Nikodije Lunjevica (; 1881 –) was a cavalry lieutenant of the

Royal Serbian Army The Army of the Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Војска Краљевине Србије, Vojska Kraljevine Srbije), known in English language, English as the Royal Serbian Army, was the army of the Kingdom of Serbia that existed between 1882 ...

and a brother of

Draga Mašin Draginja "Draga" Obrenović ( sr-cyr, Драгиња "Драга" Обреновић; – ), ''née'' Lunjevica (Луњевица) and formerly Mašin (Машин), was Queen of Serbia as the wife of King Aleksandar Obrenović. She was formerl ...

, the Queen consort of King Aleksandar Obrenović of the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...

Biography

Family

Nikodije was born in 1881 in

Gornji Milanovac Gornji Milanovac ( sr-Cyrl, Гoрњи Милановац, ) is a town and municipality located in the Moravica District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 23,109, while the population of the municipality is 38,985 (2022 census data). ...

, then part of the

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia () was an autonomous, later sovereign state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was negotiated first through an unwritten agre ...

. He was the second son of

Panta Lunjevica Pantelija ''Panta'' Milićević Lunjevica ( sr-cyr, Пантелија Панта Милићевић Луњевица; 1840–1887) was a Serbian higher administrative officer, the chief (''načelnik'') of the Šabac district (''srez'' or ''okrug'' ...

, a

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the

Aranđelovac Aranđelovac ( sr-cyr, Аранђеловац, ) is a town and a municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. , the municipality has a population of 41,297 inhabitants, while the town has 22,881 inhabitants. It is situated ben ...

area, and his wife Anđelija (''née'' Koljević). Nikodije was one of seven siblings. He had a brother

Nikola Nikola () is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek '' Nikolaos'' (Νικόλαος) and it means "the winner of the people". It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bul ...

, and five sisters, Draga, Hristina, Đina, Ana and Vojka. Nikodije's mother was a

dipsomaniac Dipsomania is a historical term describing a medical condition involving an uncontrollable craving for alcohol (drug), alcohol or other drugs. In the 19th century, the term dipsomania was used to refer to a variety of alcohol-related problems, mos ...

and his father died in a

lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

. Nikodije was the grandson of

Nikola Lunjevica Nikola Milićević ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Милићевић, 1767 – 11 May 1842), known by his demonym as Nikola Lunjevica (Луњевица), was a Serbian Revolutionary and close comrade of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia, Prince Milo� ...

, a relative of Princess Ljubica of Serbia and a close comrade of her husband

Prince Miloš A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fema ...

Military and political advancement

After the marriage of his sister Draga to King Alexander Obrenović, Nikodije and his brother Nikola were quickly promoted through the officer ranks of the Serbian Army. Serving in the cavalry, both brothers were known for their arrogant behaviour towards other officers. As King Alexander and Queen Draga had no heirs, Nikodije was considered the potential heir to the Serbian throne, while it is also considered that Draga's sole thought was "in what way will she use the influence she had on the young King, to be able to hand over Serbia to the despotic rage of her brother". Nikodije was almost always with the royal couple, and was occasionally addressed by courtiers as "Your Highness", even in the presence of King Alexander.

Death

During the night of the May Coup (10-11 June 1903), both Alexander and Draga were murdered in the royal palace in Belgrade by Serbian army officers. Almost immediately afterwards, both Lunjevica brothers were seized and shot by soldiers at the orders of Nikodije's former classmate

Vojislav Tankosić Vojislav Tankosić ( sr-cyr, Војислав Танкосић, 20 September 1880 – 2 November 1915) was a Serbian military officer, ''vojvoda'' of the Serbian Chetnik Organization, major of the Serbian Army, and member of the Black Hand (Serbi ...

. Because of all the previous humiliations of the army and the people, from the moment of the arrest until the execution, Tankosić addressed Nikodije and Nikola ironically with "Your Highness". The coup and Alexander's assassination brought an end to the Obrenović dynasty. Lunjevica, along with his family, is buried in the

Vujan Monastery Vujan Monastery (Serbian Cyrillic: Манастир Вујан) is a Serbian Orthodox Church monastery in Prislonica, Serbia. It is included in the list of cultural monuments of great importance of the Republic of Serbia. The monastery is locat ...

Portrayal

Nikodije Lunjevica was played by

Aleksandar Srećković Aleksandar Srećković ( sr-cyr, Александар Срећковић; born 25 June 1981) is a Serbian football defender. During his career, he had already played in the Serbian top league club FK Radnički Obrenovac, in Serbian lower league ...

in the 1995 Serbian

mini-series In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

The End of the Obrenović Dynasty ''The End of the Obrenović Dynasty'' () is а Serbian historical drama television miniseries which depicts events that led to the May Overthrow and assassination of the last Serbian king from the Obrenović dynasty, Alexander, and his close famil ...

''.

References

Literature

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lunjevica, Nikodije 1881 births 1903 deaths People from Gornji Milanovac Obrenović dynasty Serbian military personnel Executed Serbian people People murdered in 1903 Burials at Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches