Veljko Petrović (Heiducke)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Veljko Petrovic

Veljko Petrović ( Serbian. Вељко Петровић, * around 1780 in the village of Lenovac, near Zaječar , today Serbia , then Ottoman Empire , † in July 1813 near Negotin ) was a voivod leader during the First Serbian Uprising and Heiducke . In Bulgaria he is known as Hajdut Welko Petrow , Bulgarian Хайдут Велко Петров .

Life

Veljko Petrović came from a rich Christian peasant family for the time (see Reâyâ ) in the village of Lenovac near Zaječar . Various sources give him a Bulgarian, Bulgarian-Serbian, Bulgarian-Wallachian, Serbian, Serbian-Wallachian or Wallachian ancestry. In any case, he was born in a border area where Bulgarians , Serbs and Wallachians lived. Veljko's father Petar Petrović was called sirenjar , the master cheese maker . His brothers Milutin and Miljko would later also take part in the Serbian uprising.

In his youth, Veljko first worked as a shepherd and servant. When two Turks attacked his sister and he then killed her, he had to flee and joined the rebels of Osman Pazvantoğlu . Here his indiscipline was already pronounced, for which he would later become famous, and when he killed two people from Pazvantoğlu, he left them and became a member of the Heiducken of Stanoje Glavaš in 1803 . In 1804 he took part with him in the Serbian uprising.

Veljko was appointed voivode in the first Serbian War of Independence. He was present both in the liberation of Montenegro in 1807 and in the defense of the Sokobanja resort in 1809. Veljko became famous as the leader of the revolution in Timočka Krajina , which he carried around Vidin as far as Bulgaria. In addition to his personal commitment, Veljko was known for his peculiarity of playing loud music before every fight, which became his distinguishing mark.

Veljko was considered extremely courageous, but also undisciplined towards his superiors, which is why there were regular conflicts with the Soviet, the provisional government in rebellious Serbia. In 1810 he was awarded the Russian Medal of Valor.

Hajduk Veljko was killed in defense of the Krajina in the Battle of Negotin in 1813 when he was hit by a Turkish cannonball on the front line. Seriously injured, he ordered to hold positions. His brother Milutin buried him under the Church of Negotin. Today a statue in the city center of Negotin commemorates him.

Veljko was married twice. His first wife Maria was the sister of his former commander Stanoje Glavaš, with her he had a son named Radovan. Since Maria did not agree to live in a heather, the two separated. Veljko's second wife was named Stana, called Čučuk Stana , who reportedly also took part in the fighting and was injured four times. After Veljko's death, she married the Greek insurgent Giorgakis Olympios .

literature