Ilija Novokršteni

Ilija Novokršteni
Artistic illustration of Ilija Novokršteni and his uniform
Native name
Илија Феодорович Угричић
Birth nameIlija Feodorovič Ugričić
Other nameTrebinjski
NicknamesNovokršteni, Novokreščeni[a]
BornBefore 1766
Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire
Died1813
Possibly Siberia, Russian Empire
Allegiance
Service years1806–1809
Rankporuchik, kapetan, policajmajstor
Unit
CommandsBelgrade police, training instructor for regular battalions
Known forFirst Serbian police chief
ConflictsFirst Serbian Uprising

Ilija Feodorovič Ugričić (fl. 1806–d. 1813), known as Novokršteni[a] was a Russian cavalry captain that was sent to Serbia during the First Serbian Uprising to gather information for the Russian Military command for the coming Russian-Ottoman war. Novokršteni joined the Serb rebels against the Ottoman Empire and participated in many battles in which he was wounded, and became respected by the leadership and people. He trained troops at Belgrade and was appointed the first modern Serbian police chief in 1808. A staunch supporter of supreme commander Karađorđe, he was deported to Siberia in 1809 by the Russian Command following slander by Konstantin Rodofinikin, another Russian envoy in Serbia and Karađorđe's opponent.

Biography

Early life

The Ugričić was a Serb family that hailed from Herzegovina.[1] The family received nobility status in the Poltava Governorate[2] (est. 1802) and the family name[a] included the demonym Trebinjski (Russian: Угричич-Требинский) derived from Trebinje in Herzegovina. He was a Russian cavalry captain,[3] ranked as poruchik,[4] and had served in the Imperial Russian Chuguev Cossack Regiment.[5] He was retired on 12 December [O.S. 31 December] 1800.[5] In Serbia he was called a kapetan (captain).[6] At the time of the liberation of Belgrade (December 1806), he was between 40 and 50 years of age, meaning he would be born in the period of 1756–1766.[6]

He was not related to lawyer Jevtimije Ugričić (1800–1886).

Beginning of Serbian-Russian relations

Further information: Russo-Serbian Alliance (1807)

Russia planned for conflict with the Ottoman Empire, and sought to maintain influence in Serbia through its representatives who engaged themselves in internal affairs, also being intermediaries in the conflict between Karađorđe and other top commanders.[7] The commander of the Dniester Army Ivan Mikhelson sent cavalry captain Ilija Ugričić-Trebinjski ("Bey Novokršteni" in correspondence[a]) to Serbia to investigate intents towards Russia and at the same time aid the Serbian army in battles against the Ottomans as a military expert.[3] Mikhelson sent Novokršteni to general Ivan Ivanovich Isaev on 1 April 1806, as an "able, meritorious, loyal officer".[8] On 22 April [O.S. 10 April] 1806 Mikhelson informed Russian Interior Minister Czartoryski that he intended to send Novokršteni to Serbia to find out what the Serbs thought of Russia and other necessary factors.[9] On 26 May [O.S. 14 May] 1806 Novokršteni wrote to Mikhelson from Timișoara (then part of Hungary) that he was on his way to Serbia.[10] It is unknown when exactly Novokršteni joined the Serbian command, but it is known that he was present in Serbia by mid-June 1806.[b] At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs sent Council member Konstantin Rodofinikin to Moldavia to observe events in Ottoman Europe and to find ways to rally the Serbs to support Russian operations in case of a Russo-Ottoman war.[11] Mikhelson organized recruitment of Serb volunteers in Wallachia.[12]

Serbian Uprising

Further information: First Serbian Uprising

Novokršteni had entered Serbia via Kovin (in Habsburg territory) and registered himself at Smederevo and met up with vojvoda Vujica Vuličević of the Smederevo nahija.[6] Vuličević sent him with his scribe Anta Protić and three momci (bodyguards) to Belgrade to meet up with Karađorđe at Vračar.[6] He introduced himself to Karađorđe wearing Russian adjutant uniform.[6] Novokršteni volunteered in the Serb army and cared for his own costs.[13] He was the first Russian that the Serbian rebels befriended and he became very popular among them, becoming respected and admired by Karađorđe and other leaders.[14]

Already the second day at Belgrade, Novokršteni joined the Serb rebels in fighting the Belgrade Turks that left the Fortress to fight the Serbs in the fields.[6] Karađorđe feared a large Ottoman mustering and decided with the Council that Belgrade should be taken as soon as possible.[15] The Belgrade Turks were offered to leave harmlessly, but they refused, on 27 June [O.S. 15 June] 1806.[15] Karađorđe wrote to Mikhelson that "none of us wants him [Novokršteni] to leave" in a letter asking for aid and swearing allegiance, dated 30 June [O.S. 18 June] 1806, sent from Smederevo.[16] The same day another letter was sent to the Russian emperor informing of the Ottoman intent to "exterminate all male Serbs" and also asking Russia for armament.[17] On 7 July [O.S. 22 June] 1806 Karađorđe ordered for 2,000 troops put under the command of captain Novokršteni to push through the fences into the Belgrade lower town (donji varoš), but they were fended off twice.[18] During the assault, Metropolitan Leontius left the inner city and joined the Serbs.[19] At the same time, news came of 3,000 Ottoman Bosnian troops crossing the Drina and surrounding vojvoda Luka Lazarević at the trenches in Crna Bara.[19] A Serbian detachment under Karađorđe set out and defeated those troops by the Drina.[19] Novokršteni sent a letter to Russian Interior Minister Czartoryski asking for the establishment of a Russian military unit made up of Serbs and Bulgarians.[20]

In September 1806 Novokršteni returned briefly to Russia,[20] having set out as mentioned in a letter of Karađorđe dated 31 August [O.S. 19 August] 1806 and arriving at the chancellery of Foreign Minister Andreas Eberhard von Budberg on 7 September [O.S. 26 August] 1806.[21] Novokršteni travelled to Wallachia and informed Mikhelson of the events in Serbia and gave him a letter from Karađorđe in which it was also asked that Mikhelson let Novokršteni return as soon as possible, which he did, bringing with him another letter to Karađorđe who stayed at Topola.[22] Karađorđe had a gathering at Topola which Novokršteni and other leaders attended during which Karađorđe had his own brother hanged for crimes.[22]

An Ottoman Bosnian army numbering 15,000 assembled by the Drina at Sikirić toward Soko and pushed out Serb rebels from three trenches, which alarmed Šumadija from where an army assembled (numbering 12,000[23]), among whom were also Novokršteni.[24] At the assembly of the Serb army, on 25 October 1806, Novokršteni immediately came up with a plan for attack and the division of the Serb army into three parts, which succeeded, panicking the "Turks" who fled back across the Drina and had many casualties and left much loot.[24] Novokršteni was known as especially brave and participated in many battles of the Serb rebels,[25] such as the battles on the Drina where he was wounded,[26] and the charge for overtaking Belgrade on 12 December 1806, where he was also wounded.[27] He participated in the liberation of the city as an ordinary soldier,[28] and removed his Russian uniform and wore traditional dress.[29] Following the takeover of Belgrade, the Pasha of Belgrade was allowed to leave the city, however, his entourage was ambushed and killed.[30] It was Novokršteni who adviced Karađorđe to have the Pasha killed, due to either having orders from Russia, or his acquired personal hatred towards Turks.[30]

After the string of victories in 1806,[31] such as important ones at Mišar in August, Deligrad in September, and liberation of Belgrade in December 1806, the Serbs still hoped to secure statehood with Russia's aid, and again petitioned the Russian emperor to send troops.[31] The Ottomans declared war on Russia on 26 December 1806, being pressured by the French.[11] Novokršteni wholeheartedly fought for the Serbian liberation and was outspoken against those he believed did not.[32] He was wounded several times in battle.[33]

On 11 January 1807 general Mikhelson praised the Serb people for their courage and Karađorđe for his "wisdom and perseverance" and promised the Serbs their own independent state as "the Serb people are worthy [...] of being ashamed to pay tribute to Turks".[11] The letter received great response, however, unbeknownst to the Serbs, Mikhelson had no such mandate.[11] Mikhelson believed that the Serbs could help in the Russo-Turkish War,[11] and feared most that the Serbian leadership would enter relations with the French, and informed the Russian government that the first who offered help to the Serbs would secure their patronage.[34] Novokršteni updated Mikhelson on Serbian military strength.[34] In late 1806 and early 1807 the Serbian leadership demanded independence and declared Serbia an independent state.[35]

Novokršteni accompanied general Isaev who was dispatched to Oltenia on 30 April [O.S. 18 April] 1807 to join the Serbian rebels.[36] Russian general Ivan Ivanovich Isayev arrived in Serbia with 1,500 Russian troops on 7 June 1807.[37] Another Russian agent, Filippo Paulucci, was dispatched to Serbia in June 1807 with the task of ensuring the Serbs of a Russian alliance and to discuss military plans and joint operations.[38] An unratified treaty known as "Paulucci's Convention" was signed on 28 June 1807.[38] Novokršteni was said to have been an intermediary in the discussions regarding the treaty,[22] although he is not explicitly mentioned.[38] Rodofinikin arrived in Belgrade on 11 July [O.S. 29 June] 1807.[22] Meanwhile, Mikhelson died on 17 August [O.S. 5 August] 1807.

On 1 November [O.S. 20 October] 1807 Rodofinikin sent a letter to Interior Minister Alexey Kurakin regarding Serb victories at the Drina, where Novokršteni was among the commanders.[39]

Regular battalions and police chief

Novokršteni professionally trained troops at Belgrade,[40] including the first regular (professional, standing) battalions that Karađorđe had established in 1808, training them for 13–14 months.[41] Novokršteni was most loyal to Karađorđe, and he held Karađorđe's opponents in the Serbian leadership as his own opponents, which, along with his popularity, angered Russian envoy Rodofinikin.[42] Novokršteni disliked both Rodofinikin and Metropolitan Leontius,[43] and they were known to have worked against the interests of Karađorđe. Both have a negative legacy in Serbian historiography.

The Belgrade Police was established at the beginning of 1808, following a Belgrade Senate decision dating 30 December 1807, most likely examined at the earlier 26 October assembly which saw the expansion of magistrates (courts) also at the town and village level.[44] Up until then, policing was entrusted to the vojvoda, obor-knez and knez at the nahija and knežina (group of villages) level.[45] Novokršteni was appointed the director of Police (policajmajstor) at Belgrade,[46] becoming the first modern Serbian police chief.[47] The Belgrade city was administratively divided into three parts, each under the supervision of a policaj kvartal-majstor.[46] Novokršteni was at first practically subordinated the titular commander of the Belgrade city Mladen Milovanović (the Prime Minister), prior to further regulations.[48]

Rodofinikin wrote in a letter to commander-in-chief Alexander Prozorovsky dated 21 November [O.S. 9 November] 1808, which included an overview of the judicial courts in Serbia and also the church courts, that "it would be beneficial" to exclude secular people (who sometimes judged in disputes) from the latter.[5] There was a lack of canonists in Revolutionary Serbia which resulted in some problems in regulating the church courts; in late 1808 and early 1809 the Serbian Governing Council sought to bring order but according to Rodofinikin, "two unfit" were chosen, Novokršteni and a refugee protodeacon from Montenegro (who remains unidentified), without the knowing of Metropolitan Leontius.[5]

He remained at the post as police chief[47] until 19 March [O.S. 7 March] 1809[5] or the beginning of April 1809,[47] when he was called by the Russian Command to Bucharest (Russian-held Wallachia).[47] Novokršteni had intended to stay in Serbia,[22] and lived in a house previously owned by a Turk (the house was later bought by vojvoda turned Minister Jakov Nenadović).[32]

Deportation

Rodofinikin slandered Novokršteni to commander-in-chief Alexander Prozorovsky, who decided to have him summoned to Bucharest, where he was indicted on false grounds and deported to Siberia.[49] The Serbs were never informed of this at the time.[50] There is an account by historian M. Vukićević that Novokršteni was imprisoned after he made accusations against Rodofinikin at the Interior Ministry in St. Petersburg.[5] The Serbs asked the Russian Command to return Novokršteni to Serbia but this was declined "due to his interference in spiritual affairs".[51] In 1812 Karađorđe asked the diplomatic emissary to Serbia, general Marko Ivelich, to talk to general Pavel Chichagov and have Novokršteni released but this also failed.[52] He died in 1813,[53] likely in Siberia.[52]

He was described as healthy, tall, without higher education, an able soldier, innocent and honest.[54] For two days, 12–13 May 1940, a half-page newspaper article about him was published in Vreme.[55]

See also

Annotations

  1. ^
    His full name was Ilija Feodorovič Ugričić (Serbian: Илија Феодоровић Угричић, Russian: Илъя Феодорович Угричич). He used the pseudonym "Bey Novokreštenov" (Russian: Бей Новокрещеновъ) on 26 May [O.S. 14 May] 1806.[10] In a letter from Karađorđe to Mikhelson dated 18 July 1806, his name is given as "Ugričić Trebinjski" (Russian: Угричич Требинский), while Karađorđe acknowledged the use of the pseudonym "Bey Novokreščeni" (Бей Новокрещеный) in future correspondence.[16] The pseudonym varied slightly in the diplomatic documents, with or without "Bey", and some times with the suffix -ov (Serbian: Новокрштени/Novokršteni, Новокрешчени/Novokreščeni, Новокрешченов/Novokreščenov). "Novokreštenov" (Новокрещенов) without "bey" was used on 12 August 1806.[56] The peculiar pseudonym had the meaning of "the Newly Baptized (Bey)". Trebinjski (Russian: Требиньский, Требинский, Serbian: Требињски) is the demonym for Trebinje, part of the ennobled family name (Russian: Угричич Требинский). He was known in Serbian simply as "captain Ilija" (Капетан Илија/Kapetan Ilija).[57] He is known in historiography as Ilija Novokršteni (Илија Новокрштени).
  2. ^
    French intelligence received information on 12 June [O.S. 31 May] 1806 that an officer was sent to the Serbian camp from Wallachia.[58] An Italian envoy was informed in a letter dated 15 June [O.S. 3 June] 1806 that "a Russian cavalry captain of Serb origin", Novokršteni, was present among the Serbs, secretly sent by Mikhelson.[59] There is an account that Novokršteni was sent for the first time in 1804 during the uprising by the Russian Interior Ministry.[5]

References

  1. ^ Popović 2010, p. 43, Pavlović & Milosavljević 2020, p. 389
  2. ^ Pavlović & Milosavljević 2020, p. 389.
  3. ^ a b Šarkić 2013, p. 28.
  4. ^ Vukićević 1905, p. 325, Batalaka 1898, p. 367
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Vukićević 1905, p. 325.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Batalaka 1898, p. 367.
  7. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 27.
  8. ^ Desnica 1977b, p. 286.
  9. ^ Katkov 1863, p. 109.
  10. ^ a b Đorđević 1892, p. 385-386.
  11. ^ a b c d e Šarkić 2013, p. 29.
  12. ^ Nenadović 1884, p. 88.
  13. ^ Stojančević 2009, p. 220.
  14. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 28, Stojančević 2009, p. 220, Nenadović 1884, pp. 88–90
  15. ^ a b Nenadović 1903, p. 133.
  16. ^ a b В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, p. 254.
  17. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, pp. 255–256.
  18. ^ Nenadović 1903, pp. 133–134.
  19. ^ a b c Nenadović 1903, p. 134.
  20. ^ a b Desnica 1977a, p. 87.
  21. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, pp. 254, 272.
  22. ^ a b c d e Nenadović 1884, p. 89.
  23. ^ Vukićević 1912a, p. 601.
  24. ^ a b Drašković 1987, p. 57.
  25. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 28, Batalaka 1898, pp. 223, 367
  26. ^ Mišković 1895, p. 24.
  27. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 28, Batalaka 1898, pp. 223, 367
  28. ^ Nenadović 1903, p. VIII.
  29. ^ Vasić 1968, p. 65.
  30. ^ a b Batalaka 1898, p. 224.
  31. ^ a b Bataković 2006, p. 115.
  32. ^ a b Batalaka 1898, p. 368.
  33. ^ Nenadović 1884, pp. 89–90.
  34. ^ a b Desnica 1977b, p. 372.
  35. ^ Bataković 2006, p. 123.
  36. ^ Nadoveza & Đokić 2023, p. 38.
  37. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 31.
  38. ^ a b c Šarkić 2013, p. 30.
  39. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, p. 427.
  40. ^ Stojančević 2009, p. 220, Mišković 1895, p. 24
  41. ^ Batalaka 1898, pp. 364, 367.
  42. ^ Batalaka 1898, p. 368, Nenadović 1884, p. 90
  43. ^ Batalaka 1898, p. 757, Nenadović 1884, p. 90
  44. ^ Radovanović 2010, p. 274.
  45. ^ Radovanović 2010, p. 273.
  46. ^ a b Radovanović 2010, p. 275.
  47. ^ a b c d Muzej grada Beograda 1972, p. 18.
  48. ^ Radovanović 2010, p. 277.
  49. ^ Šarkić 2013, p. 28, Knežević 1940b, p. 7, Batalaka 1898, pp. 368–369, 757, Nenadović 1884, p. 89
  50. ^ Batalaka 1898, p. 757.
  51. ^ Knežević 1940b, p. 7, Batalaka 1898, p. 757
  52. ^ a b Knežević 1940b, p. 7.
  53. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, p. 471.
  54. ^ Batalaka 1898, pp. 367–368.
  55. ^ Knežević 1940a, p. 9, Knežević 1940b, p. 7
  56. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, p. 265.
  57. ^ Batalaka 1898, Nenadović 1884
  58. ^ Janković 1959, p. 159.
  59. ^ В. П. Грачев, Н. П. Данилова 1980, p. 249.

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Further reading

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