Michael, Bulgarian despot

The various possibilities for the precise identification and chronological placement of the despot Michael carry significant implications for both the political history and social practice of medieval Bulgaria.

The frescoes in the church at Donja Kamenica depict what is apparently a married couple, with the despot on the right and his wife on the left.

The inscription next to the wife is more damaged, with only the title despotica and the word "daughter" being legible enough, although her name has been tentatively restored as Helena or Anna.

[11] This hypothesis represents a partial return to that of Dmitrij Polivjannij, who dated the presence of despot Mikhail in northwestern Bulgaria to the period 1332–1341,[12] which was contested by Ivan Božilov.

[15] Frfulanović further assumes that there is no specific evidence requiring the despot Michael to rule Vidin, that would otherwise preclude his dating to the late 1350s and 1360s, as he could have held his less extensive domains from his uncle Ivan Sratsimir.