- Marina Smilets of Bulgaria
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Marina Smilets Despina of Kran 
Marina Smilets of Bulgaria - a fresco in the church of Kavadarci, Republic of Macedonia. Spouse Aldimir Issue Ivan Dragushin House Smilets, Palaiologos, Terterids Father Smilets of Bulgaria Mother Smiltsena Palaiologina Born before 1292
BulgariaDied 7 April 1355
Kingdom of SerbiaBurial Skopie Marina Smilets (Bulgarian: Марина Смилец) (before 1292 – 7 April 1355) was the eledest daughter of tsar Smilets of Bulgaria and his Byzantine wife.
Contents
Family
The date and the place of Marina's birth are unknown, but she was born before her father's ascension on the Bulgarian throne in 1292, maybe in his official residence in Kran. Her mother was the daughter of sebastocrator Constantine Palaiologos and niece of Michael VIII Palaiologos. In the histories she was called just Smiltsena (Bulgarian: Смилцена; the wife of Smilets), without a name being given. Marina was the elder sister of tsar Ivan II of Bulgaria and Theodora, queen-consort of Kingdom of Serbia. Marina Smilets was maternal aunt of King Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia.
Despina of Kran
Tsar Smilets died in 1298 and Ivan II of Bulgaria succeeded him as emperor in Tarnovo. The new tsar was a child, and the government was in the hands of the widowed empress Smiltsena. Marina's mother apparently defeated Smilets' brothers Radoslav and Voysil, who sought refuge in the Byzantine Empire and entered into Byzantine service. To meet this threat and the invasion of the Mongol prince Chaka, Smiltsena sought an alliance with Aldimir (Eltimir), the brother of the former ruler George Terter I. Aldimir was accordingly married to Marina and, if this had not happened earlier, was given the title of despotēs and invested with an extensive landholding around Kran. As his wife, Marina was granted the title of despina of Kran.
Despina Marina gave birth to a son, called Ivan Dragushin.
The regents of Ivan II were unable to strengthen their position, and abandoned Tarnovo to Chaka, who installed himself as emperor in 1299. Smiltsena and Ivan II settled in the possessions of Aldimir and Marina, where they may have remained until the accession of Aldimir's nephew Theodore Svetoslav to the throne in 1300. Aldimir entered into an alliance with Theodore Svetoslav and his own possessions around Kran were enlarged. Аs result Aldemir maybe asked Marina's family to leave Kran and they fled to Constantinople.
Exile
In 1305 Aldemir appears to have entered into negotiations with the Byzantines, and Theodore Svetoslav annexed his uncle's lands. Despina Marina maybe had strong influence over the policy of her husband and after Aldimir's subjugation by Theodore Svetoslav, she and Ivan Dragushin fled to Constantinople.
After 1321 despina Marina and her son relocated in the Kingdom of Serbia, where the power was seized by King Stefan Dečanski, who was married Marina's sister Theodora. Marina was threatened with high respect by Stefan Dečanski and his son Stefan Dušan, who was her nephew. In Serbia Marina and Ivan Dragushin were granted with an extensive landholding in Macedonia (region). Later Despina Marina retired to a monastery under the monastic name Maria. Despina Marina was portrayed along with a boy, а grandson of her, in the church of Kavadarci.
Marina Smilets survived her son and died on 7 April[1] 1355. She was buried in Skopie.
Sources
- Pavlov, Plamen, "Търновските царици". ДАР-РХ, 2006.
Categories:- 13th-century births
- 1355 deaths
- 13th-century Bulgarian people
- 14th-century Bulgarian people
- Bulgarian monarchy
- Bulgarian royalty
- Bulgarian princesses
- Women of medieval Bulgaria
- Year of birth uncertain
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