“Unveiling the board of the Constitution of the Republic of Užupis in the Karaite language is not only an expression of loyalty, but also of freedom, the opportunity to be yourself. We see it artistically encoded in the Constitution, at the same time we remember how much we lost when we didn’t have that opportunity to be ourselves openly. Therefore, we confirm our support for this symbolically presented freedom through the translation into the Karaite language”, said Karina Firkavičiūtė, the chairperson of the Lithuanian Karaite Culture Association.
More than 625 years ago, the first Karaites who came to live in Lithuania brought here not only customs and traditions, but also language. Today, it is estimated that only 30 people speak the Karaite language in the world, and all of them live in Lithuania.
“That’s how now we, Uzupia residents, are helping the Karaites on their way to fostering their national identity and preserving their language. The loss of our native language led to the disappearance of our fraternal Prussian language and a much more numerous nation, so this must not happen once more to the Karaites living next to us,” said the president of the Republic of Užupis, community leader, elder Sakalas Gorodeckis.
The Karaim language is included in the UNESCO Atlas of Endangered World Languages.
According to the data of the general population census held in 2021, regarding 200 Karaites lived in Lithuania.
The Republic of Užupis is a community of artists, intellectuals, businessmen founded in the Užupis district of Vilnius, declaring freedom and independence from everything. The community jokingly celebrates its independence day on April 1st, Liars’ Day.
Its symbolic document – the Constitution of the Republic of Užupis – is published on the street wall and is translated into more than 70 languages of the world.
#Constitution #Užupis #Karaite #language #unveiled #Vilnius #Culture
2024-05-12 06:11:42