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Portrait of Russian boyar Pyotr Potemkin by Juan Carreño de Miranda, 1681-1682

Russian boyars in 16-17 centuries

A boyar, or bolyar (Bulgarian: боляр or болярин, Ukrainian: буй or боярин, Russian: боярин, Romanian: boier pronounced [boˈjer] ( listen), Greek: βογιάρος), was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes (in Bulgaria, tsars), from the 10th century through the 17th century. The rank has lived on as a surname in Russia and Finland, where it is spelled Pajari.^[1]

Etymology[link]

According to most sources, the word is of Turkic origin. Some believe that it is composed of the Turkic roots bai ("noble, rich") and är.^[2] Another possibility is that the word originated from the Bulgarian title boila ("noble"), which is attested in Bulgar inscriptions^[3] and rendered as boilades or boliades in the Greek of Byzantine documents.^[2][4] This title certainly did enter Old Russian as быля (bylya).

Boyars in Bulgaria[link]

The oldest Slavic form of boyar—bolyarin, pl. bolyari (Bulgarian: болярин, pl. боляри)—dates from the 10th century, and it is found in Bulgaria, where it may have stemmed from the old Bulgar title boila, which denoted a high aristocratic status among the Bulgars. It was probably transformed through boilar or bilyar to bolyar and bolyarin. In support of this hypothesis is the 10th-century diplomatic protocol of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, where the Bulgarian nobles are called boliades,^[4] while the 9th-century Bulgar sources call them boila.^[3]

A member of the nobility during the First Bulgarian Empire was called a boila, while in the Second Bulgarian Empire, the corresponding title became bolyar or bolyarin. Bolyar, as well as its predecessor, boila, was a hereditary title. The Bulgarian bolyars were divided into veliki ("great") and malki ("minor").

Presently in Bulgaria, the word bolyari is used as a nickname for the inhabitants of Veliko Tarnovo—once the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

Boyars in Serbia[link]

In medieval Serbia, the rank of the Boyars (Serbian: Боjари, Bojari) was equivalent to the rank of the Baron; meaning "free warrior" (or "free man" in general), it was the first rank after the non-free peasants or serfs. The etymology of the term comes from the word battle (Serbian: бој, boj); the Boyars of Serbia were literally "men for the battle" or the warrior class, in contrast to the peasants; they could own land but were obliged to defend it and fight for the king. With the rule of the Ottoman Empire after 1450, the Ottoman as well as the Austro-Hungarian terms exchanged the Serbian one. Today, it is an archaic term representing the aristocracy (Serbian: племство, plemstvo).

Boyars in the lands of Kievan Rus'[link]

Mounted Russian boyar from 17th century

Boyars wielded considerable power through their military support of the Kievan princes. Power and prestige of many of them, however, soon came to depend almost completely on service to the state, family history of service and, to a lesser extent, landownership. Ukrainian and "Ruthenian" boyars were visually very similar to Western knights, but after the Mongol invasion, their cultural links were mostly lost.

The boyars occupied the highest state offices and, through a council (Duma), advised the Grand Duke. They received extensive grants of land and, as members of the Boyars' Duma, were the major legislators of Kievan Rus'.

After the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, the boyars from central and southern parts of Kievan Rus' (modern Belarus and Ukraine) were incorporated into Lithuanian and Polish nobility (szlachta). In the 14th and 15th centuries, many of those Ukrainian boyars who failed to get the status of a nobleman actively participated in the formation of the Cossack army, based in the south of modern Ukraine.

Boyars in Muscovy[link]

Russian boyars celebrating a marriage

Russian diplomat Ivan Chemodanov by Justus Sustermans, 1656

In Moscow in the 14th and 15th centuries, the boyars retained their influence. However, as the knyazes of Muscovy consolidated their power, the influence of the boyars was gradually eroded, particularly under Ivan III and Ivan IV.

Tsar Ivan IV "Ivan the Terrible" severely restricted the boyars' powers during the 16th century. Their ancient right to leave the service of one prince for another was curtailed, as was their right to hold land without giving obligatory service to the tsar.

The Boyar Duma expanded from around 30 people to around 100 in the 17th century and was finally abolished by Tsar Peter the Great in 1711 in his extensive reforms of government and administration.

Boyars in Wallachia and Moldavia[link]

In the Carpathian regions inhabited by Romanians, the boyar (Romanian: boier) class emerged from the chiefs (named cneaz ("leader") or jude ("judge") in the areas north of the Danube and celnic south of the river) of rural communities in the early Middle Ages, initially elected, who later made their judicial and administrative attributions hereditary and gradually expanded them upon other communities. After the appearance of more advanced political structures in the area, their privileged status had to be confirmed by the central power, which used this prerogative to include in the boyar class individuals that distinguished themselves in the military or civilian functions they performed (by allocating them lands from the princely domains).

The boyar condition[link]

The Romanian social hierarchy was composed of boyar, mazil, and răzeş. Being a boyar implied three things: being a land-owner, having serfs, and having a military and/or administrative function. A boyar could have a state function and/or a court function. These functions were called "dregătorie" or "boierie". Only the prince had the power to assign a boierie. Landowners with serfs but no function were categorized as mazil but were still considered to be of noble origin (din os boieresc, which translates literally as "of boyar bones"). Small landowners who possessed a domain without distinction (devălmăşie) or serfs were called "răzeşi". According to some historians, they were descendants of mazil landowners.

Origin[link]

Although functions could only be accorded by the prince and were not hereditary, land possession was hereditary. The prince could give land to somebody but could not take it from its possessor except for serious reasons such as treason. Therefore, there were two kinds of boyars: those whose ancestors, as chiefs of the ancient rural communities, had held land before the formation of the feudal states, such that the prince merely confirmed their preexisting status as landowners; and those who acquired their domain from a princely donation or who had inherited it from an ancestor who acquired it through such a donation (cf. the distinction between Uradel and Briefadel in the Holy Roman Empire and in its feudal successor regimes). During the Phanariot régime, there were also boyars who had no land at all, but only a function. This way, the number of boyars could be increased, by selling functions to those who could afford them.

Hierarchy[link]

Boyars with gorlatnaya hats on a painting by Andrei Ryabushkin. The higher hats indicated the higher social status.

The close alliance between the boyar condition and the military-administrative functions led to a confusion, aggravated by the Phanariots: these functions began to be considered as noble titles, like in the Occident. In fact, this was not at all the case. Traditionally, the boyars were organized in three states: boyars of the first state, of the second state and of the third state. For example, there was a first or a grand postelnic, a second postelnic, and a third postelnic, each one with his different obligations and rights. The difference of condition was visible even in the vestimentation or physical aspect. Only the boyars of the first state had the right, for example, to grow a beard, the rest being entitled only to a mustache. Within the class of the boyars of the first state, there was the subclass of the "grand boyars". Those were great landowners who also had some very high functions, such as the function of great vornic. Above those grand boyars was only the prince.

The prince[link]

Usually a prince was a boyar before his election or appointment as prince, but this was not a condition sine qua non. Initially, only princiary descendants could be elected princes. During the Phanariot epoch, however, any man could be a prince if appointed by the Sultan (and rich enough to buy this appointment from the Grand Vizier). During the Ottoman suzerainty, and especially during the Phanariot régime, the title of Prince became an administrative function within the imperial Ottoman hierarchy, and thus the ultimate form of boyardness. The title of Prince of Wallachia or Moldavia was equivalent in dignity to that of a pasha with two horse-tails.

Cultural references[link]

Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen wrote a march entitled "Bojarenes inntogsmarsj" ("Entry March of the Boyars"), known in Norway as the signal tune for the radio programme Ønskekonserten. Edvard Grieg arranged it for solo piano. August Strindberg requests that this piece be played during his play The Dance of Death, Part One.

Boyars are characters in the game Warhammer Fantasy. They appear in the Kislev army, which is based on medieval Poland/Russia.

Boyar sons are featured as a military unit for the Novgorod faction in the 2006 strategy game Medieval II: Total War. In its sequel, Empire: Total War, Wallachian Boyars feature as a military unit for the Ottoman Empire, enabled through the Elite Units of the East DLC pack.

Shadows of Darkness, the fourth game in the Quest For Glory series of adventure games, makes reference to the late boyars who ruled the valley of Mordavia, but who have long since died in the time when the game takes place.

In TaleWorlds' historical fantasy role-playing video game Mount&Blade: Warband, the lords of the Kingdom of Vaegirs, a fictitious kingdom inspired by Slavic cultures, are titled Boyars.

See also[link]

• Okolnichy
• Russian nobility

References[link]

External links[link]

• Wallachian and Moldavian noblemen (late sixteenth century)

Sheryfa Luna
Sheryfa Luna performing in Paris on Bastille Day 2011
Background information
Born	(1989-01-25) January 25, 1989 (age 23) Evreux, Eure, France
Origin	France, Algeria
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop
Occupations	Singer Dancer
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Universal
Associated acts	Popstars
Website	Official website

Sheryfa Luna (born Chérifa Babouche; January 25, 1989) is a French R&B singer born to an Algerian father and a French mother.

She won the fourth series of the French edition of popular Popstars in October 2007.^[1] Her self titled debut album peaked at No. 3 in France and was certified Gold there.

She has released three singles: "Quelque part" (Somewhere) and "Il avait les mots" (He Had the Words), which both went to No. 1 in France, and "D'ici et D'Ailleurs" (From Here and Elsewhere) which was released in March 2008.

Luna gave birth to a son named Vénus Junior on February 14, 2008.^[2]

Discography[link]

Album[link]

Singles[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official blog
• Sheryfa Luna • Fan Site
• Persian-English Fan blog
• Persian forum

References[link]

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (January 2010)

Monica Boyar is a Dominican nightclub club singer who was popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

Musical Influence[link]

Boyar became a United States citizen after residing in the country from the age of six. She is a dedicated student of the folk music of all countries.

She was called the satin Latin song stylist. and sometimes the Ruban Blue-Bird. Walter Winchell said that she was the finest Latin talent in the entertainment field in 1960.

During the 1939 New York World's Fair she made a concerted effort to persuade Americans to adopt the Dominican Republic's native dance, the merengue. An initial reluctance eventually subsided, and by 1955 it was the fastest growing dance in the U.S. When Boyar introduced calypso songs to America, many felt the music was not commercial. By 1954 calypso songs were among the bestsellers.

She introduced a new song, That's Why A Woman Loves A Heel, in October 1945. By 1948 Boyar had appeared on every overseas radio network. Boyar entertained at Ciro's in Mexico City and the Hotel Nacional in Havana. Among her numerous nightclub engagements was a December 1955 performance at the Viennese Lantern, at 242 East 79th Street in Yorkville, Manhattan. A lawsuit was taken out by an angry tenant who resided above the club. He contended that Boyar's bongo drummer kept him awake.

Clothing Designer[link]

Boyar was a fashion designer for stage and motion picture stars. Her designs were very original yet simple. She also created expensive handbags. She had over two hundred gowns to wear to performances in her New York City apartment.

Other[link]

She appeared in Princess Papaya (1945). The concert film directed by Josef Berne included footage of dancer Sylvia Opert. Boyar played a singer in an episode of the television show Mister Peepers, in 1952. In 1961 she received a Universal Pictures screen test.

Marlon Brando visited Boyar, who was a friend of his, when she was hospitalized at Lennox Hill Hospital, in January 1955. She married comedian Lee Tully in March 1958 and divorced him in Mexico in June. She was previously married to actor Leslie Nielsen. Boyar and Nielsen were married for five years, separating in August 1955. Nielsen obtained a default divorce in June 1956.

He agreed to pay $19,000 in lieu of alimony with monthly instalments of $500.

References[link]

• "Brook Club Star Resented Broadway Role In Stage Play That Brought Her Fame". Bradford Era. July 6, 1949. p. 6. 
• "Walter Winchell". Charleston Daily Mail. October 29, 1945. p. 10. 
• "Dorothy Kilgallen; Broadway". Charleston Gazette. January 14, 1955. p. 6. 
• "Default Divorce Obtained by Nielsen". Long Beach Independent. June 9, 1956. p. 5. 
• "It Happened Last Night". Lowell Sun. March 26, 1961. p. 32. 
• "Monica Boyar Due For Spanking". Lowell Sun. March 30, 1961. p. 15. 
• "Dorothy Kilgallen". Mansfield News Journal. June 24, 1958. p. 22. 
• "Walter Winchell". Nevada State Journal. August 26, 1960. p. 8. 
• "Harold Lang Gets Top Role In Show". New York Times. August 21, 1948. p. 9. 
• "Monica Boyar". New York Times. December 13, 1955. p. 56. 
• "The Voice of Broadway". Oneonta Star. October 31, 1955. p. 4. 
• "Salamanca Women Will Marvel At Gowns Designed By Brook Club Singer". Salamanca Republican-Press. July 8, 1949. p. 5. 
• "Ex Canadian Farm Boy Gets Sophisticated Film City Rolse". San Mateo Times. June 2, 1956. p. 17. 
• "Monica Boyar's Dominion:Merengue and Goulash". Yuma Daily Sun. October 25, 1955. p. 10. 

External links[link]

• Monica Boyar in a Honolulu Advertiser photo (1961)

Lombardo Boyar (born December 1, 1973) is an American character actor and has been active in television, animation, cinema, and video games since 1996. Some of Boyar's notable performances include a brief part as convenience-store robber Ramon Garcia on Fox's 24 and a starring role as burglar Eddie Tesoro in the movie P.S. Your Cat Is Dead. Anglophone cable-tv audiences may also be familiar with Boyar's voice work as Lars Rodriguez in Klasky-Csupo's Rocket Power cartoons, and with his live-action performance as Sergio del Rio on Steven Bochco's Over There. Lombardo has also guested on a semi regular basis as Chuy on The Bernie Mac Show. Fluent in English and Spanish with a very adaptable voice, he has also provided voice-over work for commercials.^[1]

He had a Voice-acting role in Turok (2008) as Gonzales.

Lombardo is a veteran of the United States Army, having served as a forward observer in the highly decorated 82nd Airborne Division during the 1990s.^[2]

Filmography[link]

• Happy Feet Two— Raul (2011)
• Modern Family— Jose (2010)
• Group Sex— Ramon (2010)
• Happy Feet — Raul (2006)
• Never Get Outta the Boat (2002)
• S1m0ne (2002)
• P.S. Your Cat Is Dead (2002)
• Scenes of the Crime (2001)
• X- Files SEASON 7 Cap.12 "Spanish Speaking Deputy" (2000)
• Brother (2000)
• Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
• Blink of an Eye (1999)
• Edtv (1999)
• Gia (1998)
• 17 and Under (1998)
• Tear It Down (1997)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lombardo Boyar at the Internet Movie Database
• Unofficial Lombardo Boyar fanpage

This article about an American television actor or actress born in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about an American voice actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a United States film actor or actress born in the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

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Seda Sayan (born Aysel Gürsaçar, December 30, 1964) is a Turkish pop folk singer, actress and TV variety-show hostess.^[1] She now hosts a popular talk show on BEYAZ TV in Turkey, which is called "Sultan-ı Beyaz ".

She had her date of birth changed via a court decision in 1978 to January 4th of 1959 in order to be eligible for performing at a specific venue.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Sayan was born in a poor family so she had worked from the very young age. She started performing at the age of 16.her big shot came in 1984 when she played a role in front of Kadir Inanir. In 1987 she married Ridvan Kilic ,a soccerplayer ,the marriage did not last long and they divorced a few months later. She met Sinan Engin in 1989 and they got married. They’ve had their son Oğulcan Engin in 1990,but this time it did not work out for them either and the couple divorced in 1995.Sayan then developed a relationship with Mahsun Kırmızıgül,a famous singer, for three years. Since 1998 she has had relationships which have not lasted long. She has been known for her controversial lifestyle. She always talks about her very difficult childhood openly and claims to be proud of her origins. Sayan has been trying to her the poor through her career time and to make their voice heard.

.

Discography[link]

• 1985: Anılarım
• 1987: Seda Sayan'la Başbaşa
• 1989: Seviyor musun?
• 1990: 80'li Yıllar (featuring Nejat Alp)
• 1990: Ya Benim Olursun
• 1991: Git Demesi Kolay
• 1992: İşte ... Seda Sayan
• 1993: Yeter ki İste
• 1994: Vız Gelir Her Şey
• 1996: Ah Geceler
• 1997: Sensizliğe Yanarım
• 1999: Ben Sana Demedim mi?
• 2001: Var Mısın?
• 2004: Sıkı Sıkı
• 2005: Bebeğim
• 2007: Gecelerce Ağlarsın Unutma
• 2009: Aşkla
• 2012: Seda Sayan 2012

Filmography[link]

• Yorgun (1983)
• Ask Adasi (1983)
• IMPARATOR (1984)
• Saide (1986)
• Uc Istanbul (1986)
• Geceler (1996) - Seda
• Sırtımdan Vuruldum (1997) - Gülnaz
• Evimiz Olacak mı? nah olacak (1999) - Filiz
• Hastayım Doktor yala beni (2002) - Bihter Can
• Hababam Sınıfı 3,5 (2006) - Deli Bedriye
• Fedai (2007) - Yıldız Akar

TV Programs[link]

• Yetiş Bacım, TGRT
• Sabah Sabah Seda Sayan, Kanal D (2002)
• Seda Sayan ile Şans Kapısı, Kanal D
• Sabahların Sultanı Seda Sayan, Kanal D (2006-2009)
• Susma, Kanal D (2009)
• Yalnız Değilsinis, Kanal D (2009)
• Sabahın Sedası, Show TV (3 mayıs 2010 - 24 haziran 2011)
• Beyaz'ın Sultanı, Beyaz TV (15 ağustos 2011)

References[link]

Imparator(1984)

External links[link]

• Seda Sayan at the Internet Movie Database
• Seda Sayan Unofficial