Užupis (Yiddish: זארעטשע, Belarusian: Зарэчча, Russian: Заречье, Polish: Zarzecze) is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Užupis means "beyond the river" or "the other side of the river" in the Lithuanian language and refers to the Vilnia River; the name Vilnius was derived from the Vilnia. The district has been popular with artists for some time, and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris and to Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, due to its bohemian and laissez-faire atmosphere. On April 1, 1997, the district declared itself an independent republic (the Republic of Užupis), with its own constitution.
Street art on one of Užupis' buildings (2011)
Tibet Square in UžupisThe district contains the Bernardine Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the city.[1] Most of the district's Jewish population were killed during the Holocaust,[2] and later the old Jewish Cemetery uphill would be destroyed by the Soviets.[3] The houses left abandoned were later occupied by marginal elements of society, mainly the homeless, prostitutes and squatters. Until Lithuania's declaration of independence in 1990, it was one of the most neglected areas in the city, containing many run-down houses, many without utilities. The district has been a common haunt of artists and bohemians since Soviet times, and even today many young artists are squatting in abandoned buildings near the Vilnia River.
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