shall follow these 3 rules, or you will fall into the river.” — Our Tour Guide in Užupis
Fun fact: Did you know that Užupis has a President, cabinet of ministers, a national anthem? They even used to have an army of 12 soldiers, which they later decided to end because they are a “peaceful country”. Oh, and the national independence day is April fool’s day, which they celebrate together with music, dance, food and, of course, beer!
