List of heads of state of Bulgaria

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.

		Reign			House	Claim
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration	House	Claim
	Alexander I Александър I 1857–1893 (Lived: 36 years)	29 April 1879	7 September 1886 (Abdicated)	7 years, 131 days	Battenberg	Elected by the First Grand National Assembly
	Ferdinand I Фердинанд I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years)	7 July 1887	5 October 1908	21 years, 90 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly

		Reign			House	Claim
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign start	Reign end	Duration	House	Claim
	Ferdinand I Фердинанд I 1861–1948 (Lived: 87 years)	5 October 1908	3 October 1918 (Abdicated)	9 years, 363 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Proclaimed himself as Tsar
	Boris III Борис III 1894–1943 (Lived: 49 years)	3 October 1918	28 August 1943 (Died)	24 years, 329 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Ferdinand I
	Simeon II Симеон II Born 1937 (88 years old)	28 August 1943	15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished)	3 years, 18 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	Son of Boris III
	Kiril, Prince of Preslav Кирил, принц Преславски 1895–1945 (Lived: 49 years)	28 August 1943	9 September 1944 (Deposed)	1 year, 12 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	First Regency Council For Simeon II
	Bogdan Filov Богдан Филов 1883–1945 (Lived: 61 years)				—
	Lt. General Nikola Mihov Никола Михов 1891–1945 (Lived: 53 years)				—
	Todor Pavlov Тодор Павлов 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 Венелин Ганев 1880–1966 (Lived: 86 years)
	Tsvetko Boboshevski Цвятко Бобошевски 1884–1952 (Lived: 68 years)

Head of State			Term of office			Duration	Political party
	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office	Duration	Political party
Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
		Vasil Kolarov Васил Коларов 1877–1950 (Lived: 72 years)	—	15 September 1946	9 December 1947	1 year, 85 days	BKP
Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
		Mincho Neychev Минчо Нейчев 1887–1956 (Lived: 69 years)	—	9 December 1947	27 May 1950	2 years, 169 days	BKP
		Georgi Damyanov Георги Дамянов 1892–1958 (Lived: 66 years)	—	27 May 1950	27 November 1958†	8 years, 184 days	BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	27 November 1958	30 November 1958	3 days	BKP
		Nikolay Georgiev [bg] Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—	27 November 1958	30 November 1958	3 days	BZNS
		Dimitar Ganev Димитър Ганев 1898–1964 (Lived: 65 years)	—	30 November 1958	20 April 1964†	5 years, 142 days	BKP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	20 April 1964	23 April 1964	3 days	BKP
		Nikolay Georgiev [bg] Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—	20 April 1964	23 April 1964	3 days	BZNS
		Georgi Traykov Георги Трайков 1898–1975 (Lived: 76 years)	—	23 April 1964	7 July 1971	7 years, 75 days	BZNS
Chairman of the State Council
		Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years)	—	7 July 1971	17 November 1989	18 years, 133 days	BKP
		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	—	17 November 1989	3 April 1990	137 days	BKP
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	(Apr) 1990	3 April 1990	6 July 1990	94 days	BSP
		Stanko Todorov Станко Тодоров 1920–1996 (Lived: 76 years)	—	6 July 1990	17 July 1990	11 days	BSP
		Nikolai Todorov Николай Тодоров 1921–2003 (Lived: 82 years)	—	17 July 1990	1 August 1990	15 days	BSP
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	(Jul–Aug) 1990	1 August 1990	15 November 1990	106 days	SDS

		Term of office			Notes
Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Duration	Notes
	Georgi Dimitrov Георги Димитров 1882–1949 (Lived: 67 years)	27 December 1948	2 July 1949	187 days	Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
	Valko Chervenkov Вълко Червенков 1900–1980 (Lived: 80 years)	2 July 1949	4 March 1954	4 years, 245 days	Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
	Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков 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)
	Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	10 November 1989	2 February 1990	84 days	Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990)

President			Term of office			Duration	Political party
	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Took office	Left office	Duration	Political party
Chairman (President) of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	(Jul-Aug) 1990	15 November 1990	22 January 1992	1 year, 68 days	SDS
President of the Republic
		Zhelyu Zhelev Желю Желев 1935–2015 (Lived: 79 years)	1992	22 January 1992	22 January 1997	5 years	SDS
		Petar Stoyanov Петър Стоянов Born 1952 (73 years old)	1996	22 January 1997	22 January 2002	5 years	SDS
		Georgi Parvanov Георги Първанов Born 1957 (68 years old)	2001 2006	22 January 2002	22 January 2012	10 years	BSP
		Rosen Plevneliev Росен Плевнелиев Born 1964 (61 years old)	2011	22 January 2012	22 January 2017	5 years	GERB
		Rumen Radev Румен Радев Born 1963 (62 years old)	2016 2021	22 January 2017	Incumbent^[a]	8 years, 208 days	Independent (BSP–nominated)

List of heads of state of Bulgaria

Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908)

Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)

People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)

General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1948–1990)

Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)

Timeline

Head of state titles

See also

Footnotes and references

External links

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