![Monument to Princess Milica of Serbia in Trstenik](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Monument_to_Princess_Milica_of_Serbia_in_Trstenik.jpg)
Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née
Nemanjić ( sr, Милица Немањић Хребељановић · ca. 1335 – November 11, 1405) also known as Empress (''
Tsaritsa
Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; bg, царица, tsaritsa; sr, / ; russian: царица, tsaritsa) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (mona ...
'') Milica, was a
royal consort of Serbia by marriage to
Prince Lazar
Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval List of Serbian monarchs, Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbia ...
, and regent of Serbia during the minority of her son,
despot Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall ( sr, Стефан Високи / ''Stefan Visoki''), was the ruler of Serbia as prince (1389–1402) and despot (1402–1427), ...
from 1389 to 1393.
She later became a
Serbian Orthodox nun under the name Jevgenija. She is the author of "''A Mother's Prayer''" ( sr, Молитва матере) and a famous poem of mourning for her husband, ''My Widowhood's Bridegroom'' ( sr, Удовству мојему женик).
Biography
Early life
She was the daughter of Prince
Vratko Nemanjić (known in
Serb epic poetry
Serbian epic poetry ( sr, Српске епске народне песме, Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ...
as ''Jug Bogdan''), who as a great-grandson of
Vukan Nemanjić
Vukan Nemanjić ( sr-cyr, Вукан Немањић, ; before 1165 – after 1207) was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1202 to 1204. He was the Grand Prince of Pomorje (titular King) from 1195 until his death. He was the ...
,
Grand Prince of Serbia
Grand Principality of Serbia ( sr, Великожупанска Србија, Velikožupanska Srbija), or Rascia ( sr, Рашка, Raška), was a medieval Serbian state that existed from the second half of the 11th century up until 1217, when i ...
(ruled 1202-1204)), was part of the collateral, elder branch of the
Nemanjić dynasty
The House of Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Немањић, Немањићи; Nemanjić, Nemanjići, ) was the most prominent dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal, and later imperial house produced twelve Serbian monarchs, who rul ...
. Her husband was Prince
Lazar Hrebeljanović
Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, ...
. She was the fourth cousin once removed of
Emperor Dušan of Serbia.
Regency
After the death of her husband at the
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...
in 1389, Milica ruled Serbia until 1393 when her son,
Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall ( sr, Стефан Високи / ''Stefan Visoki''), was the ruler of Serbia as prince (1389–1402) and despot (1402–1427), ...
Hrebeljanović, came of age to take the throne.
Nun
She founded the
Ljubostinja monastery around 1390 and later took
monastic vows
Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role ...
at her monastery and became the nun Eugenia (Јевгенија, later abbess Euphrosine, Јефросина) around 1393.
![Ljubostinja3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Ljubostinja3.JPG)
In later diplomatic negotiations with Sultan Bayezid I, Eugenia and
Euphemia
Euphemia ( el, Εὐφημία; "well-spoken f), known as the All-praised in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was a virgin, who was martyred for her faith at Chalcedon in 303 AD.
According to tradition, Euphemia was arrested for refusing to offer ...
, the former Vasilissa of
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
, both travelled to the Sultan's court in 1398/99.
In 1403, Eugenia went to the Sultan at Serres, arguing in favour of her son Stefan Lazarević in a complicated dispute that had emerged between her two sons and Branković.
[
]
Writer
Princess Milica was also a writer. She wrote several prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
s and religious poems. In 1397 she issued the "A Mother's Prayer" together with her sons at the Dečani monastery.[Pdf.]
She commissioned the repairing of the ''bronze horos'' of Dečani.[
]
Death and burial
She was buried in Ljubostinja, her monastery. She was canonized
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...
by the Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
.
Family
With Prince Lazar she had the following sons:
*Dobrovoj, died after birth
*Despot Stefan,
*Vuk Lazarević
Vuk Lazarević ( sr, Вук Лазаревић) (c. 1380 – 6 July 1410) was a Serbian Prince and the younger son of Prince Lazar of Serbia and Princess Milica of Serbia, Princess Milica Nemanjić. He was executed on 6 July 1410.
He was born some ...
and following daughters:
*Jelena Lazarević
Jelena Lazarević ( sr-cyr, Јелена Лазаревић; 1365/1366 – 1443), also known, by marriages, as Jelena Balšić Hranić or Jelena Balšić or Jelena Kosača, was a medieval Serbian princess, daughter of Prince Lazar of Serbi ...
, whose husband was Đurađ II Balšić
Đurađ Stracimirović ( sr-cyr, Ђурађ Страцимировић; 1385 – April 1403), or Đurađ II, was the Lord of Zeta from 1385 to 1403, as a member of the Balšić noble family. He was the son of Stracimir Balšić, and succeede ...
and of Grand Duke of Hum Sandalj Hranić Kosača
Sandalj is a village in the municipality of Valjevo, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the P ...
*Mara Branković
Mara Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Мара Бранковић) or Mara Despina Hatun (c. 1416 – 14 September 1487), also known as ''Sultana Marija'' or ''Amerissa'', was the daughter of Despotate of Serbia, Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković and Eire ...
, whose husband was Vuk Branković
Vuk Branković ( sr-cyr, Вук Бранковић, , 1345 – 6 October 1397) was a Serbian medieval nobleman who, during the Fall of the Serbian Empire, inherited a province that extended over present-day southern and southwestern Serbia, enti ...
* Dragana, whose husband was Emperor Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria
*Teodora
Teodora ( sr, Теодора) is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Theodora.
Notable people with the name include:
*Teodora Sava (born 2001), Romanian singer
*Teodora Albon (born 1977), Romanian football referee
*Teodora Ginés, (153 ...
* Olivera 'Despina', whose husband was Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
.
Legacy
Street names
Several streets throughout Central Serbia are named after the Princess. In the once thriving industrial city of Trstenik, Serbia
Trstenik ( sr-cyr, Трстеник, ) is a town and municipality located in the Rasina District of central Serbia. As of 2011 census, the town has 15,329, while the municipality has 42,989 inhabitants. It lies on the West Morava river.
History
In ...
, the main street that runs directly through city center is named Kneginje Milice. Trstenik, Serbia
Trstenik ( sr-cyr, Трстеник, ) is a town and municipality located in the Rasina District of central Serbia. As of 2011 census, the town has 15,329, while the municipality has 42,989 inhabitants. It lies on the West Morava river.
History
In ...
, is the closest major city to her burial site at Ljubostinja
The Ljubostinja Monastery ( sr, / , ) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery near Trstenik, Serbia. Located in the small mountain valley of the Ljubostinja river, the monastery is dedicated to the Holy Virgin.
History
The monastery was built from ...
Monastery.
There is a Kneginje Milice street also located in Lazarevac
Lazarevac ( sr-cyr, Лазаревац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. , the town has a total population of 25,526 inhabitants, while the municipal area has a total of 58,622 inhabitants.
Its name stems from the name of medieval Ser ...
, in borough Lukavica. The street is about 250 m long. Near that street is Kolubarski trg and Zivojina Zujovica street.
See also
* Lazarević dynasty
The House of Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Лазаревић, Lazarevići / Лазаревићи, ) was a Serbs, Serbian medieval royal family, which ruled Moravian Serbia and the Serbian Despotate.
The dynasty began with Lazar Hrebeljanović, son of P ...
* Jefimija
Jefimija ( sr-Cyrl, Јефимија, ; 1349–1405), secular name Jelena Mrnjavčević (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Мрњавчевић, or ), daughter of Vojihna and widow of Jovan Uglješa Mrnjavčević, is considered the first female Serb ...
* Saint Angelina of Serbia
Angelina Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Ангелина Бранковић, sq, Angjelina Arianiti,; ca. 1440–1520), née Arianiti, was the Albanian Despotess consort of Serbian Despot Stefan Branković (r. 1458–1459), and a daughter of Prince Gjergj ...
* Olivera Despina
Mileva Olivera Lazarević ( sr-cyr, Деспина Оливера Лазаревић; 1372 – after 1444), also known as Despina Hatun, was a Serbian princess and consort of the Ottoman sultan. She was the youngest daughter of Lazar of Serbia ...
* Jelena Balšić Jelena, also written Yelena and Elena, is a Slavic given name. It is a Slavicized form of the Greek name Helen, which is of uncertain origin. Diminutives of the name include Jelica, Jelka, Jele, Jela, Lena, Lenotschka, Jeca, Lenka, and Alena.
Not ...
* Helen of Anjou
Helen of Anjou ( sr, Јелена Анжујска / Jelena Anžujska, ; c. 1235 – 8 February 1314) was the queen consort of the Serbian Kingdom, as the spouse of King Stefan Uroš I, who ruled from 1243 to 1276. Their sons were later Serbian ...
* Simonida
Simonida Nemanjić ( sr-cyr, Симонида Немањић; c. 1294 – after 1336), born Simonis Palaiologina ( el, Σιμωνίς Παλαιολογίνα, sr. Симонида Палеолог, ''Simonida Paleolog''), was a Byzantine princes ...
* Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina
Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina or Marija Angelina Nemanjić or Anna Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina ( el, Μαρία Αγγελίνα Δούκαινα Παλαιολογίνα, sr-cyr, Марија Ангелина Немањић; 134 ...
* Mara Branković
Mara Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Мара Бранковић) or Mara Despina Hatun (c. 1416 – 14 September 1487), also known as ''Sultana Marija'' or ''Amerissa'', was the daughter of Despotate of Serbia, Serbian monarch Đurađ Branković and Eire ...
* Katarina Branković
Katarina Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Катарина Бранковић, gr, Καταρίνα Μπράνκοβιτς; 1418/19–1492), also known as Kantakuzina (, ''Kantakouzena'') was the Countess of Celje, through the marriage with Count of Celje U ...
References
Sources
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Milica, Princess Of Serbia
14th-century Serbian royalty
14th-century women writers
14th-century Serbian writers
14th-century women rulers
15th-century Serbian women
Eastern Orthodox abbesses
Eastern Orthodox royal saints
14th-century Christian saints
Medieval Serbian princesses
Serbian women writers
1405 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Characters in Serbian epic poetry
Serbian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Medieval Serbian poets
Serbian women poets
Christian female saints of the Middle Ages
Regents of Serbia
Nemanjić dynasty