Maps of Power

Bulkos

Βοῦλκος, Vlьkь, Vlkь Brankovikь, Stefan Vьlkь, Vulch Brancouich, Vuk Bracouich, Volchi de Brancho, Volch

Begin between 01.01.1345 and 31.12.1345
End 06.10.1397
Wikidata

Description

He was born around 1345. He died on the 6th October 1397 in the Ottoman prison. His body was transferred by his brother Nikolaos Radochnas (Monk Gerasim) to the Mount Athos. He appears as a gospodinь in the slavic sources and as a dominus in the latin sources. He administered the region of Kastoria and Ōhrid according the Byzantine historians Ducas and Laonikos Chalkokondyles (ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ Βοῦλκον τὸν τοῦ Πράγκου τοῦ Μλαδένεω υἱόν, Καστορίας τε καὶ Ὀχρίδος τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἡγεμόνος; καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τὴν εἶχε δοσμένη τοῦ ἀφεντὸς τοῦ Μπούλκου ὁποὺ ὥριζε τὴν Καστορία καὶ τὴν Ὄχριδα). Laonikos Chalkokondyles calls him wrongly Ἐλεάζαρος and relates about the lands by the Danube as his dwelling place (τὰ μέντοι περὶ τὸν Ἴστρον Βούλκῳ τῷ Ἐλεαζάρῳ τοῦ Πράγκου ἐπέτρεψε). He controlled the larger part of today’s Kosovo. His dominion reached the eastern parts of Raška, the Polimlje in Montenegro and since 1376/1377 Skopje in the east. After the death of Đurađ I Balšić (13th January 1378) he seized the town of Prizren, Peć and the area of Metohija. He minted his own coins and issued charters. He was the son of Prankos Mladenes (ja Grьgurь i bratь mi Vlьkь, synove velikago sevastokratora Bran’ka gospodina že gradu Ohridu). He had two brothers (Nikolaos Radochnas, Grьgurь) and a sister (Theodora). He was married Mara, the daughter of the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, since 1371. They had together three sons (Georgios Bulkos [Đurađ Branković] - ἦν γὰρ Γεώργιος, υἱὸς Βούλκου καὶ γαμβρὸς Λαζάρου, Prankos Bunko [Lazar Branković], Grьgurь [† 1408]). He and his brother Grьgurь gave Nikolaos Radochnas in 1365 the permission to donate the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine to the Hilandar Monastery. He added between 1372 and 1396 the villages Banica, Vrьbovьcь, Štučince, Mučivarě near Trьstenik to the endowment of his brother for the Hilandar Monastery (Po sem’ že jaa blagočьsitivi Vlьkь, synь velikago sevastokratora Branьka raspaljaemь božьstvnyim želanïem velikuju věru i ljubovь iměje kь svetěi matery Hrista moego, priložihь domu ei čьstiomu monastiru bišerečen’nye lavry Hilandaru sela priležeštaa Trьsteniku: Banicu, Vrьbovьcь, Štučince, Mučivarě, sь vsěmi megjami i pravinami i sь ōttěsy selь těhь). He was a benefactor of the Kutlumus Monastery on the Mount Athos since 1370. He granted between 1376 and 1377 at the request of the Monk Gerasim, his brother, the Monastery of Saint George-Gorg near Skopje with all possessions to the Hilandar Monastery (Azь, rabь Hristu Vlьkь, vьspominaju vь sьvědenije vsemь, kako pride brat mi Gerasimь poslanijemь monastirьskimь Svetije Gori Athōna, Svetije Bogorodice Hilandarьskije igumnōmь i vsega sьbora hilandarьskoga, i prosiše mi keliju u Skopju, ponježe ne imahu priběžišta ni kelije u Skopiju. I videvь nihь usrьdije i prošenije, i dah monastirь Svetago Geōrьgija s metohōmь i sь seli i sь vsemi pravinami gde se nahodi metohь Svetago Geōrgija ili u gradu ili na dvoru što jestь Svetago Geōrgija, vse priložihь Hilandaru). He is mentioned as a addressee of the embassy sent by the Ragusan republic in 1380 regarding the release of two citizens of Dubrovnik. He confirmed on the 20th January 1387 the privileges and rights of the Ragusan republic concerning the representation of the citizens of town Dubrovnik in the court assembly. He asked in August 1388 the representatives of the Ragusan republic to clear the old debt and to pay the new Tribute of Ston to the Monks in Jerusalem. He participated in the battle of Kosovo along with his father-in-law Lazar and the Bosnian King Tvrtko I. in 1389. The folk epic poetry portrays him in a bad light as a traitor. The fact is that he withdrew his troops from the battlefield. Between 1389 and 1396 he confirmed the privileges of the Ragusan republic. The Ottomans captured in 1391/1392 Skopje. Bulkos was forced by them to become their vassal. He exempted the Hilandar Monastery from paying the tax to the Ottomans on 21th November 1392. The Venetian republic granted him on 9th April 1394 the citizenship. His Čelnik Smilь deposited gold and silver for Bulkos at Dubrovnik in January 1395. He was captured and imprisoned by the Ottomans not long after the battle of Nicopolis. He is portrayed on the western facade of the chapel of Saint George in the Church of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos at Ōhrid. There is an inscription next to his image (VELIK...GNБ VLБKБ SNБ SEVASTOKRATORA BRANKA). He commisioned a slavic translation of the chronicle of Georgios Monachos (Hamartolos) in 1387 (Pisa se povelěnyjemь gospodina Vlьka).

literature

Actes de Kutlumus — Nr. 29, 54 (115). Nr. 30, 110 (120). Nr. 36, 29 (136) , Adashinskaya 2020a — 172, 424, 546 , Baştav 1960 — 40 , Blagojević 2009b — 7-41 , Bojanin 2010 — 150, 3. 151, 15. 29 , Bojanin 2011 — 111, 2. 8 , Bojanin 2012 — 108 [1] , Bojanin 2015 — 359-381 , Bojanin 2016 — 279-285, 287-288 , Boškoski 2009 — 246, 253, 263, 268, 269, 275 , Božić 1975a — 223-242 , Božić 1975b — 475-482 , Bubalo 2014 — 68, n. 34. 72. 294, fig. 30. 295. 307 , Chalcocandylae, Historiarum — I, 25, 22. 49, 8 , Dinić 1960 — 6-18 , Djordjević 1994 — 24, 28, 44, 45, 60, 85, 111, 130, 188 , Djurić 1968 — 85-87. fig. 4 , Ducas, Historia — 257, 17. 397, 4 , Ferjančić 1970 — 260-261 , Filiposki 2017 — 292-293 , Grozdanov 1966 — 215-216 , Grozdanov 1980 — 122-124. fig. 30 , Grozdanov 2016 — 31. 34. 205, fig. 30. 206 , Iorga 1899 — 63, n. 8 , Ivanišević 2001 — 151, 168-169 , Jireček 1911-1918 — I, 415–416. 426. 436. II, 106. 110. 114–115. 119–120. 122. 125. 127 , Jireček 1912 — I, 18. 51 , Jireček 1914 — 14. 21 , Jireček 1919 — 2. 7. 16. 21 , Kaldellis 2014 — I, 486, n. 93. 492, n. 164 , Katić/Vojvodić 2020 — 134, 136 , Kovačević 1888 , Kämpfer 1974b — 249 , Ljubić 1868-1891 — IV, 326-327 (Nr. 463) , Mihaljčić 1989a — 10, 101, 116, 121, 131, 142, 163, 176, 197, 234, 235, 237, 244, 250, 251, 254, 255, 257, 277, 278, 281 , Mihaljčić 1989b — 16, 21, 24, 27–29, 40, 83–85, 105, 107, 109–118, 120–124, 129, 130, 142, 145–147, 152, 153, 155–158, 160, 162, 163, 165, 167, 168, 173, 174, 179–185, 188, 189, 224, 226, 262, 268, 269, 273, 274–278, 280–283, 289 , Mihaljčić 2013c — 205, 24. 210 , Mihaljčić/Špadijer 2013 — 216, 4. 218, 33. 220, 78. 222 [2]. 223 [18]. 228 , Mošin 1966 — 378-381 , Novaković 1884 — 52-71 , Orbini 1601 — 270. 312–314. 319–320 , Pavlović 2016a — 6. 56. 85. 97. 104. 109. 144. 145, n. 879. 147. 150. 151–152. 158. 199–200 , Popović (Mihailo St.) 2015 — 37, 40 , Radojičić 1940a — 46 , Radojičić 1967 — 363 , Spremić 1994 — 16, 18-47 , Spremić 2004a — 441-442, 450 , Spremić 2005 — 235–274, 421–438 , Stojanović 1902-1926 — I, 50 (Nr. 157). 56 (Nr. 177) , Stojanović 1927 — 58 (111) , Subotić/Kisas 1975 — 166-167,169-170, 174, 176-177 , Tadić 1935 — I, 400 (Nr. 364) , Trapp 2002 — Nr. 3075 , Valentini 1967-1979 — Ps. 1, T. 2, Nr. 526. Nr. 535–536 , Vojvodić 2010b — 61-62, fig. 15 , Zajić 2008 — 355-357 , Zoras 1958 — 27, 11 , Ćirković 2006c — 391-393 , Šuica 2000 — 9, 13, 24–27, 31–33, 35, 40, 77, 109, 113, 116, 121–128, 133–137, 141, 143, 147–148, 154–155, 157, 166, 168 , Šuica 2008 — 253-265 , Šuica 2014 , Šuica/Subotin Golubović 2010 — 100, 1. 7. 101, 20. 37. 102, 56. 58. 64. 66. 106–107

Relations

Actors (5)
Name Class Begin End Relation Type Description
Grьgurь (2) Person Sibling The identification with Grьgurь, the governor of the region of Polog, and kaisar Grьgurь (Gurguras) is doubtful. Died before 16th July 1398. He appears as dominus in charter from the archives of the Ragusan republic. He was the son of Prankos Mladenes (ja Grьgurь i bratь mi Vlьkь, synove velikago sevastokratora Bran’ka gospodina že gradu Ohridu). He had two brothers (Nikolaos Radochnas, Bulkos) and a sister (Theodora). He was married to Theodora (uxor quondam domini Gregorii Brancovich fratris sepedicti domini Volch). He and his brother Bulkos gave Nikolaos Radochnas in 1365 the permission to donate the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine to the Hilandar Monastery. He is portrayed on the western facade of the chapel of Saint George in the Church of the Holy Mother of God Peribleptos at Ōhrid. There is an inscription next to his image (VELIK...SEVASTOKRATORA BRANKA).
Mladenes Person GrandparentOf(GrandchildOf) It is not entirely clear, if he is the same person as Mladen, the castellanus (head or governor) of the town Skopje bond by some kind of dependant relationship to Grgurь Kurjaković (Gregorii de Coriach), who was in a close relationship with the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. The castellanus Mladen appears on the notarial record from 1333 preserved in the Ragusan archive. Mladenes is mentioned in the sources from August 1319 to the period of the reign of the Serbian Ruler Stefan Uroš IV Dušan. He was župan (count) in the region of Trebinje, 1319. Attested as vojvoda (general) since 1323 (Mladeno voivode). He had the governence of the region around Ohrid and Prilep during the reign of the Serbian ruler Stefan Uroš IV Dušan according to the Byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles (τὰ δὲ περὶ Ὀχρίδα τε καὶ Πριλαπαίων χώραν οὕτω καλουμένην ἐπέτρεψε Μλαδένῃ εὐθύνειν, ἀνδρὶ οὐκ ἀγεννεῖ). He was an offspring of the Vukan family and the son of a certain Gjurgicь according to the Serbian rodoslovi (Zavidь že synь Vlkanōv rodi Gjur’gïcq: I Gjurgicь rōdi Mladena). His son was Branko Mladenović (Prankos Mladenes) and his daughter was Radoslava. He was the brother of Nikola. He addressed on 20th August 1319 a judical decision to the Ragusans. He ruled that Petarь, the son of the župan Toljenь, was guilty and had to pay to Hlapь Valetikь 40 Venetian grosso (Poklonenie knezu i kь ōpьkine ōtь župana Mladena. Uprelь estь Hlapь Valetikь Petra Tolenovika, da bega mu krivь bude, da pravьda mu e naša jukazala gde ti ga može seki, da svoe uzme, ili na nimь ili na negovehь ljudehь, de mu e pravьda naša ukazala da svoe uzme/Die XX augusti 1319 Clape Valetich de Raugia habuit quandam causam cum Petre filio iuban Tolen coram juban Mladen, qui jubanus Mladen judicavit ipsum Petro esse tortum dicto Clappe, et quod dictus Clappe possit se solvere supra dictum Petre et homines suos ubicumque poterit eos invenire, qui in lictera his apposita continetur. Qui Clape petit sibi apposita continetur. Qui Clape petit sibi solidos XL venetorum grossorum). He together with the Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski forced in 1323 Prodaša (Prodasse), Vladimir and Vitomir to compensate the Ragusans for plundering the valleys of Ombla (Rijeka Dubrovačka) and Malfi (Zaton) and for taking away cattle, clothes and other things from there. The charter of Stefan Uroš III Dečanski from 25th March 1326, in which the Serbian King granted trading rights to the Ragusans, was witnessed by vojvoda Mladenes, tepčija Vladoje and čelnik Gjurašь (A tu běše vojevoda Mladěn i tep’či Vladoje i čel’nikь Gjurašь). He is attested in the written record, which is part of the Serbian prologue from the 14th century (now State Historical Museum, Chludov collection Nr. 189) (Gospodinu mi kralju ōt rabotnika ti voevode Mladěna).
Mladenes Prankos Person ParentOf(ChildOf) Died probably before 11th March 1365. The chrysobull charter of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V from 11th March 1365 refers to him as Sebastokrator (Romanь, synь sěvastokratora Bran’ka). He held the position of a Governor of Ōhrid between 1355 – 1365 (ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ Βοῦλκον τὸν τοῦ Πράγκου τοῦ Μλαδένεω υἱόν, Καστορίας τε καὶ Ὀχρίδος τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ ἡγεμόνος). His father was Mladen. His sister was Radoslava. He had three sons (Vuk Branković [Bulkos], Radonja [Nikolaos Radochnas], Grgur) and a daughter (Teodora). A psalter, which is now in the collection of the manuscripts in the library of the Romanian Academy of Sciences (Nr. 205), was written in 1346 by a certain Iōanь Bogoslav at the place called Borьčь (Borča) and designed for Branko Mladenović (Prankos Mladenes) (Izvolenijemь božijemь i vьplьštenijemь svetago duha i roždenijemь syna sii psaltirь napisa se pomoštiju božijeju i prěčistyje jego matere vь lěto .ѕōndʹ., jenьdikьto .g., sь potьštanijemь priležnymь i vsesrьdьčnymь jaže u ustavu božьstvьnyhь pisanii, napisa si psaltirь Branьko Mladěnovikь a rukoju mnogogrěšnaago, zavitaago vь sujetii žitiistěmь raba božija Iōana, a zavomь Bogoslava, vь měste rekoměmь Borьčь, vь dьni blagověrьnaago i bogočьtivaago i samodrьžьca vsěhь srьbьskyhь zemlь i pomorьskyhь kralja Stefana i syna mu kralja Uroša, vь to vrěme prěje gospodinь kralь Stěfanь gradь Kosturь, gradь Bělgradь, gradь Kaminu). Two pieces of embroidery, one of which is kept in the Hermitage and the other in the British Museum, belonged to Branko (Prankos Mladenes). The name of the owner and the motif of a lion near the name imply that it was once worn by Branko. His son Radonja/Roman (Nikolaos Radochnas) donated the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine, which was granted by the Serbian Emperor to his father Branko, to the Hilandar Monastery. The Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V confirmed the endowment of Radonja/Roman (Nikolaos Radochnas) on 11th March 1365 in a chrysobull charter (I kako prihodi kь carьstvu mi v’sečьstni starьcь Svetije Gori Athona, Romanь, synь sěvastokratora Bran’ka, i uspomenu carьstvu mi kako se jestь zgovorilь svoimь bratōmь Grьguromь i Vlьkōmь, i kako da prilože ōdь svoje baštine crьkvi svetoi Bogorodici hilandarskoi, i za uspomenutije v’sčьsthenoga star’ca Romana svoōm bratiōmь darova mu carьstvo mi crьkovь baštinu a svetago arьhangela s trьmi seli: s Trьstěnikomь i z Běžaniki i s Tušilōmь i selištemь, što jestь dalo bilo carьstvo mi sěvastokratoru Bran’ku s Hudinami ō česa jestь žitěje u Bugare poběglь, a pod crьkovь svetu Bogorodicu hilandar’sku).
Radochnas Nikolaos Person Sibling Died on 3th December 1399. He appears as κῦρ in the sources. He was the Monk of the Hilandar Monastery (I vьz’ljubi žiti vь domu Svetyje Bogorodice Hilan’dar’skye, eže jestь novaa lavra). He was later Monk of the Saint Paul Monastery on Mount Athos. He was the eldest son of Prankos Mladenes. He had two brothers (Vuk Branković [Bulkos], Grьgurь) and a sister (Theodora). His wife, Helena (Elene), was the sister of Ioan Uglješa (Ioannes Unklesis). She and their two daughters died between 1358 and 1364 (Ἐκοιμήθη ἡ περιπόθητος αὐταδέλφη τοῦ πανευτυχεστάτου δεσπότου κῦρ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Οὔγκλεση κυρὰ Ἐλένη, ἡ ὁμόζυγου τοῦ εὐγενεστάτου κῦρ Νικολάου τοῦ Ραδόχνα. Συνετάφησαν δὲ ταύτῃ καὶ αἱ φίλτατοι αὐτῆς δύο θυγατέρες). He founded the chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas between 1358 and 1364, which was situated on the upper floor of the Katholikon of the Saint John Prodromos Monastery near Serres. He donated the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine, which was granted by the Serbian Emperor to his father Branko, to the Hilandar Monastery. The Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V confirmed the endowment of Radonja/Roman (Nikolaos Radochnas) on 11th March 1365 in a chrysobull charter (I kako prihodi kь carьstvu mi v’sečьstni starьcь Svetije Gori Athona, Romanь, synь sěvastokratora Bran’ka, i uspomenu carьstvu mi kako se jestь zgovorilь svoimь bratōmь Grьguromь i Vlьkōmь, i kako da prilože ōdь svoje baštine crьkvi svetoi Bogorodici hilandarskoi, i za uspomenutije v’sčьsthenoga star’ca Romana svoōm bratiōmь darova mu carьstvo mi crьkovь baštinu a svetago arьhangela s trьmi seli: s Trьstěnikomь i z Běžaniki i s Tušilōmь i selištemь, što jestь dalo bilo carьstvo mi sěvastokratoru Bran’ku s Hudinami ō česa jestь žitěje u Bugare poběglь, a pod crьkovь svetu Bogorodicu hilandar’sku). His brothers gave him the permission to donate the patrimonial church of Saint Archangel with three villages Trstenik, Bežanići, Tušilo and the selište Hudine to the Hilandar Monastery (Togda myi za egovo slad’ko bratoljubïe vьsesrьdьčno i ljubovno prijesmo za egovo hotěnïe i za pomoljenïe bratьsko i priložismo crьkvь svetago Arhaggela i sь selomь Trьstenikomь i sь vsakomь pravinomь crьkve tezi i sela toga i s měgjami sь ōttěsy i s Tušiljemь. I selište Hudin’ce sь megjami i sь vsěmь oprav’danïem ihь prosto rekь sь vsěmь oprav’danïemь što e bylь gospodinь i roditelь našь sevastokratorь priložilь crьkvy toizi. I ešte velikuju ego vьspomenuv’še bratoljubnuju i vsesrьdьčnuju ljubovь. Paky i za egovo umoljennïe priložismo gospodinu i otьcu našemu Rōmanu selo Bežanikje sь vsěmi megjami sela togo). He together with Antonije Bagaš (Antonios Pagases) bought probably before 1366 a ruined monastery complex on Mount Athos dedicated to Saint Paul. The Monastery of Xeropotamu allowed them to restore and found it. The monks of the Xeropotamu Monastery demanded after a few years their former property back. Matthaios, the patriarch of Constantinople, tried to reconcile both monasteries in dispute by issuing a sigillion. The sigillion of Matthaios from October 1403 mentions also Gerasim (Gerasimos) as one of the founders of the Saint Paul Monastery. He was a benefactor of the Kutlumus Monastery on the Mount Athos since 1370. He was in the group of the monks from the Hilandar Monastery, which came to the court of Stefan Lazarević between 1392 and 1396 (I kako prïhōdi kь mně izь Hilandara čьstiěiši vь inōkōhь starьcь kyrь Gjerasimь). The monks requested the donation of the Church of the Presentation of Mary at Ibar, which was a former patrimonial possession of Obrad Dragosaljić, to the Hilandar Monastery. He transferred the body of his deceased brother Vuk Branković [Bulkos] on Mount Athos in 1397.
Serbian Empire Group gospodinь