Starina Novak

Starina Novak (Старинa Новак, Baba Novac, both mean "old Novak") was a Serbian hajduk (brigand and revolutionary) who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire. He is considered a Serbian national hero and is highly respected in neighboring Romania as a national hero as well.

Biography
Novak was born to a lower-class family in 1530s in the village of Poreč (now Donji Milanovac), on an island on the Danube, Serbia (then under Ottoman rule). Novak's parents on his father side were Serbian, and according to a legend, his mother was Romanian a descendant of the Basarab family. He studied at the monastery of Poreč and was fluent in both Serbian and Old Slavonic. He also spoke Vlach and Greek.

He began his career as a hajduk at an early age after he was imprisoned and beaten by Turks, losing all his teeth (hence the name Old Novak) that led him to leave his birthplace and take refuge in the forests of Timočka krajina where he quickly learned the use of weapons and military from a harambaš Hajduk. He soon formed his četa (band of hajduks) and started a violent fight against the Turks. His strong personality and military prowess made him a man of many followers and his guerrillas became a strong fighting force. He joined the forces of Michael the Brave in Banat with 2000 Serbian hajduks for the liberation of the Vlach lands and was made captain of the Brigands. His forces participated in the seizure of Călugăreni, liberated Târgovişte, Bucharest and Giurgiu in October 1595. His forces were part of the attack on Bulgarian Sofia which earned him great reputation after he and his 700 soldiers tricked the Turks by changing route through the Balkan mountains and successfully surprise-attacked the Turkish forces only leaving behind 8 of his soldiers and capturing vast amounts of livestock and supplies from the Ottomans. He liberated Plevna with 1,500 soldiers. In 1598, his sizable forces, composed primarily of Serbs but also some Bulgarians, met the remaining forces of Michael the Brave, amounting to a total of 16,000 armed men. They liberated Plevna, Rahovo, Vratsa, Vidin and Florentin, after which the Serbs and Bulgarians of the cities gathered with the forces and had a feast. In Ploeşti, 1599, the forces of 50,000+ under Bordj Mako gathered with the forces of Novak in a square with 5-6 rows in the center before the taking of Sibiu. In 1600 his forces were deployed in Banat and was later given the instructions of liberating all lands to the south, also part of the uprisings in Mirăslău and the near towns. He followed Mihai to Vienna in December 1600.

He was accused of treason by ally-turned-rival Giorgio Basta and was sent to the Hungarian authorities in Cluj (Kolozsvár), sentenced to burning. On 5 February 1601 the execution took place, gypsies prepared the fire that would be the end of Novak together with 2 other captains of Michael and some Saxon priests. After being burnt alive for 1,5 hours (water was tossed at the bodies for a slow death) the bodies were impaled and crows were eating from the corpses. Mihai was unaware of the execution and heard of it when passing Cluj in early August 1601, he issued a 100,000 forinata fine of all residents of Cluj, and he raised a flag on the site of the execution. Giorgio Basta then ordered the assassination of Michael, which took place near Câmpia Turzii on 9 August 1601.

He is venerated as a Serb hero in the Serb epic poetry in the tale of "Starina Novak and Knez Bogosav" and in Romanian tales.

A tower in Cluj-Napoca is named after him (Baba Novak Tower).

Cultural references

 * The song Baba Novak by the Romanian band Phoenix is about him.