List of heads of state of Bulgaria
Appearance
![]() |
---|
This is a list of the heads of the modern Bulgarian state, from the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria to the present day.
It also lists the general secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1948–1990. From 1948 onwards, the general secretary was the country's de facto chief executive.
Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)
Prince | Reign | Claim | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Duration | ||
1 | ![]() |
Alexander I 1857–1893 (Lived: 36 years) |
Battenberg | 29 April 1879 | 7 September 1886 (Abdicated) |
7 years, 131 days | Elected by the First Grand National Assembly |
2 | ![]() |
Ferdinand I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years) |
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry | 7 July 1887 | 5 October 1908 | 21 years, 90 days | Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly |
Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)
Denotes Regent
Tsar | Reign | Claim | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
House | Reign start | Reign end | Duration | ||
(2) | ![]() |
Ferdinand I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years) |
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry | 5 October 1908 | 3 October 1918 (Abdicated) |
9 years, 363 days | Proclaimed himself as Tsar |
3 | ![]() |
Boris III 1894–1943 (Lived: 49 years) |
3 October 1918 | 28 August 1943 † (Died) |
24 years, 329 days | Son of Ferdinand I | |
4 | ![]() |
Simeon II Born 1937 (87 years old) |
28 August 1943 | 15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished) |
3 years, 18 days | Son of Boris III | |
— | ![]() |
Kiril, Prince of Preslav 1895–1945 (Lived: 49 years) |
9 September 1944 (Deposed) |
1 year, 12 days | First Regency Council For Simeon II | ||
— | ![]() |
Bogdan Filov 1883–1945 (Lived: 61 years) |
— | ||||
— | ![]() |
Lt. General Nikola Mihov 1891–1945 (Lived: 53 years) | |||||
— | ![]() |
Todor Pavlov 1890–1977 (Lived: 87 years) |
— | 9 September 1944 | 15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished) |
2 years, 6 days | Second Regency Council For Simeon II |
— | ![]() |
Venelin Ganev 1880–1966 (Lived: 86 years) | |||||
— | ![]() |
Tsvetko Boboshevski 1884–1952 (Lived: 68 years) |
People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
- Status
Denotes Acting Head of State
Head of State | Term of office | Duration | Political party | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | Took office | Left office | |||
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency | |||||||
— | ![]() |
Vasil Kolarov 1877–1950 (Lived: 72 years) |
— | 15 September 1946 | 9 December 1947 | 1 year, 85 days | BCP |
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly | |||||||
5 | ![]() |
Mincho Neychev 1887–1956 (Lived: 69 years) |
— | 9 December 1947 | 27 May 1950 | 2 years, 169 days | BCP |
6 | ![]() |
Georgi Damyanov 1892–1958 (Lived: 66 years) |
— | 27 May 1950 | 27 November 1958 † | 8 years, 184 days | |
— | ![]() |
Georgi Kulishev 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years) |
— | 27 November 1958 | 30 November 1958 | 3 days | |
— | ![]() |
Nikolay Georgiev 1906–1988 (Lived: 81 years) |
— | BANU | |||
7 | ![]() |
Dimitar Ganev 1898–1964 (Lived: 65 years) |
— | 30 November 1958 | 20 April 1964 † | 5 years, 142 days | BCP |
— | ![]() |
Georgi Kulishev 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years) |
— | 20 April 1964 | 23 April 1964 | 3 days | |
— | ![]() |
Nikolay Georgiev 1906–1988 (Lived: 81 years) |
— | BANU | |||
8 | ![]() |
Georgi Traykov 1898–1975 (Lived: 76 years) |
— | 23 April 1964 | 7 July 1971 | 7 years, 75 days | BANU |
Chairman of the State Council | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Todor Zhivkov 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years) |
— | 7 July 1971 | 17 November 1989 | 18 years, 133 days | BCP |
10 | ![]() |
Petar Mladenov 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years) |
— | 17 November 1989 | 3 April 1990 | 137 days | |
Chairman (President) of the Republic | |||||||
(10) | ![]() |
Petar Mladenov 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years) |
(Apr) 1990 | 3 April 1990 | 6 July 1990 | 94 days | BSP |
— | ![]() |
Stanko Todorov 1920–1996 (Lived: 76 years) |
— | 6 July 1990 | 17 July 1990 | 11 days | |
— | ![]() |
Nikolai Todorov 1921–2003 (Lived: 82 years) |
— | 17 July 1990 | 1 August 1990 | 15 days | |
11 | ![]() |
Zhelyu Zhelev 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years) |
(Jul–Aug) 1990 | 1 August 1990 | 15 November 1990 | 106 days | UDF |
General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1948–1990)
General Secretary | Term of office | Notes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Took office | Left office | Duration | ||
1 | ![]() |
Georgi Dimitrov 1882–1949 (Lived: 67 years) |
27 December 1948 | 2 July 1949 | 187 days | Also Prime Minister (1946–1949) |
2 | ![]() |
Valko Chervenkov 1900–1980 (Lived: 80 years) |
2 July 1949 | 4 March 1954 | 4 years, 245 days | Also Prime Minister (1950–1956) |
3 | ![]() |
Todor Zhivkov 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years) |
4 March 1954 | 10 November 1989 | 35 years, 251 days | Also Prime Minister (1962–1971), and Chairman of the Council of State (1971–1989) |
4 | ![]() |
Petar Mladenov 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years) |
10 November 1989 | 2 February 1990 | 84 days | Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990) |
Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)
President | Term of office | Duration | Political party | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Election | Took office | Left office | |||
Chairman (President) of the Republic | |||||||
(11) | ![]() |
Zhelyu Zhelev 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years) |
(Jul-Aug) 1990 | 15 November 1990 | 22 January 1992 | 1 year, 68 days | SDS |
President of the Republic | |||||||
(11) | ![]() |
Zhelyu Zhelev 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years) |
1992 | 22 January 1992 | 22 January 1997 | 5 years | SDS |
12 | ![]() |
Petar Stoyanov Born 1952 (72 years old) |
1996 | 22 January 1997 | 22 January 2002 | 5 years | |
13 | ![]() |
Georgi Parvanov Born 1957 (67 years old) |
2001 2006 |
22 January 2002 | 22 January 2012 | 10 years | BSP |
14 | Rosen Plevneliev Born 1964 (60 years old) |
2011 | 22 January 2012 | 22 January 2017 | 5 years | GERB | |
15 | ![]() |
Rumen Radev Born 1963 (61 years old) |
2016 2021 |
22 January 2017 | Incumbent | 7 years, 213 days | Independent |
Timeline from 1946
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/pudieas9xbcgtoj7n0ll5k6dqc6cdv6.png)
Head of state titles
State | Years | Title |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1879–1908 | Prince of Bulgaria |
![]() |
1908–1946 | Tsar of Bulgaria |
![]() |
1946–1947 | Chairman of the Provisional Presidency |
1947–1971 | Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly | |
1971–1990 | Chairman of the State Council | |
1990 | Chairman (President) of the Republic | |
![]() |
1990–1992 | |
1992–present | President of the Republic |
See also
- Politics of Bulgaria
- List of Bulgarian monarchs
- List of Bulgarian regents
- List of heads of government of Bulgaria
- List of presidents of Bulgaria (1990-present)
- List of first deputy chairmen of the State Council of Bulgaria
- Vice President of Bulgaria