A HAND WITH A HOLE
Where is The Uzhupis Republic?
Who Are They?
An Introduction and Prelude to The 2016 Big Bridge Retrospective on The Uzhupis
By the Foreign Minister of Uzhupis Tomas Čepaitis
Group of ducks
Inspecting daily nine bridges
Gave report to the sun
Angel with trumpet
Got a cold on the Log Market day
Clears his throat
Cross the river
Outside, gain the world, than back
Find what left of yourself
Show V to the Cat
Sitting still in the shutter
For years and years
First of April comes
Throw your business suit out
Put on a Fool's crown
A dog smiles seeing himself
in the mirroring plate of the Constitution
Reads: a dog has a right to be dog
Lorry hurrying
Down from the hill lost his wheel
At the ruined chapel
People on the roofs
Knitting a shield for Uzhupis
From the long threads of rain
- All this is a Republic of Uzhupis (this name is pronounced like "oozhoopeas", and means literally "The place beyond the river"), part of the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania, divided from the main part by the little river Vilnele. Name of the river means "ruffle, riffle" (little wave) or the thread of wool.
- Everybody knows where Lithuania is. It is one of the Baltic countries, and it's capital, Vilnius is in the east, nearly on a border with Byelorussia. It is nearly 700 years old, and its symbol is an Iron wolf.
- From 1950-ties, when population in Uzhupis was filled by Stalin with Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian workers for the local industrial giants - textile Vilija and Audejas and electricity counters Skaitex - instead of re-patriated Polish and fusilladed Jews, this part of the city developed it's own, rather peninsular and melancholic mentality, which was rather aggressive to anyone from the Other Bank (Vilnius), and kind of loveable in it's one homogeneity. District came to depression in 1990-ties when factories were closing, and now at last (just recently, in spring 2015) they were finally destroyed, revolving new ruins, which would be filled with living quarters in 5-7 years.
""Why a State? What we had in mind, declaring it? Whom we opposed?
Well, first we opposed the growing bureaucracy and police system of Lithuania, which became independent from Soviet Union just 6 years before, in 1991. Then, it was a protest against stupid money-oriented mentality, which preferred to see artists in the cages, like funny beasts, because didn't understand what art or philosophy is about, More so, it was a friendly parody of any kind of state, kind of anarchistic topsy-turvy of the idea of the State, but - wait, listen, anarchists! - in the end becoming a real republic - though a little republic, having it's own laws, parliament, mythology, philosophy and ways.
So, at the same time we carnivalized the idea of the State, and paradoxically supported it in times, when corporations, big companies and banks become much more influential than any state.
- In 1997, in the time of a deep depression, the new residents of this area (not only artists, but eccentric businessmen and lawyers) declared the Republic of Uzupis, along with its own flag, currency, president, cabinet of ministers, a constitution written by Romas Lileikis and Thomas Chepaitis, an anthem, and an army (numbering approximately 11 men). They celebrate this independence annually on April 1st. Artistic endeavors are the main preoccupation of the Republic; though it is a mixture and balance of idealism and greed, heartiness and envy, creative flow and narcissistic contentment.
After declaring Independence, our main goal was to raise a sculpture of Angel on the little square where in XIXth century stood a chapel of Peter and Paul. Column was raised in 2001, and, waiting for the inhabitant, an Egg was put unto it, from which an Uzhupis Angel (Gabriel, blowing a Doomsday trumpet) was born. An Egg was sold on an Auction to another quarter of Vilnius, rising from the ruins - St. Stephan's near the railway station.
Flag, designed by now late Valdas Neimantas - a Hand with a hole (4 different colors for every season) is interpreted in many ways, most popular is that the palm symbolizes Friendship, and the hole in it - the whole world, which becomes not so important, if you have a friend.
Anthem, written by Romas Lileikis, is about how You close your eyes, and embrace the pillow, and the pavement starts to fly, and becomes a landing strip for an Angel, while you melt away like a star on the palm. It is sung in various styles, but most known is by the group Skyle (The Hole) and it's singer Aiste Smilgeviciute./ Chords are these:
G C#sus2 G Tu tik prisiglaudi ir grindinys pakyla C D G Kad angelas turėtų kur nutūpti G C#sus2 G Apsikabinęs šuni pagalvę ir tylą C D G Tu ištirpsti vėjuotą nakty lyg žvaigždė ant delno G D G Ir tik ant stogo sargas laiko dangų (širdį) C D Kad niekas jo gelmėj neužgesintų G D Em Susirenka sapnų pakrantėn vėlės C (C#sus2 D G) D Ir baltos snaigės nuo blakstienų krinta Tu tik prisiglaudi ir laikrodis nustoja Vidurnakčio gelmej save skaičiuoti Tu tik prisiglaudi ir viesulas užpusto Ir garvežį ir traukinį ir stotį
And You can listen to it here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2j2BLLYjpY
- Now, Constitution. We wrote it with president one hot summer day in July 1998 when the highest official visited foreign minister to have a bath, since he lacked the mentioned vessel in his apartment nearby (hence the 2-nd right), We wrote it in 3 hours, so it is our most effective creation, since it is translated into 70 languages, and put in 22 of them on metal plaques on Paupio lane here.
For Los Angeles and the Golden coast I first put it in Spanish, then in English
Constitución de la República de Užupis (Castellano)
-
- 1. Todos tienen derecho a vivir cerca del río Vilnelė y el río Vilnelė tiene derecho a fluir cerca de todos.
- 2. Todos tienen derecho al agua caliente, a la calefacción en invierno y a un tejado.
- 3. Todos tienen derecho a morir, pero no es su obligación.
- 4. Todos tienen derecho a equivocarse.
- 5. Todos tienen derecho a ser únicos.
- 6. Todos tienen derecho a amar.
- 7. Todos tienen derecho a no ser amados, pero no necesariamente.
- 8. Todos tienen derecho a ser insignificantes y desconocidos.
- 9. Todos tienen derecho a ser perezosos y a no hacer nada.
- 10. Todos tienen derecho a amar y a proteger a un gato.
- 11. Todos tienen derecho a cuidar de un perro hasta que uno de los dos se muera.
- 12. Un perro tiene derecho a ser un perro.
- 13. Un gato no está obligado a amar a su dueño, pero le debe ayudar en los momentos difíciles.
- 14. Todos tienen derecho a no saber de vez en cuando que tienen obligaciones.
- 15. Todos tienen derecho a dudar, pero no es su obligación.
- 16. Todos tienen derecho a ser felices.
- 17. Todos tienen derecho a ser infelices.
- 18. Todos tienen derecho a guardar silencio.
- 19. Todos tienen derecho a tener fe.
- 20. Nadie tiene derecho a usar la violencia.
- 21. Todos tienen derecho a darse cuenta de su irrelevancia y de su grandeza.
- 22. Nadie tiene derecho a usurpar la eternidad.
- 23. Todos tienen derecho a comprender.
- 24. Todos tienen derecho a no comprender nada.
- 25. Todos tienen derecho a tener varias nacionalidades.
- 26. Todos tienen derecho a celebrar o a no celebrar su cumpleaños.
- 27. Todos tienen la obligación de recordar su nombre.
- 28. Todos pueden compartir lo que poseen.
- 29. Nadie puede compartir lo que no posee.
- 30. Todos tienen derecho a tener hermanos, hermanas y padres.
- 31. Todos pueden ser libres.
- 32. Todos son responsables de su libertad.
- 33. Todos tienen derecho a llorar.
- 34. Todos tienen derecho a ser incomprendidos.
- 35. Nadie tiene derecho a echarle la culpa al otro.
- 36. Todos tienen derecho a ser subjetivos.
- 37. Todos tienen derecho a no tener ningún derecho.
- 38. Todos tienen derecho a no tener miedo.
-
- No venzas
- No te defiendas
- No te rindas
- Traducida por Jordana Glez-Jonkus, Embajadora de Costa Rica
Now, in the language of W.Shakespeare, P.G.Wodehouse and Marc Twain (As well as Jack Kerouac, Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa)
- The Uzupis Constitution terms:
- 1. Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnele, and the River Vilnele has the right to flow by everyone.
2. Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof.
3. Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
4. Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
5. Everyone has the right to be unique.
6. Everyone has the right to love.
7. Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.
8. Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.
9. Everyone has the right to idle.
10. Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.
11. Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.
12. A dog has the right to be a dog.
13. A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee.
14. Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties.
15. Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.
16. Everyone has the right to be happy.
17. Everyone has the right to be unhappy.
18. Everyone has the right to be silent.
19. Everyone has the right to have faith.
20. No one has the right to violence.
21. Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.
22. No one has the right to have a design on eternity.
23. Everyone has the right to understand.
24. Everyone has the right to understand nothing.
25. Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.
26. Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.
27. Everyone shall remember their name.
28. Everyone may share what they possess.
29. No one can share what they do not possess.
30. Everyone has the right to have brothers, sisters and parents.
31. Everyone may be independent.
32. Everyone is responsible for their freedom.
33. Everyone has the right to cry.
34. Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.
35. No one has the right to make another person guilty.
36. Everyone has the right to be individual.
37. Everyone has the right to have no rights.
38. Everyone has the right to not to be afraid.
(39. Do not defeat.
(40. Do not fight back.
(41. Do not surrender.
- Some argue that the last three are mottos, not rights.
- Did we have a special "goal" or "motivation" writing it? In Uzhupis we don't use these terms, but we wanted to somehow encourage the aboriginals of the Uzhupis district, who were rather unruly, but aimlessly shouted for some rules. Also, as I later read in Isaiah Berlin, we unwillingly expressed the natural rights of men, which were not expressed in the history of humanity because expressers would be laughed at.
Now, 5 steps back. Uzhupis is of the same age as Vilnius, build mostly in XIV-XV century, and one theory says that it is here that the historical center was, and Vilnius should develop along the line of Uzhupis street (which was a Salt Road, a Polock road in old times), not along the Pilies (Castle) street which we see now as a main Old Town street. Though, due to Polish King Jogaila, cousin of Lithuanian grand duke Vytautas, an influential Crooked castle in Uzhupis was destroyed in the beginning of Xv century and the today symbol of Vilnius - hill and Castle of Gediminas remained till now. In short, Pollacks are responsible for all disasters in Lithuania.:)
Though, lacking imperial splendor, Uzhupis developed as an antagonist of the Lithuanian capital, kind of a Suburb par excellence, a little bomb at the ancient walls of Vilnius (city wall with 9 gates was active in 1520-1801, now only the gates of the Dawn left with a miraculous icon of Mother Mary) Cloister of Bernardines (also called Colettes) on the Mill street in Uzhupis reminds us of the times when nearby St.Annes' and St. Francis' and Bernardine's were built, and the nuns of Colettes walked from Uzhupis through a gallery bridge to repent and pray. They were wealthy nuns, each had a maid, each pair prayed like Mary and Martha in Gospel J Bernardines were very influential in Uzhupis, and regained some influence now, in 1815 a new Bernardine Cemetery was settled on the steep bank of Vilnele. It si not so packed with celebrities as Rasu (Dew) Cemetery nearby, but still has many painter dynasties, first photographers, eccentric professors, mad businessmen, Napoleon officers, priests, mostly Polish, but now it's hard to distinguish. Sisters of Polish president Pilsudsky are buried here, as well as a mother of a idealistic-sadistic scoundrel, founder of KGB Felix Dzerzhinsky (having a noble count Samson blood in him, by the way) or fantastic post-romantic writer of 1980-ties Antanas Ramonas....
I said - "a little bomb"... Yes, life is Uzhupis always had been more intensive, wild, and sceptic about the values of the "other shore". From here, from an Uzhupis vodka factory, biggest ever 1748 fire of Vilnius started, in two days it destroyed all Vilnius, which became, as historian Valdas Drema states, "totally different city". Through here in 1655 a Moscovite army of Alexey Mikhailovich invaded Lithuanian capital. Here an early atheist count Bekesh showed his arrogance to the peasants and hills - a monument was raised to him on one of them, which is now named Bekesh hill, but it was thrown down by the storm into Vilnele. In XIX-th century a lot of eccentric professors of Vilnius University lived here as well as the local masons, Secret order of Filarets gathered here in the hills and cemetery, were revolutionaries also hided their weapons. Uzhupis was also half-Jewish too, and hosted the biggest Zarzecze cemetery which was completely destroyed by soviets in 1950-ties, now a memorial stands there.
Between the 1st and 2nd World wars, when Vilnius was Polish (and, of course, Jewish), there were a lot of orphanages here, Uzhupis aura blanked, it became bourgeois, one street, for example was wholly inhabited by Polish gendarmerie. But artists lived here always, or, rather, had their studios here (and lived elsewhere) Uzhupis is painted in maybe thousands of dozens, oil, aquarelle, graphic paintings./p>
- It's life is also described in words - hundreds of poems and some prose - Jurgis Kunchinas "Tula" and "Blanchisserie, or Uzhupis-Zhevrynas"(1990-ties), and Haim Grade's "Aguna"(1920-ties), and many stories of these and other writers.
- The life-long President of the Republic of Uzupis, Romas Lileikis (active from 1997 to 2014) is himself a poet, musician, and film director. He had made 3 fool(sorry, full-)-meter films about our little country, "Sasha", "K+B+M" and "Maat", which are the best guide to feel it's atmosphere Also, a 10 min. film of Arunas Matelis "10 min. Before the Icarus' flight" give a good picture of Uzhupis eccentricity and un-predictableness in 1990-ties.
In the beginning of 1990-ties, before the Uzhupian and after Lithuanian independence(1991), a lot of artists still had studios in Uzhupis. One of them was unofficially called Yellow Submarine, and belonged to the animator Zenonas Shteinys; their artists gathered to discuss an ongoing situation. Another object of attraction was St. Bartholomew church, the only one church here, which was then used as the sculptors' studio. The three fronton sculptures of saints for Vilnius Great Cathedral were made here, and Uzhupis Angel (author - Romas Vilchiauskas) also. In 2002the church was returned to the Catholic church.
There was also a House by the river - half-ruined squat of XVIII century, occupied by young people. It remained unconquered by police till 2011, when it was restored for European money, and now hosts four galleries and a lot of studios. But the most famous gallery, "Galera" was opened much earlier, in 2000.
Important features of 1990-ties and beginning of Naughties - A Yard of Ruins, where rock-concerts were held, and the alternative fashion festival Armada, leaded by Darius Laumenis. Later this Yard was bought by some company and now new houses (but, thanks God, in the old style) are built there, as a sign of gentrification. Gentrification is the spirit of the moment, it started in 2006-7 and now is on it’s peak, but in 2-3 years will slow down and end I guess, around 2021. During 18 years we are celebrating our Independence Day on April 1-st, besides a lot of festivals, carnivals, and concerts are going on. As always in Uzhupis, several lifestyles and worldviews are living here side by side, penetrating and nourishing each other. Hundreds of tourists from all over the world visit our little country every day. This show, I hope, will never end.
A little bit on my duties. As a (comparative) cosmopolitan, I started inaugurating first Ambassadors of Uzhupis Republic in 1999, protesting against the tendency to close the country. Now there are around 400 Ambassadors and 100 consuls, some are really active, some disappeared, some passed away, as, f.e. Nuño Guimaraes, ex-cultural attaché of Portugal to Lithuania, who raised a fine school of translators from Portuguese here (he was Uzhupis Ambassador in Mozambique and Porto) or Michael Sanadze, a legendary bearded baby-sitter from Moscow who held an Embassy in Baby-Sitting (he had raised around 200 children), some rotated (artist Marius Abramavichius - from Tibet to Iran, leaving place for Rūta, owner of the only Tibet shop in Lithuania and initiator of the Tibet square with mandala monument in Uzhupis)
Something about the whole project can be seen here www.uzhupisembassy.eu
Michael Rothenberg is one of them - he keeps an Embassy in Sunflowers. And Terri Carrion is going to take responsibility of the Hummingbirds.
I know that it is not easy to grasp immediately what is Uzhupis Republic standing on the windy Big Bridge, though it is photo documented and described in thousands of blogs, articles, memoirs and travelogues. So, I will make it even more mysterious by ending this review with mentioning the myth of the Nine (little) Bridges of Uzhupis –you will see our place differently depending on which one of them you’ll pass. Let our angel guide you this evening and on your way to Uzhupis, or the Other Side of the River. Good-bye.
Uzhupis Republic, 2015.07.11
Inauguration of Uzhupis Ambassador to Miera Iela in the moving tram Nr. 11 in Riga, 2014
At the unveiling of Uzhupis Constitution plaque in German lanugage, 2011 Uzhupis president Lileikis and Ambassador of Germany to Lithuania
"Uzhupis let the army go"
Every year Uzhupis changes it's general theme. 2006 poster of Republic Building a Bridge
Honorary citizen of Uzhupis 2010 - ex-mayor of Bogota, Columbia, eccentric Antanas Mockus
The first Uzhupis honorable citizen - American filmmaker of Lithuanian origin Jonas Mekas
Local post-cards dedicated to Filaretų Street
Foreign minister's hand signing a treaty with Republique d'Padrhom (Christiania's sign served as a table)
Trees in Uzhupis
Trees in Uzhupis painted by Ambassador in Russia Nikita Alekseev
Street scene on Paupio Lane
One of the Uzhupis sculpturecitizens - Oldman Boozy with his bird and a cat
Fragment of a wall on Paupio lane
St.Anne's, which Uzhupians visit on Sundays
Gentrification 2015: destroying of the Soviet electric factory
Forgotten factory
Amsterdam tourists at the Mandala on the Tibet Square
Amsterdam tourists filling with Steenght at a Power Point near Galera Gallery
Uzhupis courtyard
Uzhupis Angel (raised in 2002)
This house looked like this for 20 years, but people lived there, now restored
Here you can see St.Bartholomew
In the workshop of Tamara Yanova
Workshop of Tamara Yanova
Uzhupis citizen in local Picceria
By the river
Changing the tiled roof (see point Nr. 2 of Constitution)
By the river through the branches
Corner of Uzhupis cafe-parliament with a flag
Poetics of destroying
Taiwan delegation at the Entrance sign of Republic
Woman contemplating ecscavator
Cameraman Samwel Gandzhumian - younger generation of Uzhupians
Ducks on ice on Tymas pools, December
Uzhupis from Tymas pools
Ducks to the shore
The moon on Tymas Street
At night
Articles in Italian press about Uzhupis visit
Postcard of Uzhupis bridge in 1904
Swiss garden in Uzhupis that existed till 1900
Rehearsal of the unveiling of the plaque (but these are not my photos)
Rehearsal of the unveiling of the plaque
Uzhupis and Spanish flags on the day of unveiling the Spanish translation of Constitution
Flamenco at the Spanish night
Musicians reheaersing before the unveiling (well, they are my photos)
Green bus on the Vilnelė in winter
In the Uzhupis cafe-parliament
This is built in the old Yard of Ruins - luckily ,in Old Town style...
An example of foreign policy - giving the theatre in Italy Uzhupis name
An Example of Ambassador's credentials (this one - in Blo Caramel - part of legendary Christiania)