[1] The village is known for the so-called Republic of Perloja, an independent, albeit unrecognised microstate that was established in the aftermath of World War I and existed until 1923.

[4] While archaeological research dates human presence in the area to the Neolithic era,[5] Perloja village was first mentioned in writing in 1378.

[4] Situated on the important Vilnius–Hrodna road, the village had a royal estate for accommodation of traveling Grand Dukes and other Lithuanian nobles.

[5] After Christianization of Lithuania, the village was one of the first places to construct a Catholic church funded by Vytautas the Great.

In November 1918, responding to such situation the locals established a self-governing parish committee, often called the Republic of Perloja (Perlojos respublika), chaired by Jonas Česnulevičius, veteran of the Imperial Russian Army.