Abstract: The Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman over the last thirty years has radically changed urban space. What began as a barely visible stream of Hasidic followers coming to the grave of their rebbe has evolved into the largest Hasidic pilgrimage in contemporary Europe, attracting various spectators and participants as well as the attention of national and international mass media. This paper analyzes the complex dynamics of interaction between narratives and the symbolic meanings associated with pilgrimage as they are inscribed in urban space. I ask which narratives related to the pilgrimage can be found in "public", "semipublic," semiprivate,” and "private" segments of urban space? How do these narratives interact with each other, and in when does this interaction turn into a (symbolic) conflict? Who are the parties to such conflicts, and how are they expressed? To answer these questions, I turn to my own observations, photos, official documents of the Uman Town Council, and expert opinions expressed in mass media.
