Elena () was the second wife of tsar

Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria Ivan Asen I, also known as Asen I or John Asen I (; died in 1196), was emperor or tsar of Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria from 1187/1188 to 1196 as co-ruler with his elder brother, Peter II of Bulgaria, Peter II. Hailing from the Theme (Byzant ...

. She was the mother of tsar

Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II (, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Empire was killed in 1196. H ...

Biography

Her antecedents are unknown. She is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of

Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince (Grand Župan#Serbia, Veliki Župan) of the Grand Principality of Serbia, Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška (region), Raš ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between their descendants. Elena married

Ivan Asen I Ivan Asen I, also known as Asen I or John Asen I (; died in 1196), was emperor or tsar of Bulgaria from 1187/1188 to 1196 as co-ruler with his elder brother, Peter II. Hailing from the Byzantine theme of Paristrion, his exact place and date o ...

in 1183 at the age of thirteen. In 1188, Elena was captured by enemy Byzantine forces during their attempted Siege of Lovech and kept in Constantinople as a hostage by Emperor Isaac II Angelos. When Ivan Asen ascended the throne as co-tsar, he sent his younger brother Kaloyan to Constantinople as hostage in exchange for Elena. By her marriage to Ivan Asen I, Elena had at least two sons: #

Ivan Asen II Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II (, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria, Ivan Asen I one of the founders of th ...

, emperor of Bulgaria 1218–1241 # Alexander (''Aleksandăr''), ''

sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' (, ; ; ), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence (Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Empire). The word is a compound ...

'', who died after 1232; Alexander had a son named Kaliman Asen II, emperor of Bulgaria in 1256 After the assassination of

in 1196, Elena retired to a convent under the monastic name Evgenia (). Her memory is honored in the Synodic of Bulgarian Church: After her son ascended the throne, Elena was honored as empress dowager.

Sources

*"Кой кой е в средновековна България", изд. къща "Петър Берон", 1999 г., *"Фамилията на Асеневци", Божилов, Ив. {{DEFAULTSORT:Elena-Evgenia Of Bulgaria Bulgarian consorts Year of death unknown 12th-century Bulgarian women 12th-century Bulgarian people 13th-century Bulgarian women 13th-century Bulgarian people Mothers of Bulgarian emperors