Petar Nikolajević Moler (1775 – summer 1816), whose sobriquet "Moler" meant "the painter", was a

Serbian revolution The Serbian Revolution ( sr, Српска револуција / ''Srpska revolucija'') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Ottoman prov ...

ary, participating in both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and Second phases, serving as the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

from 1815 to 1816.

Biography

Moler was educated as a

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, known for his works in several monasteries in the pre-Uprising period, and thus earning his nickname, Moler (painter in Serbian). He was a nephew of

Hadži-Ruvim Hadži-Ruvim ( sr-cyr, Хаџи-Рувим; 19 April 1752 – 29 January 1804), born Rafailo Nenadović ( sr-Cyrl, Рафаило Ненадовић), was a Serbian Orthodox ''archimandrite'' (superior abbot) of the Bogovađa Monastery, near Lajko ...

, who was executed by the

Dahije The Dahije ( sr-cyr, Дахије) or Dahijas were the renegade Janissary officers who took power in the Sanjak of Smederevo (also known as the Belgrade Pashaluk), after murdering the Vizier Hadži Mustafa Pasha of Belgrade on 15 December 1801. Th ...

(renegade Janissaries) during the

Slaughter of the knezes The Slaughter of the Knezes ( sr, Сеча кнезова, Seča knezova) was the organized assassinations and assaults of noble Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo in January 1804 by the rebellious Dahije. Fearing that the Sultan would make use ...

. In the First Serbian Uprising, Moler distinguished himself in battle near the village of

Jelenča Jelenča () is one of the boroughs of Šabac City in the Mačva District of Serbia. The borough has a Serb ethnic majority. In the 2002 census, its population was found to be 1,803 people. See also *List of places in Serbia *Mačva Mačva ( ...

. During the uprising, he painted the church built by

Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...

Topola Topola ( sr-cyrl, Топола, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottom ...

. During the defense of

Loznica Loznica ( sr-cyrl, Лозница, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. It lies on the right bank of the Drina river. In 2011 the city had a total population of 19,572, while the administrative ar ...

in 1813, because of a lack of ink, Moler wrote a letter with his blood to the leaders of the uprising. After the failure of the uprising, Moler fled to the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

, but returned to Serbia at the start of the Second Serbian Uprising. He was President of the Serbian Government from 1815 to 1816. Moler and Bishop Melentije Simeonović Nikšić were among the first opposition leaders to Prince Miloš Obrenović, and as such were killed in 1816.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moler, Petar Nikolajevic 19th-century Serbian people Serbian rebels Serbian soldiers Politicians from Valjevo 1775 births 1816 deaths Military personnel from Valjevo People of the First Serbian Uprising People of the Second Serbian Uprising Assassinated Serbian politicians Assassinated revolutionaries