Uzupis Utopia

Winter, 2020

What’s the true story behind a make-believe republic in Eastern Europe that captures the imagination of everyone who visits? Daisy Alioto searches for meaning in a booming micronationBefore traveling to Užupis, a self-declared republic within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, I read the 2009 novel The Republic of Užupis, by Korean author Haïlji. The protagonist, Hal, hopes to return to Užupis to lay to rest his father’s ashes. Upon arriving, he encounters confusion about the republic’s location...

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