President Kevin Baugh, His Excellency of the Republic of Molossia

Kevin Baugh is the founder and president of the Republic of Molossia, a self-proclaimed micronation in the Nevada desert. Since 1977, he has transformed his homestead into a whimsical sovereign state, blending humor and creativity into its governance.

Q. For those who may not know about the Republic of Molossia, could you explain what Molossia is, what this micronation means to you, is it open to visitors?

A micronation is a tiny, self-declared country, in our case located fully within the US.  The Republic of Molossia was founded on 26 May 1977.  Back then our nation was “nomadic”, that is without a permanent homeland.

Once we obtained land within Nevada, that became the permanent home for Molossia and we have been going strong here ever since.  We host tours of our nation once a month, April through October and welcome visitors to join us.

Visitors may only enter Molossia as part of a guided tour.  Tours take place once a month, April through October.  It is helpful to let us know in advance that you would be visiting.  There is usually a limit of about 40 visitors on each tour.  It is a small country, and more than that would overwhelm us!

Q. As President of Molossia, what does an ordinary day look like for you and your family? 

An ordinary for me as President involves answering correspondence, making plans for events and tending to our infrastructure, such as buildings, grounds, etc.  I am never really ‘off duty’ as President, though I do sneak in some downtime whenever possible!

Q. The Republic of Molossia has its own customs checkpoint, a bank, a post office, a red square for ceremonies, a railroad, and even currency and laws and regulations. How challenging has it been to build a nation from scratch, and do you plan to keep it as it is or expand it further in the future?

Running a nation is a constant challenge, from the aforementioned tasks of infrastructure maintenance as well as all of the other moving parts.  Nations are complicated creatures and there is always much to be done, as we continue to (sometimes literally) grow and build Molossia.

Building it from scratch has always been a challenge, something from nothing, so to speak.  But I think we have done well in building our nation, and it gets better each day.

Future plans?  Always, but they are top secret, sorry!

Q. Molossia has many quirky laws and foreign policies, for example, walruses and onions are forbidden, plastic use is prohibited, and the nation is still at war with East Germany. Do you see these laws more as satirical rule-making, or more like playful traditions that give Molossia an unique character?

I see these laws as all of the above, a little satire, a little culture and a little just being unusual.  We like being unusual in Molossia, it is what makes it a little more fun.  All of these laws and so forth keep our nation from being boring!

Q. I know the Republic of Molossia has been visited by celebrities like Jack Black and Kelly Clarkson. Could you share some reactions from visitors seeing your micronation for the very first time? Any particularly fun or memorable stories?

Well, Kelly Clarkson hasn’t actually visited yet, but maybe someday.  But Jack Black was great fun to have visit, definitely memorable!

Most of our visitors are a bit enchanted when they visit, enjoying the fun, humor and uniqueness of our “little nation down the road”.  Of course, our visitors often bring gifts, especially cookie dough, upon which our money is based.

We do get some unique visitors, such as the folks dressed up as the Ghostbusters, the young lady with the TV on her head and the guys dressed as East Germans, sneaking around behind the tour group like spies.

Q. Molossia is right in the middle of the Nevada desert.  How does that desert landscape shape daily life and the spirit of your nation?

Well, we are indeed a desert nation, although not to the extreme of such places as the Sahara.  But the desert has definitely shaped us, and we love it.  We always have to be conscious of things like water use, xeriscaping, things like that.  But amid all that we have managed to create an oasis here in our nation and we are very proud of that.

Q. Does running a micronation inside the US, a global superpower, change the way you think about sovereignty, independence, and foreign policy?

I am not sure it changes the way I think as much as it has been very educational.  Many people aren’t “world-wise” but having one’s own country changes that.  You learn about the world, or you should, when having a micronation, including what other nations are out there, how nations and governments work and so on.

Q. Have any of your overseas family trips changed the way you think about or manage Molossia?

The First Lady and I travel a lot, including overseas, as well as Canada and Mexico.  In Europe we have had the honor of attending a couple of inter-micronational assemblies, the European versions of our MicroCon, which mostly takes place in North America.

In 2027, there will be another European MicroCon, held in Aigues-Mortes in southern France.  That event will be held at same location as the micronation of Aigues-Mortes and will be the first European micronation that we’ll have visited.

Q. Could you tell us about MicroCon?

MicroCon is a biennial micronational convention.  It is held in various locales in North America, for example Anaheim, Atlanta, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and Las Vegas.  The next MicroCon will take place in San Diego, California in 2027.  It is wonderful to get together with other micronational leaders and learn about their nations.  It’s always an amazing event.

Q. You have been dedicated to Molossia for over 25 years. What keeps you going? Is it performance art, political satire, or something more personal?

Molossia is really my life.  Creating and building this nation and doing wonderful things with it are embedded in my soul.  Yes, we like to laugh and have fun here, but I am nevertheless very serious about my nation.  So, it may be all of those things, but it is also an extension of me as a person.

Q. If you had the power to change one thing in the world, as President, what would it be?

I think perhaps better understanding between peoples and cultures.  There is a distinct lack of that in the world, and better understanding and appreciation of each other would make the world a better place.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to create their own micronation?

Do it.  Like I said, it can be a complex project, building a country, but well worth it.  Take that idea of what makes a country and run with it, and see where it can take you.  It can be a bit of work, but also a lot of fun!

All photographs credit: President Kevin Baugh