Vilnius and The Fake Republic of Užupis

There’s a moment of hesitation as our guide asks us if we brought our passports. For a moment I wonder if it’s something relating to the Belarus/Russia situation given that Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, lies just 30 miles from the Belarusian border. But instead, we cross a river into the self declared, largely unrecognised Republic of Užupis.

Unlike most self-declared republics, this one doesn’t lie at the heart of a bitter geopolitical struggle. Instead, Užupis is an April Fools joke which grew arms and legs and now is complete with its own president, prime-minister, flags, (unofficial) currency and even its own barliment to boot (and no, that’s not a typo).

Under the soviet era, Užupis (which translates as ‘the other side of the river’) was full of factories and housing for their workers. Once the Soviet Union fell, the area was left deserted and became a hot bed for criminality and prostitution. Some students from the Vilnius Academy of Arts which is located in the area, turned the abandoned spaces into studios and squats. With the aim to ‘change the place with art’, the republic was officially declared on 1 April 1998. Nowadays it’s a trendy area and one of the most expensive to buy property in within the city. It’s boasted by the Lithuanian government as a stellar example of community building.

We wander through past border control (where you can even get your passport stamped) and down to the constitution, which is posted in 40 languages on the wall. I’m told that if you turn up on the 1st of April, you can even get knighted with a nonsense title.

Vilnius itself is an endearing introduction to the Baltic states. Ukrainian flags flutter in the wind everywhere, showing the Lithuanian perspectives. If the Balkans were largely on the fence regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Baltics have fully aligned themselves with Ukraine. Autumn seems to be making an appearance as for the first time I spot the leaves changing colour. That being said I’m rather disappointed that my first introduction to the Baltics isn’t well… Baltic, given that it’s currently sitting around a balmy 20 degrees. Then again apparently this time last year it was minus two so perhaps I should just count my blessings.Read more