The city of Vilnius is located at the confluence of two rivers; the Neris River, and the Vilnia River (from which the city gets its name). On the eastern bank of the river Vilnia sits a neighborhood called Užupis, which essentially translates as ‘on the other side of the river.’ In 1997, a group of young artists and intellectuals decided that they would declare their neighborhood to be an independent nation, much like Christiania in Copenhagen. Like Christiania they print their own currency, have their own flag, and have a constitution. However, it is not taken nearly as seriously as in Christiania. It is really more of a running joke that the neighborhood has. They celebrate their independence on the 1st of April, April Fools Day. Their constitution too is somewhat comical, establishing rules such as “People have the right to live by the River Vilnelė, while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow past people" and "A dog has the right to be a dog" Even the government official we talked to called it a big joke. It has nothing on Christiania, though it is a pretty cool idea. Nevertheless, it is an interesting neighborhood to walk through, and has some good art and souvenirs. I would recommend a visit to anyone visiting Vilnius, and if you have a chance to come on Independence Day, I am told that they will stamp your passport when you enter the republic. Here are some photos so you can see what it is like.
The Main Entrance
The River Vilnia
The Angel of Užupis
The Insignia of Užupis
One of the more colorful building along the river
