List of heads of state of Bulgaria

This is a list only 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
		Alexander I Александър 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
		Ferdinand I Фердинанд 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
		Ferdinand I Фердинанд 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
		Boris III Борис III 1894–1943 (Lived: 49 years)	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	3 October 1918	28 August 1943 (Died)	24 years, 329 days	Son of Ferdinand I
		Simeon II Симеон II Born 1937 (86 years old)	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	28 August 1943	15 September 1946 (Monarchy abolished)	3 years, 18 days	Son of Boris III
		Kiril, Prince of Preslav Кирил, принц Преславски 1895–1945 (Lived: 49 years)	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry	28 August 1943	9 September 1944 (Deposed)	1 year, 12 days	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)

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 Васил Коларов 1877–1950 (Lived: 72 years)	—	15 September 1946	9 December 1947	1 year, 85 days	BCP
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	BCP
		Georgi Damyanov Георги Дамянов 1892–1958 (Lived: 66 years)	—	27 May 1950	27 November 1958†	8 years, 184 days	BCP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	27 November 1958	30 November 1958	3 days	BCP
		Nikolay Georgiev Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—				BANU
		Dimitar Ganev Димитър Ганев 1898–1964 (Lived: 65 years)	—	30 November 1958	20 April 1964†	5 years, 142 days	BCP
		Georgi Kulishev Георги Кулишев 1885–1974 (Lived: 89 years)	—	20 April 1964	23 April 1964	3 days	BCP
		Nikolay Georgiev Николай Георгиев 1906–1987 (Lived: 81 years)	—				BANU
		Georgi Traykov Георги Трайков 1898–1975 (Lived: 76 years)	—	23 April 1964	7 July 1971	7 years, 75 days	BANU
Chairman of the State Council
		Todor Zhivkov Тодор Живков 1911–1998 (Lived: 86 years)	—	7 July 1971	17 November 1989	18 years, 133 days	BCP
		Petar Mladenov Петър Младенов 1936–2000 (Lived: 63 years)	—	17 November 1989	3 April 1990	137 days	BCP
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	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
		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 (1950–1955)
		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)

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
		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 (71 years old)	1996	22 January 1997	22 January 2002	5 years	SDS
		Georgi Parvanov Георги Първанов Born 1957 (66 years old)	2001 2006	22 January 2002	22 January 2012	10 years	BSP
		Rosen Plevneliev Росен Плевнелиев Born 1964 (59 years old)	2011	22 January 2012	22 January 2017	5 years	GERB
		Rumen Radev Румен Радев Born 1963 (60 years old)	2016 2021	22 January 2017	Incumbent	7 years, 84 days	Independent

Timeline from 1946

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

• 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

External links

• List of Bulgarian heads of state and government
• The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
• King Simeon