Famous Bulgarian Media Personalities

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.

Maria Popova is a Bulgarian-born writer who focuses on philosophy and culture. Considered an important writer, Popova also contributes to popular publications like Wired UK, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. Over the course of her career, Maria Popova has been featured in various lists including Forbes' 30 under 30. 

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.

Bulgarian television-host and journalist Victoria Marinova served as administrative director of Ruse’s TVN Television. She presented the current-affairs talk-show Detector for the channel. Marinova’s brutal rape and murder, which occurred at a time when violence against investigative reporters were on the rise, sparked international outrage. She was the third journalist who was killed in the European Union within a year.

Stefan Stambolov was a Bulgarian journalist, revolutionary, politician, and poet who served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 1 September 1887 to 31 May 1894. Counted among the most popular and prominent founders of modern Bulgaria, Stambolov played a key role during the Balkan Wars; he helped initiate the cultural and economic progress in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian far-right politician Volen Siderov founded the nationalist political-party Attack in 2005 and serves as its Chairman. He served as editor of several newspapers and wrote five books dedicated to global conspiracy theories. According to Siderov, who reportedly espouses anti-Masonic conspiracy theories, the world is controlled by a small group of freemasons through puppet heads, international organizations, and the press.

Bulgarian poet, translator, and journalist Geo Milev is mostly remembered for his epic poem Septemvri, which relates the brutal suppression of the Communist uprising of September 1923. He was assumed missing for years, until it was revealed that he had been strangled and thrown into a mass grave during the 1925 purge.

Bulgarian writer and journalist Dimitar Talev served as political-prisoner following his arrest by communist authorities. This was followed by his expulsion from Bulgarian Writers' Union. He was later pardoned, rehabilitated and his author's union membership was restored. Talev became an MP in 1966. His literary works includes his Tetralogies The Iron Lantern, Ilinden, Prespa Bells and I Hear Your Voices.