Famous Bulgarian Men

André the Giant was one of the most popular French wrestlers ever to appear in WWF. He stood over seven feet tall due to a condition aptly called gigantism, but used his condition to gain popularity. Also an actor, André the Giant continues to be one of the most recognizable faces in the world, several years after his death.

Roman emperor Aurelian ruled from 270 to 275. His military triumphs reunited the Roman Empire and put an end to the Crisis of the Third Century. He built the Aurelian Walls in Rome. Known as the Restitutor Orbis, he defeated the barbarian armies of the Goths and the Alamanni.

The last king of Bulgaria, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, has also been the country’s prime minister. He had taken over as the king at 6, after his father’s mysterious death. He married a Spanish noble lady while in exile in Madrid and returned to Bulgaria 50 years after the abolition of monarchy.

Georgi Markov was a Bulgarian writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. After relocating to London due to political reasons, Markov worked as a journalist and broadcaster for the BBC World Service, Radio Free Europe, and Deutsche Welle. Georgi Markov was assassinated in 1978 and was posthumously honored with the Order of Stara Planina in 2000.

Vasil Levski was a Bulgarian revolutionary who is considered a national hero in Bulgaria. Nicknamed the Apostle of Freedom, Vasil Levski strategized a revolutionary movement to free Bulgaria from the Ottoman rule. In a nationwide television poll conducted in 2007, Levski was voted as the greatest Bulgarian of all time.

George Morris Baker was an English writer and actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Tiberius Caesar Augustus in the popular TV series I, Claudius. As a writer, Baker is well-known for his contribution to a TV play titled Fatal Spring, which earned him a UN peace award. George Morris Baker is also remembered for his charitable work.    

Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian-French historian, philosopher, literary critic, and sociologist. He completed his doctorat ès lettres at the University of Paris and had a brilliant academic career. He helped to found the journal Poétique and served as one of its managing editors. He authored many books, including Conquest of America: The Question of the Other. 

Krum was the ruler of Bulgaria from 803 until his demise in 814. An able administrator, Krum helped expand the Bulgarian territory, which doubled in size during his reign. Krum is also remembered for introducing the first known written law code in the history of Bulgaria, which established him as a strict but just ruler.

Alexander Joseph or Alexander of Battenberg was a prince of Bulgaria from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886. He was forced to abdicate in 1886 by pro-Russian Bulgarian Army officers during a coup d'état. After abdicating, Alexander went on to serve in the Austrian Army as a general.

Hristo Botev was a Bulgarian poet and revolutionary. Widely regarded as a national hero by Bulgarians, Botev was thought to be ahead of his peers in his aesthetic, philosophical, and political views. An influential and important figure in the history of Bulgaria, Botev has several monuments, schools, football clubs, and stadiums named after him.

Known as the father of the pill, Carl Djerassi is best remembered for chemically synthesizing a steroid mimic of the hormone progesterone, which paved the way for the production of contraceptive pills.  That apart, he made important contributions to the synthesis of antihistamines, pest control, mass spectrometry etc. Also a successful author, he wrote several non-fictions, novels, dramas and poems.

Slavi Trifonov is a Bulgarian musician, TV host, and politician. An exponent of folklore music, Trifonov is credited with popularizing the traditional Bulgarian folk. He is also credited with founding a music band called Ku-Ku where he has performed as the frontman. Slavi Trifonov is also known for hosting a TV show called Late Night Show with Slavi Trifonov.

Boyko Borisov is a Bulgarian politician best known for his service as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria. He has served three terms as the prime minister between 2009 and 2021. An important politician, Borisov also served as the Mayor of Sofia from 10 November 2005 to 27 July 2009.

Todor Zhivkov was a Bulgarian communist statesman best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 19 November 1962 to 7 July 1971. In 1949, Todor Zhivkov served as the mayor of Sofia. From 1954 to 1989, Zhivkov served as the People's Republic of Bulgaria's de facto leader.

Christian Rakovsky was a Bulgarian-born Bolshevik politician, socialist revolutionary, Soviet diplomat and statesman. A multi-talented personality, Rakovsky was also a physician, journalist, and essayist. An important and influential political figure, Christian Rakovsky served as the Soviet Ambassador to France from 1925 to 1927.