"Even Jesus Christ is regarded as a backpacker here," said Raminta, a young Lithuanian girl sitting beside me in a coffee shop. "Oh, really?" my eyebrows went up. Well, everything is possible in the Republic of Uzupis. It is the smallest republic in the world, located inside the old town of Vilnius (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
I had arrived in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, that morning. My visit was to see the newly formed countries that came up after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Lithuania was one of the first Soviet republics in 1990 to declare independence and break away. After the socialist days, Lithuania has been trying hard to implement democracy in their country.
In Lithuania, another republic was born when, in April 1997, twelve artists chose a ghetto area on the west bank of River Vilnele to settle in and form the Uzupio Respublika (the Lithuanian name). The place was earlier occupied by the Jewish community, and after Nazi aggression, it was populated by mostly marginalised people. During the Soviet days, it was a hub of brothels.
After settling down in the ghetto, the artists declared the area the Republic of Uzupis - it had its own flag, an anthem, a president, and even a small army. Romas Lileikis, a Lithuanian poet, musician, and film director, was the first president of the small republic.
Uzupis, which means "beyond the river" in Lithuanian, now has its very own anthem, flag, government, currency and a rather unique constitution, formulated by Romas with the help of Thomas Chepaitis, a publicist who is presently the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the republic.
Uzupis has some 7,000 residents, its own 'army' (of 12), and even ambassadors in one or two countries. And they have four flags, one for each season. "If you visit Uzupi on April 1, your passport needs to be stamped to get into this place even though you may have a Schengen visa," says Raminta. That's fine, but was the stamp recognised by any other country? Raminta assures me that it was.
After our conversation, I spent the day exploring the small republic with Raminta that day. Walking along the streets, I was certainly feeling the vibe of democracy and independence. It was evident that the community was made up of creative minds and those who embraced the bohemian way of life. It was a weekday, and I found local people playing different musical instruments, reading books, or busy painting, their faces reflecting happiness.
Among other things, I came to know that the national animal of Uzupis is the cat. Raminta took me to the Keistoteka bookstore where I met Ponulis. I was told that he lives in the bookstore most of the time. "You know, Ponulis was missing for three to four days, He probably went to explore the area, or to date his girlfriend," Raminta laughed. "His disappearance was the headline in all the Lithuanian newspapers here. Even the police head of Vilnius was concerned about him". He came back after some days. After some time, she added, a cat is not obliged to love its master, but it must help him in difficult times. "It is written in the constitution of Uzupis," she said.
Raminta took me to see the constitution depicted on the wall of Paupio Street, on golden plates. There are 41 clauses in the constitution, all of them reflecting the democratic ideals that a republic can ensure for its residents. The Uzupis constitution is written in 39 different languages. Among them, interestingly, are three that are Indian - Sanskrit, Hindi, and Pali. This is probably the smallest constitution in this world and probably the best constitution that I have ever seen. These two clauses fascinated me the most: Everyone has the right to be happy. Everyone has the right to be unhappy. Gazing at the constitution, I saw my reflection on the golden plaque. Later I was informed, they are designed in such a way so that people can see their own image on the tenets of democracy.
Next, Raminta guided me towards the main square to show me the Angel of Uzupis, a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet in the town square. It was created by sculptor Romas Vilciauskas in the memory of animator and caricaturist Zenonas & Scaronteinys. It has become the symbol of Uzupis.
Apart from other things, street art can definitely be a reason to visit Uzupis. The spirit of freedom is reflected in the graffiti on the walls here. The art gallery is the place to see them. In fact, the discussed sculpture 'Jesus as a Backpacker' is showcased here. The art gallery is the place to see them. In fact, the discussed sculpture 'Jesus as a Backpacker' is showcased here.
I liked the art of a narrow lane of Uzupis where concepts, colours, and brush strokes reflected the pride of bohemianism. I recalled a quote from Leonardo Da Vinci: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". Though these were indeed gorgeous, sophistication is not what came to mind. However, I can defend myself with an article from the constitution, "Everyone has the right to be personal."
I was strolling through the lanes and by-lanes of the bohemian republic guided by Raminta when I spotted some Buddhist prayer flags. "Is there any relation between Uzupis and Buddhism?" I asked. Raminta nodded in the affirmative. "The Dalai Lama had come here on a visit," she replied. She took me to a small shop run by an elderly lady with a statue of the Dalai Lama. I then followed her to the riverside which had a big cylindrical structure draped by Buddhist prayer flags. We sat on the bank of the river, silently, for a long time. My soul was filled with the fresh air of this tiny bohemian republic.
It was good to know about the Dalai Lama's visit, but I wondered if this would start any sort of religious practice here. In fact, I had seen a church inside Uzupi. When I asked Raminta about it, she said, "Certainly not. Uzupi was, Uzupi is and Uzupi will be the land of Bohemians." I tried to say something, but suddenly it started to rain and I heard the beautiful music of the ukulele. The tune of the music was similar to the Indian raga Meghamalhar. "Yes," I said. "Uzupi will remain the land of Bohemians."