wikipedia.org
Jelenka from Vidina
As Serbs “made a house for everyone on the road”, history is full of armies, revolts, uprisings and wars, and love has been an avoided topic in this area for centuries, as if it is a weakness that does not befit warriors and heroes.
In the book “Great Serbian Love”, Žiža Radivojević noted 40 love stories that shine through eight centuries of Serbian history. On the pages of her book, there were couples whose love marked their lives, whether it lasted or turned to ashes, burned by passion, difficult political or ethnic circumstances. The book can be ordered via email from the author [email protected]
Miloš Obrenović married in his early twenties, a beautiful girl Ljubica from the wealthy Vukomanović family and had eight children with her. It was a youthful love, the first for both her and him. While he quickly cooled down towards his wife and had many mistresses, she remained obsessed with him until death, loving him and hating him at the same time. The women who went through his life had no more significance than the passing passion. The one who stayed was Jelenka.
Harem of Duke Milenko
Milos did nothing that other dukes from the First Uprising did not do. Living next to the Turks, they adopted the Turkish custom of being able to have more wives. Admittedly, only one was married, but with the other they had another house, often children. Some had entire harems, which was not difficult, as many Turkish women and daughters were left without male protectors in insurgent Serbia. Pavle Cukić, Petar Nikolajević Moler, Veljko Petrović, and even Karađorđe himself for a while, and Milenko Stojković had an entire harem.
Uncared for and without shelter in the form of a man, women gladly accepted men’s care because, at that time, not being nobody’s meant being everyone’s. Getting rid of those poor people who lost everything is calculated in a sevap, a good deed.
The year 1804 is one of the most significant in our history, the year when the Serbs raised their heads and decided to get rid of the bloodthirsty Dahija. Four dahis like four dragons, suddenly frightened by the paradise they ruled until yesterday, took refuge in the city-island on the Danube, Ada Kale. One night, Milenko Stojković, later a duke, cut them down there. In the midst of a strong Serbian invasion and a series of victories, in 1807 Milenko and his insurgents captured Poreč (today Donji Milanovac) and settled there. Several women went with him, whom he kept in his house next to the wedding one he had. The small harem was located in the bay on the Danube to make the days between the two battles more beautiful for Duke Milenko.
Hidden beauty
As the insurgents in Belgrade did not have a solution for a large number of Turkish widows with children, women from the harem who were dragged through the streets hungry and neglected, a decision was made to board everything and send it to Turkey. So the boat with a bunch of desperate women sailed for Turkey but stopped in Porec. Duke Milenko boarded the ship to pick out a beauty for himself.
There, a young girl enters the stage, who will later be the second mistress of the principality, so public that they called her the Little Lady. On the ship she was far from any lordship. She was extremely beautiful by birth, a Turk. In order to avoid the fate of beautiful girls on the street, where everyone could have her, she dressed in ass, smeared herself with mud and ruled that she could not speak well. That is how she deceived the men in Belgrade, but not the experienced Milenko, who saw that a beautiful family was hiding under the dirt and mud. They say he threw it into the river, and the water washed away the camouflage. Milenko could congratulate himself and his ability to recognize female beauty. Some Venus are born from sea foam and some from mud, equally enchanting and beautiful.
The girl’s name was Jelenka and she was born in Vidin. She converted to the harem and Orthodoxy and was Milenkov’s favorite until he had to flee to Russia due to the conflict with Karadjordj. Milenko leaves, but does not leave the women from the harem uncared for. Some she marries and some she pays, so none of them found themselves on the street.
Jelenka liked to marry a hajduk from Kladovo who plundered Serbian villages and Prince Miloš expelled him to Wallachia, confiscated his property, and brought his wife and mother to his residence to serve him. Beautiful, agile and literate, she quickly became the court manager, translator and Miloš’s mistress.
Bullet for Petria
Jelenka came to the prince at the right time, to get over her great love, Petrija, who was killed by his wife, Princess Ljubica. From love to hate is a small step, and all her life with Miloš Ljubica walked on that narrow path, difficult and thorny. She was not preparing for the murder. She went to Crnuć, where Petrija lived, in her former house and where she acted like a mistress. If Petrija hadn’t been so arrogant, knowing that she has Miloš and her daughter with him behind her, maybe Ljubica would have changed her mind. However, she was afraid of Petrija and her, perhaps, position that she could take.
For years, Ljubica did not stay pregnant and rumors came to her that many advised the prince to divorce and take Petrija, who could give birth to children and provide Serbia with an heir.
Even if she had hesitations, the insolent answer sentenced Petrija to part with her life, and Ljubica to become a murderer and be sentenced to death. She shot Petrija in the chest and ran away. The execution of the sentence was saved by the fact that she was pregnant, but also by the intervention of her respectable brothers.
Milos’ right hand
Knowing what kind of wife he was, the prince hid his relationship with Jelenko, so it is not known exactly when they became lovers. Jelenka was educated, smart, sociable and not at all arrogant. She became Miloš’s right hand man, associate and commissioner. The moment when Ljubica moves to Požarevac with her children, and she stays at the court in Kragujevac, marks a great turning point in her relationship with Miloš. They began to live in public, so publicly that the prince was forgotten and in the presence of other people addressed him by gentle names, which was not peculiar to him.
Comments are closed.