The designation “varnichii” occurs only once, in the Rila Charter issued by Tsar Ivan Shishman to the Rila Monastery in 1378. No other documents, equivalent offices in neighbouring states, or named holders of the post are known. Its character must therefore be reconstructed chiefly from the word’s formation and from its position among the officials listed in the charter.
The word follows a Slavic pattern and contains the suffix “-chii,” used to form masculine names of occupations and offices and generally regarded as Proto-Bulgar or, more broadly, Turkic in origin. One proposed interpretation connects it with the verb meaning “to boil” or “to cook” and identifies the official as a cook, but this does not adequately explain the consonant “n.” A more likely derivation is from the words for lime and a lime kiln. On this reading, the title designated the person in charge of such a kiln. Its appearance in a context close to the gradari, officials associated with building work, supports this interpretation without proving it conclusively.
The lime officer probably helped organize construction and supply it with lime. His inclusion in a charter protecting the monastery’s population from official burdens suggests that he could demand labour or services. These obligations may have included corvée, meaning compulsory unpaid labour, particularly for gradozidanie, also known by the Byzantine term kastroktisia—the construction and repair of fortifications. There is no direct evidence for his exact authority, place of subordination, insignia, seals, or coins. The title’s position in the document and the practical nature of its presumed duties indicate a low rank in the administrative hierarchy. Its single attestation in 1378 does not reveal when the office originated or how long it survived.
The title “varnichii” appears only once, in the Rila Charter that Tsar Ivan Shishman gave to the Rila Monastery in 1378. No other records mention it, and there are no known matching offices in nearby states or named people who held it. Because of that, its meaning has to be worked out mainly from the word itself and from where it appears in the list of officials in the charter.
The word fits a Slavic pattern and ends with “-chii,” a suffix used to make male titles for jobs and offices. Scholars usually connect that ending with Proto-Bulgar, or more broadly Turkic, forms. One idea is that the word comes from a verb meaning “to boil” or “to cook,” which would make the officer a cook, but that explanation does not account well for the letter “n.” A stronger possibility is that it comes from words for lime and a lime kiln. On this reading, the title meant the person in charge of a lime kiln. The fact that it appears near the gradari, officials linked with building work, supports this view, though it does not prove it.
This lime officer probably helped organize construction and made sure it had a supply of lime. Since he is listed in a charter that protected the monastery’s people from official demands, he must have been able to require labour or services. These duties may have included corvée, which means compulsory unpaid labour, especially for gradozidanie, also called by the Byzantine term kastroktisia, the building and repair of fortifications. There is no direct evidence for his exact powers, his place in the chain of command, any badge or symbol he used, or any seals or coins connected with him. Still, the way the title is placed in the document, together with the practical nature of the job, suggests that it was a low-ranking office. Since it is mentioned only in 1378, we also cannot tell when the post began or how long it lasted.
The word “varnichii” appears only once, in a charter from 1378. It was issued by Tsar Ivan Shishman to the Rila Monastery. Because no other records mention this office, historians can only guess what it meant.
It most likely meant the person in charge of a lime kiln. Lime was needed for building work, especially for walls and repairs. This official may also have had the power to ask for unpaid labor. He seems to have been a low-ranking official.