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)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%"
|-
! width=35% colspan=3|Prince
! width=40% colspan=3|Reign
! rowspan=2|House
! width=25% rowspan=2|Claim
|-
!
! Portrait
! width=30%|Name<br />
! Reign start
! Reign end
! Duration
|-
!
| 100px
| Alexander I<br /><br />1857–1893<br />
| 29 April 1879
| 7 September 1886<br />
|
| Battenberg
| Elected by the First Grand National Assembly
|-
!
| 100px
| Ferdinand I<br /><br />1861–1948<br />
| 7 July 1887
| 5 October 1908
|
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry
| Elected by the Third Grand National Assembly
|}
Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%"
|-
! width=35% colspan=3|Tsar
! width=40% colspan=3|Reign
! rowspan=2|House
! width=25% rowspan=2|Claim
|-
!
! Portrait
! width=30%|Name<br />
! Reign start
! Reign end
! Duration
|-
!
| 100px
| Ferdinand I<br /><br />1861–1948<br />
| 5 October 1908
| 3 October 1918<br />
|
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry
| Proclaimed himself as Tsar
|-
!
| 100px
| Boris III<br /><br />1894–1943<br />
| 3 October 1918
| 28 August 1943<br />
|
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry
| Son of Ferdinand I
|-
!
| 100px
| Simeon II<br /><br />Born 1937<br />
| 28 August 1943
| 15 September 1946<br />
|
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry
| Son of Boris III
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| Kiril, Prince of Preslav<br /><br />1895–1945<br />
| rowspan=3|28 August 1943
| rowspan=3|9 September 1944<br />
| rowspan=3|
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry
| rowspan=3|First Regency Council<br />For Simeon II
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| Bogdan Filov<br /><br />1883–1945<br />
| rowspan=2|—
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| <br />Nikola Mihov<br /><br />1891–1945<br />
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| Todor Pavlov<br /><br />1890–1977<br />
| rowspan=3|9 September 1944
| rowspan=3|15 September 1946<br />
| rowspan=3|
| rowspan=3|—
| rowspan=3|Second Regency Council<br />For Simeon II
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| Venelin Ganev<br /><br />1880–1966<br />
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
!
| 100px
| Tsvetko Boboshevski<br /><br />1884–1952<br />
|}
People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
;Status
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%"
|-
! width=35% colspan=3|Head of State
! width=40% colspan=3|Term of office
! width=25% rowspan=2|Duration
! width=25% rowspan=2|Political party
|-
!
! Portrait
! width=30%|Name<br />
! Election
! Took office
! Left office
|-
! colspan=8|Chairman of the Provisional Presidency
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Vasil Kolarov<br /><br />1877–1950<br />
| —
| 15 September 1946
| 9 December 1947
|
| BKP
|-
! colspan=8|Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Mincho Neychev<br /><br />1887–1956<br />
| —
| 9 December 1947
| 27 May 1950
|
| BKP
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Damyanov<br /><br />1892–1958<br />
| —
| 27 May 1950
| 27 November 1958†
|
| BKP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Kulishev<br /><br />1885–1974<br />
| —
| rowspan=2|27 November 1958
| rowspan=2|30 November 1958
| rowspan=2|
| BKP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| <br /><br />1906–1987<br />
| —
| BZNS
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Dimitar Ganev<br /><br />1898–1964<br />
| —
| 30 November 1958
| 20 April 1964†
|
| BKP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Kulishev<br /><br />1885–1974<br />
| —
| rowspan=2|20 April 1964
| rowspan=2|23 April 1964
| rowspan=2|
| BKP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| <br /><br />1906–1987<br />
| —
| BZNS
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Traykov<br /><br />1898–1975<br />
| —
| 23 April 1964
| 7 July 1971
|
| BZNS
|-
! colspan=8|Chairman of the State Council
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Todor Zhivkov<br /><br />1911–1998<br />
| —
| 7 July 1971
| 17 November 1989
|
| BKP
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Petar Mladenov<br /><br />1936–2000<br />
| —
| 17 November 1989
| 3 April 1990
|
| BKP
|-
! colspan=8|Chairman (President) of the Republic
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Petar Mladenov<br /><br />1936–2000<br />
| (Apr) 1990
| 3 April 1990
| 6 July 1990
|
| BSP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Stanko Todorov<br /><br />1920–1996<br />
| —
| 6 July 1990
| 17 July 1990
|
| BSP
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Nikolai Todorov<br /><br />1921–2003<br />
| —
| 17 July 1990
| 1 August 1990
|
| BSP
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Zhelyu Zhelev<br /><br />1935–2015<br />
| (Jul–Aug) 1990
| 1 August 1990
| 15 November 1990
|
| SDS
|}
General Secretaries of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1948–1990)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%"
|-
! width=35% colspan=3|General Secretary
! width=40% colspan=3|Term of office
! width=25% rowspan=2|Notes
|-
!
! Portrait
! width=30%|Name<br />
! Took office
! Left office
! Duration
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Dimitrov<br /><br />1882–1949<br />
| 27 December 1948
| 2 July 1949
|
| Also Prime Minister (1946–1949)
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Valko Chervenkov<br /><br />1900–1980<br />
| 2 July 1949
| 4 March 1954
|
| Also Prime Minister (1950–1956)
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Todor Zhivkov<br /><br />1911–1998<br />
| 4 March 1954
| 10 November 1989
|
| Also Prime Minister (1962–1971), and Chairman of the Council of State (1971–1989)
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Petar Mladenov<br /><br />1936–2000<br />
| 10 November 1989
| 2 February 1990
|
| Also Chairman of the Council of State (1989–1990)
|}
Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%"
|-
! width=35% colspan=3|President
! width=40% colspan=3|Term of office
! width=25% rowspan=2|Duration
! width=25% rowspan=2|Political party
|-
!
! Portrait
! width=30%|Name<br />
! Election
! Took office
! Left office
|-
! colspan=9|Chairman (President) of the Republic
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Zhelyu Zhelev<br /><br />1935–2015<br />
| (Jul-Aug) 1990
| 15 November 1990
| 22 January 1992
|
| SDS
|-
! colspan=9|President of the Republic
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Zhelyu Zhelev<br /><br />1935–2015<br />
| 1992
| 22 January 1992
| 22 January 1997
| years
| SDS
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Petar Stoyanov<br /><br />Born 1952<br />
| 1996
| 22 January 1997
| 22 January 2002
| years
| SDS
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Georgi Parvanov<br /><br />Born 1957<br />
| 2001<br />2006
| 22 January 2002
| 22 January 2012
| years
| BSP
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Rosen Plevneliev<br /><br />Born 1964<br />
| 2011
| 22 January 2012
| 22 January 2017
| years
| GERB
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Rumen Radev<br /><br />Born 1963<br />
| 2016<br />2021
| 22 January 2017
| 23 January 2026
|
| Independent<br>
|-
! style="background:;" |
| 100px
| Iliana Iotova<br /><br />Born 1964<br />
| —
| 23 January 2026
| Incumbent
|
| BSP
|}
Timeline
Head of state titles
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! State
! Years
! Title
|-
|
| 1879–1908
| Prince of Bulgaria
|-
|
| 1908–1946
| Tsar of Bulgaria
|-
| rowspan=4|
| 1946–1947
| Chairman of the Provisional <br />Presidency
|-
| 1947–1971
| Chairman of the Presidium <br />of the National Assembly
|-
| 1971–1990
| Chairman of the State <br />Council
|-
| 1990
| rowspan=2|Chairman (President) of <br />the Republic
|-
| rowspan=2|
| 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 first deputy chairmen of the State Council of Bulgaria
- Vice President of Bulgaria
Footnotes and references
External links
- List of Bulgarian heads of state and government
- The President of the Republic of Bulgaria
- King Simeon