List of heads of state of Bulgaria

This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Bulgaria

This is a list of the heads of state 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 1946–1990. From 1946 onwards, the General Secretary was the country's de facto chief executive.

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

House of Battenberg (1879–1886)

Prince Reign Claim
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Reign start Reign end Duration
Alexander I
18571893
(Lived: 36 years)
29 April 1879 7 September 1886
(Abdicated)
7 years, 131 days Elected by the First Grand National Assembly

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1887–1908)

Prince Reign Claim
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Reign start Reign end Duration
Ferdinand I
18611948
(Lived: 87 years)
7 July 1887 5 October 1908 21 years, 90 days Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly

Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1908–1946)

  Denotes Regent
Tsar Reign Claim
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Reign start Reign end Duration
Ferdinand I
18611948
(Lived: 87 years)
5 October 1908 3 October 1918
(Abdicated)
9 years, 363 days Proclaimed himself as Tsar
Boris III
18941943
(Lived: 49 years)
3 October 1918 28 August 1943 24 years, 329 days Son of Ferdinand I
Simeon II
Born 1937
(81 years old)
28 August 1943 15 September 1946
(Deposed)
3 years, 18 days Son of Boris III
Prince Kiril of Preslav
18951945
(Lived: 49 years)
28 August 1943 9 September 1944
(Deposed)
1 year, 12 days First Regency Council
For Simeon II
Bogdan Filov
18831945
(Lived: 61 years)
Lt. General Nikola Mikhov
18911945
(Lived: 53 years)
Todor Pavlov
18901977
(Lived: 87 years)
9 September 1944 15 September 1946
(Deposed)
2 years, 6 days Second Regency Council
For Simeon II
Venelin Ganev
18801966
(Lived: 86 years)
Tsvetko Boboshevski
18841952
(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
(Born–Died)
Election Took office Left office
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
Vasil Kolarov
18771950
(Lived: 72 years)
15 September 1946 9 December 1947 1 year, 85 days BCP
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
Mincho Neychev
18871956
(Lived: 69 years)
9 December 1947 27 May 1950 2 years, 169 days BCP
Georgi Damyanov
18921958
(Lived: 66 years)
27 May 1950 27 November 1958
(Died)
8 years, 184 days BCP
Georgi Kulishev
18851974
(Lived: 89 years)
27 November 1958 30 November 1958 3 days BCP
Nikolay Georgiev
19061988
(Lived: 81 years)
BANU
Dimitar Ganev
18981964
(Lived: 65 years)
30 November 1958 20 April 1964
(Died)
5 years, 142 days BCP
Georgi Kulishev
18851974
(Lived: 89 years)
20 April 1964 23 April 1964 3 days BCP
Nikolay Georgiev
19061988
(Lived: 81 years)
BANU
Georgi Traykov
18981975
(Lived: 76 years)
23 April 1964 7 July 1971 7 years, 75 days BANU
Chairman of the State Council
Todor Zhivkov
19111998
(Lived: 86 years)
7 July 1971 17 November 1989 18 years, 133 days BCP
Petar Mladenov
19362000
(Lived: 63 years)
17 November 1989 3 April 1990 137 days BCP
Chairman (President) of the Republic
Petar Mladenov
19362000
(Lived: 63 years)
(Apr) 1990 3 April 1990 6 July 1990 94 days BSP
Stanko Todorov
19201996
(Lived: 76 years)
6 July 1990 17 July 1990 11 days BSP
Nikolai Todorov
19212003
(Lived: 82 years)
17 July 1990 1 August 1990 15 days Independent
Zhelyu Zhelev
19352015
(Lived: 79 years)
(Jul-Aug) 1990 1 August 1990 15 November 1990 106 days UDF

General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1946–1990)

General Secretary Term of office Notes
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Took office Left office Duration
Georgi Dimitrov
18821949
(Lived: 67 years)
December 1946 2 July 1949 2 years, 7 months Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
Valko Chervenkov
19001980
(Lived: 80 years)
2 July 1949 4 March 1954 4 years, 245 days Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
Todor Zhivkov
19111998
(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)
Petar Mladenov
19362000
(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
(Born–Died)
Election Took office Left office
Chairman (President) of the Republic
Zhelyu Zhelev
19352015
(Lived: 79 years)
1 August 1990 22 January 1992 1 year, 68 days UDF
President of the Republic
Zhelyu Zhelev
19352015
(Lived: 79 years)
1992 22 January 1992 22 January 1997 5 years, 0 days UDF
Petar Stoyanov
Born 1952
(66 years old)
1996 22 January 1997 22 January 2002 5 years, 0 days UDF
Georgi Parvanov
Born 1957
(61 years old)
2001
2006
22 January 2002 22 January 2012 10 years, 0 days BSP
Rosen Plevneliev
Born 1964
(54 years old)
2011 22 January 2012 22 January 2017 5 years, 0 days GERB
Rumen Radev
Born 1963
(55 years old)
2016 22 January 2017 Incumbent (mandate expires on 22 January 2022) 1 year, 263 days Independent

Living former heads of state

There are three living former Bulgarian Presidents and one living former Tsar of Bulgaria:

Head of State titles

State Years Title
Principality of Bulgaria 1879–1908 Prince of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria 1908–1946 Tsar of Bulgaria
People's Republic 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
Republic of Bulgaria 1990–1992
1992–present President of the Republic

See also

Notes

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