Ilija FeodoroviàUgriÃÂià( 1806âÂÂd. 1813), known as Novokrà ¡teni was a Russian cavalry captain that was sent to Serbia during the First Serbian Uprising to gather information for the Russian Military command for the coming Russian-Ottoman war. Novokrà ¡teni joined the Serb rebels against the Ottoman Empire and participated in many battles in which he was wounded, and became respected by the leadership and people. He trained troops at Belgrade and was appointed the first modern Serbian police chief in 1808. A staunch supporter of supreme commander KaraÃÂorÃÂe, he was deported to Siberia in 1809 by the Russian Command following slander by Konstantin Rodofinikin, another Russian envoy in Serbia and KaraÃÂorÃÂe's opponent.
The UgriÃÂiàwas a Serb family that hailed from Herzegovina. The family received nobility status in the Poltava Governorate (est. 1802) and the family name included the demonym Trebinjski () derived from Trebinje in Herzegovina. He was a Russian cavalry captain, ranked as poruchik, and had served in the Imperial Russian Chuguev Cossack Regiment. He was retired on . In Serbia he was called a kapetan (captain). At the time of the liberation of Belgrade (December 1806), he was between 40 and 50 years of age, meaning he would be born in the period of 1756âÂÂ1766.
He was not related to lawyer (1800âÂÂ1886).
Russia planned for conflict with the Ottoman Empire, and sought to maintain influence in Serbia through its representatives who engaged themselves in internal affairs, also being intermediaries in the conflict between KaraÃÂorÃÂe and other top commanders. The commander of the Dniester Army Ivan Mikhelson sent cavalry captain Ilija UgriÃÂiÃÂ-Trebinjski ("Bey Novokrà ¡teni" in correspondence) to Serbia to investigate intents towards Russia and at the same time aid the Serbian army in battles against the Ottomans as a military expert. Mikhelson sent Novokrà ¡teni to general Ivan Ivanovich Isaev on 1 April 1806, as an "able, meritorious, loyal officer". On Mikhelson informed Russian Interior Minister Czartoryski that he intended to send Novokrà ¡teni to Serbia to find out what the Serbs thought of Russia and other necessary factors. On Novokrà ¡teni wrote to Mikhelson from TimiÃÂoara (then part of Hungary) that he was on his way to Serbia. It is unknown when exactly Novokrà ¡teni joined the Serbian command, but it is known that he was present in Serbia by mid-June 1806. At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs sent Council member Konstantin Rodofinikin to Moldavia to observe events in Ottoman Europe and to find ways to rally the Serbs to support Russian operations in case of a Russo-Ottoman war. Mikhelson organized recruitment of Serb volunteers in Wallachia.
Novokrà ¡teni had entered Serbia via Kovin (in Habsburg territory) and registered himself at Smederevo and met up with vojvoda Vujica VuliÃÂeviàof the Smederevo nahija. VuliÃÂeviàsent him with his scribe Anta Protiàand three momci (bodyguards) to Belgrade to meet up with KaraÃÂorÃÂe at VraÃÂar. He introduced himself to KaraÃÂorÃÂe wearing Russian adjutant uniform. Novokrà ¡teni volunteered in the Serb army and cared for his own costs. He was the first Russian that the Serbian rebels befriended and he became very popular among them, becoming respected and admired by KaraÃÂorÃÂe and other leaders.
Already the second day at Belgrade, Novokrà ¡teni joined the Serb rebels in fighting the Belgrade Turks that left the Fortress to fight the Serbs in the fields. KaraÃÂorÃÂe feared a large Ottoman mustering and decided with the Council that Belgrade should be taken as soon as possible. The Belgrade Turks were offered to leave harmlessly, but they refused, on . KaraÃÂorÃÂe wrote to Mikhelson that "none of us wants him [Novokrà ¡teni] to leave" in a letter asking for aid and swearing allegiance, dated , sent from Smederevo. The same day another letter was sent to the Russian emperor informing of the Ottoman intent to "exterminate all male Serbs" and also asking Russia for armament. On KaraÃÂorÃÂe ordered for 2,000 troops put under the command of captain Novokrà ¡teni to push through the fences into the Belgrade lower town (donji varoà ¡), but they were fended off twice. During the assault, Metropolitan Leontius left the inner city and joined the Serbs. At the same time, news came of 3,000 Ottoman Bosnian troops crossing the Drina and surrounding vojvoda Luka Lazareviàat the trenches in Crna Bara. A Serbian detachment under KaraÃÂorÃÂe set out and defeated those troops by the Drina. Novokrà ¡teni sent a letter to Russian Interior Minister Czartoryski asking for the establishment of a Russian military unit made up of Serbs and Bulgarians.
In September 1806 Novokrà ¡teni returned briefly to Russia, having set out as mentioned in a letter of KaraÃÂorÃÂe dated and arriving at the chancellery of Foreign Minister Andreas Eberhard von Budberg on . Novokrà ¡teni travelled to Wallachia and informed Mikhelson of the events in Serbia and gave him a letter from KaraÃÂorÃÂe in which it was also asked that Mikhelson let Novokrà ¡teni return as soon as possible, which he did, bringing with him another letter to KaraÃÂorÃÂe who stayed at Topola. KaraÃÂorÃÂe had a gathering at Topola which Novokrà ¡teni and other leaders attended during which KaraÃÂorÃÂe had his own brother hanged for crimes.
An Ottoman Bosnian army numbering 15,000 assembled by the Drina at Sikiriàtoward Soko and pushed out Serb rebels from three trenches, which alarmed à  umadija from where an army assembled (numbering 12,000), among whom were also Novokrà ¡teni. At the assembly of the Serb army, on 25 October 1806, Novokrà ¡teni immediately came up with a plan for attack and the division of the Serb army into three parts, which succeeded, panicking the "Turks" who fled back across the Drina and had many casualties and left much loot. Novokrà ¡teni was known as especially brave and participated in many battles of the Serb rebels, such as the battles on the Drina where he was wounded, and the charge for overtaking Belgrade on 12 December 1806, where he was also wounded. He participated in the liberation of the city as an ordinary soldier, and removed his Russian uniform and wore traditional dress. Following the takeover of Belgrade, the Pasha of Belgrade was allowed to leave the city, however, his entourage was ambushed and killed. It was Novokrà ¡teni who adviced KaraÃÂorÃÂe to have the Pasha killed, due to either having orders from Russia, or his acquired personal hatred towards Turks.
After the string of victories in 1806, such as important ones at Mià ¡ar in August, Deligrad in September, and liberation of Belgrade in December 1806, the Serbs still hoped to secure statehood with Russia's aid, and again petitioned the Russian emperor to send troops. The Ottomans declared war on Russia on 26 December 1806, being pressured by the French. Novokrà ¡teni wholeheartedly fought for the Serbian liberation and was outspoken against those he believed did not. He was wounded several times in battle.
On 11 January 1807 general Mikhelson praised the Serb people for their courage and KaraÃÂorÃÂe for his "wisdom and perseverance" and promised the Serbs their own independent state as "the Serb people are worthy [...] of being ashamed to pay tribute to Turks". The letter received great response, however, unbeknownst to the Serbs, Mikhelson had no such mandate. Mikhelson believed that the Serbs could help in the Russo-Turkish War, and feared most that the Serbian leadership would enter relations with the French, and informed the Russian government that the first who offered help to the Serbs would secure their patronage. Novokrà ¡teni updated Mikhelson on Serbian military strength. In late 1806 and early 1807 the Serbian leadership demanded independence and declared Serbia an independent state.
Novokrà ¡teni accompanied general Isaev who was dispatched to Oltenia on to join the Serbian rebels. Russian general Ivan Ivanovich Isayev arrived in Serbia with 1,500 Russian troops on 7 June 1807. Another Russian agent, Filippo Paulucci, was dispatched to Serbia in June 1807 with the task of ensuring the Serbs of a Russian alliance and to discuss military plans and joint operations. An unratified treaty known as "Paulucci's Convention" was signed on 28 June 1807. Novokrà ¡teni was said to have been an intermediary in the discussions regarding the treaty, although he is not explicitly mentioned. Rodofinikin arrived in Belgrade on . Meanwhile, Mikhelson died on .
On Rodofinikin sent a letter to Interior Minister Alexey Kurakin regarding Serb victories at the Drina, where Novokrà ¡teni was among the commanders.
Novokrà ¡teni professionally trained troops at Belgrade, including the first regular (professional, standing) battalions that KaraÃÂorÃÂe had established in 1808, training them for 13âÂÂ14 months. Novokrà ¡teni was most loyal to KaraÃÂorÃÂe, and he held KaraÃÂorÃÂe's opponents in the Serbian leadership as his own opponents, which, along with his popularity, angered Russian envoy Rodofinikin. Novokrà ¡teni disliked both Rodofinikin and Metropolitan Leontius, and they were known to have worked against the interests of KaraÃÂorÃÂe. Both have a negative legacy in Serbian historiography.
The Belgrade Police was established at the beginning of 1808, following a Belgrade Senate decision dating 30 December 1807, most likely examined at the earlier 26 October assembly which saw the expansion of magistrates (courts) also at the town and village level. Up until then, policing was entrusted to the vojvoda, obor-knez and knez at the nahija and kneà ¾ina (group of villages) level. Novokrà ¡teni was appointed the director of Police (policajmajstor) at Belgrade, becoming the first modern Serbian police chief. The Belgrade city was administratively divided into three parts, each under the supervision of a policaj kvartal-majstor. Novokrà ¡teni was at first practically subordinated the titular commander of the Belgrade city Mladen Milovanovià(the Prime Minister), prior to further regulations.
Rodofinikin wrote in a letter to commander-in-chief Alexander Prozorovsky dated , which included an overview of the judicial courts in Serbia and also the church courts, that "it would be beneficial" to exclude secular people (who sometimes judged in disputes) from the latter. There was a lack of canonists in Revolutionary Serbia which resulted in some problems in regulating the church courts; in late 1808 and early 1809 the Serbian Governing Council sought to bring order but according to Rodofinikin, "two unfit" were chosen, Novokrà ¡teni and a refugee protodeacon from Montenegro (who remains unidentified), without the knowing of Metropolitan Leontius.
He remained at the post as police chief until or the beginning of April 1809, when he was called by the Russian Command to Bucharest (Russian-held Wallachia). Novokrà ¡teni had intended to stay in Serbia, and lived in a house previously owned by a Turk (the house was later bought by vojvoda turned Minister Jakov NenadoviÃÂ).
Rodofinikin slandered Novokrà ¡teni to commander-in-chief Alexander Prozorovsky, who decided to have him summoned to Bucharest, where he was indicted on false grounds and deported to Siberia. The Serbs were never informed of this at the time. There is an account by historian M. VukiÃÂeviàthat Novokrà ¡teni was imprisoned after he made accusations against Rodofinikin at the Interior Ministry in St. Petersburg. The Serbs asked the Russian Command to return Novokrà ¡teni to Serbia but this was declined "due to his interference in spiritual affairs". In 1812 KaraÃÂorÃÂe asked the diplomatic emissary to Serbia, general Marko Ivelich, to talk to general Pavel Chichagov and have Novokrà ¡teni released but this also failed. He died in 1813, likely in Siberia.
He was described as healthy, tall, without higher education, an able soldier, innocent and honest. For two days, 12âÂÂ13 May 1940, a half-page newspaper article about him was published in Vreme.