66 Notable Alumni of National Military University "Vasil Levski"

Boris III of Bulgaria

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1894-1943 (aged 49)
Occupations: monarchtrain drivermilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Boris III, originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier), was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death in 1943.

Gotse Delchev

Born in: Greece
Years: 1872-1903 (aged 31)
Enrolled in National Military University "Vasil Levski": Studied in 1891-1894
Occupations: revolutionarypoliticianmilitary personnelteacher
Biography: Georgi Nikolov Delchev, known as Gotse Delchev or Goce Delčev (Гоце Делчев), was a prominent Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary (komitadji) and one of the most important leaders of what is commonly known as the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), active in the Ottoman-ruled Macedonia and Adrianople regions, as well as in Bulgaria, at the turn of the 20th century. Delchev was IMRO's foreign representative in Sofia, the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria. As such, he was also a member of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC), participating in the work of its governing body. He was killed in a skirmish with an Ottoman unit on the eve of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising.

Prince Kyril, Prince of Preslav

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1895-1945 (aged 50)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Prince Kiril of Bulgaria, Prince of Preslav was the second son of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and his first wife Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma. He was a younger brother of Boris III of Bulgaria and a prince regent of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1943 to 1944. He was sentenced to death by the People's Court and executed on the night of 1 February 1945.

Kimon Georgiev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1882-1969 (aged 87)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Kimon Georgiev Stoyanov was a Bulgarian general who was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1934 to 1935 and again from 1944 to 1946. He was considered a "master in the art of coup d'etats."

Vladimir Vazov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1868-1945 (aged 77)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Vladimir Minchev Vazov was a Bulgarian officer. He led the Bulgarian forces during the successful defensive operation at Dojran during the First World War.

Radko Dimitriev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1859-1918 (aged 59)
Occupations: diplomatmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Radko Ruskov Dimitriev was a Bulgarian general who served as the head of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army from 1 January 1904 to 28 March 1907, as well as a general in the Russian Army during World War I.

Nikola Zhekov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1865-1949 (aged 84)
Occupations: military officerministermilitary personneluniversity teacherpolitician
Biography: Nikola Todorov Zhekov was the Minister of War of Bulgaria in 1915 and served as commander-in-chief from 1915 to 1918 during World War I.

Vladimir Stoychev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1892-1990 (aged 98)
Occupations: military officermilitary personnelpoliticiandiplomatequestrian
Biography: Vladimir Dimitrov Stoychev was a Bulgarian Colonel General, diplomat, and Olympic equestrian.

Boris Sarafov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1872-1907 (aged 35)
Occupations: politicianrevolutionarymilitary officer
Biography: Boris Petrov Sarafov was a Bulgarian Army officer and revolutionary, one of the leaders of Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC) and Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO). He is considered an ethnic Macedonian in North Macedonia, having identified occasionally as a Macedonian in his life.

Konstantin Muraviev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1893-1965 (aged 72)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Konstantin Vladov Muraviev was a leading member of the Agrarian People's Union who briefly served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria near the end of Bulgaria's involvement in the Second World War on the side of Germany. Muraviev was educated at Robert College of Istanbul, just like Todor Ivanchov, Konstantin Stoilov and many other Bulgarians were at the time.

Ivan Kolev

Born in: Moldova
Years: 1863-1917 (aged 54)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Kolev Stoyanov was a Bulgarian lieutenant general and distinguished cavalry commander during World War I.

Boris Drangov

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1872-1917 (aged 45)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Boris Stoyanov Drangov was a Bulgarian Army officer and warfare pedagogue.

Aleksandar Protogerov

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1867-1928 (aged 61)
Occupations: military officermilitary personnelrevolutionarypoliticianmilitary commander
Biography: Alexandar Protogerov was a Bulgarian Army general, politician and a revolutionary. He was among the leaders of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee and the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization Protogerov was a Bulgarian Freemason and held a leading position (Grand Master) in the lodge where he was a member.

Georgi Todorov

Born in: Ukraine
Years: 1858-1934 (aged 76)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Georgi Stoyanov Todorov was a Bulgarian general who fought in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and First World War (1914–1918).

Stefan Toshev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1859-1924 (aged 65)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stefan Toshev was a Bulgarian general, from World War I. His mother was a teacher from the period of the National Revival. He volunteered in the Bulgarian Opalchentsi Corps during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and later served as a translator. On 10 May 1879, he graduated from the Military School in Sofia in its first year. Then he served in the Police force of Eastern Rumelia.

Mihail Savov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1857-1928 (aged 71)
Occupations: diplomatmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Mihail Georgiev Savov was a Bulgarian general, twice Minister of Defence (1891–1894 and 1903–1907), second in command of the Bulgarian army during the Balkan Wars.

Racho Petrov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1861-1942 (aged 81)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Racho Petrov Stoyanov was a leading Bulgarian general and politician.

Nikola Mikhov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1891-1945 (aged 54)
Occupations: ministerpoliticianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Nikola Mihaylov Mihov was a Bulgarian lieutenant general of artillery who served as one of the three Regents of Bulgaria for the underage Simeon II (1943–44).

Todor Kantardzhiev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1861-1945 (aged 84)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Todor Dimitrov Kantardzhiev was a Bulgarian lieutenant general and doctor.

Damyan Velchev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1883-1954 (aged 71)
Occupations: military officerministermilitary personnelpoliticiandiplomat
Biography: Damyan Velchev or Velcev was a Bulgarian politician and general.

Stoyan Stoyanov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1913-1997 (aged 84)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stoyan Iliev Stoyanov was the highest scoring Bulgarian fighter ace of the Royal Bulgarian Air Force in World War II with 15 victories.

Nikola Ivanov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1861-1940 (aged 79)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Nikola Ivanov Ivanov was a Bulgarian general and a minister of defence of the Principality of Bulgaria.

Ivan Bagryanov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1891-1945 (aged 54)
Occupations: politiciandiplomatmilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov was a leading Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister during the Second World War.

Kliment Boyadzhiev

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1861-1933 (aged 72)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Kliment Evtimov Boyadzhiev was a Bulgarian general during the Balkan Wars and World War I.

Ivan Fichev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1860-1931 (aged 71)
Occupations: military officermilitary personnelhistoriandiplomatjournalist
Biography: Ivan Ivanov Fichev was a Bulgarian general, Minister of Defense, military historian and academician.

Stiliyan Kovachev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1860-1939 (aged 79)
Occupations: soldiermilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stiliyan Kovachev was a Bulgarian general. During the First Balkan War he commanded the Rodopi Detachment and later 4th Army. He was a Minister of Defense for short time in the beginning of the Second Balkan War in the government of Stoyan Danev (1913).

Angel Marin

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1942-2024 (aged 82)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Angel Marin was a Bulgarian political figure who was Vice President of Bulgaria from 2002 to 2012. He took office in 2002 together with President Georgi Parvanov, and they were re-elected for a second term in 2007.

Ivan Valkov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1875-1962 (aged 87)
Enrolled in National Military University "Vasil Levski": Studied in 1896
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Valkov was a Bulgarian General of Infantry who fought in World War I and later held the post of Minister of War (1923–1929).

Vasil Kutinchev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1859-1941 (aged 82)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Vasil Ivanov Kutinchev was a Bulgarian officer. He began his military career in 1879 after graduating from the Military School in Sofia. On 13 September 1885 he was made commander of the 1st battalion of the 5th "Dunav" infantry regiment.

Pencho Zlatev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1883-1948 (aged 65)
Occupations: politicianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Pencho Ivanov Zlatev, also known as Petko Ivanov Zlatev (Bulgarian: Петко Иванов Златев), was a Bulgarian general and politician in the years before the Second World War.

Konstantin Zhostov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1867-1916 (aged 49)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Konstantin Andonov Zhostov was a Bulgarian general and Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff.

Stefan Nerezov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1867-1925 (aged 58)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stefan Mikhailov Nerezov was a Bulgarian General and Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff.

Panteley Kiselov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1863-1927 (aged 64)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Panteley Kiselov was a Bulgarian soldier and general who fought in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 and World War I. He is best known as commander of the 4th Preslav Infantry Division during the Romanian Campaign of 1916 and victor of the Battle of Tutrakan.

Atanas Zapryanov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1950-.. (age 75)
Occupations: politiciandefence ministermilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Atanas Dimitrov Zapryanov is a Bulgarian politician who is the current Minister of Defense. A political independent, he has previously served as Deputy Minister of Defense and has held important positions within the military ranks.

Ivan Lukov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1871-1926 (aged 55)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Tsonev Lukov was a Bulgarian officer. During the First World War, he was Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army and commanded between 1917 and 1918 the Bulgarian Second Army on the Salonika front.

Ivan Marinov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1896-1979 (aged 83)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Krstev Marinov was a Bulgarian army general and politician who served as Minister of War of Bulgaria from 2 to 9 of September 1944.

Ivan Tsonchev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1859-1910 (aged 51)
Occupations: military personnelrevolutionarymilitary officer
Biography: Ivan Stefanov Tsonchev was a Bulgarian Army General and revolutionary.

Petar Darvingov

Born in: Greece
Years: 1875-1958 (aged 83)
Occupations: military historianmilitary officer
Biography: Petar Georgiev Darvingov was a Bulgarian officer, revolutionary and military historian, corresponding member of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1932.

Dimitar Geshov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1860-1922 (aged 62)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Geshov Dimitar Ivanov was a Bulgarian officer. During the First World War, he commanded in 1916–1918 the Bulgarian First Army on the Salonika front.

Anyu Angelov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1942-.. (age 83)
Occupations: politicianengineermilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Anyu Angelov is Bulgaria's Minister of Defense. Born in Haskovo on December 22, 1942. He graduated from the National Military Artillery School "Georgi Dimitrov" (now Faculty "Artillery, Air Defense and Communications" at NMU) with a degree in radio electronics engineer. He then studied at the Military Academy "Rakovska" under the program of operational and strategic direction of the armed forces. He specialized in the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR in Moscow. Began his military career as a platoon leader. Later he became Chief of Staff, Commander of the Brigade. From 1987 he was Head of Staff, and between 1990 and 1992 - commander of the air defense (PVO) of the Land Forces. From 1992 to 1994 he was Deputy Commander of the Land Forces. In the period 1994-1997 was Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army. Between 1997 and 2000 he was a defense attache in the UK. Then became head of the Military Academy "G. S. Rakovski "(until 2002). Became a member of the GOP "GERB" which allows him political development and was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. On 27 January 2010 formally took office as Minister of Defense.

Georgi Stamatov

Born in: Moldova
Years: 1869-1942 (aged 73)
Occupations: writermilitary officer
Biography: Georgi Porfiriev Stamatov was a Bulgarian writer.

Anastas Yankov

Born in: Greece
Years: 1857-1906 (aged 49)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Anastas Yankov Dinkov was a Bulgarian army officer and revolutionary, a prominent voivode of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee.

Konstantin Kavarnaliev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1866-1913 (aged 47)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Konstantin Velikov Kavarnaliev was a Bulgarian major general, who died at the Battle of Doiran during the Second Balkan War.

Teodosi Daskalov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1888-1945 (aged 57)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Teodosi Petrov Daskalov was a Bulgarian infantry general who served as Minister of War from January 24, 1938, to April 11, 1942. He was executed by the communist regime on February 1, 1945, after a death sentence issued by the so-called People's Court.

Zlatan Stoykov

Years: 1951-.. (age 74)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Zlatan Kirilov Stoykov is a Bulgarian general and was from 1 June 2006 to 30 June 2009 the (44th) Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army.

Vasil Boydev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1893-1983 (aged 90)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Vasil Boydev was a Bulgarian Lieutenant-General who fought in World War II.

Toma Davidov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1868-1903 (aged 35)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Toma Kostov Davidov was a Bulgarian Army officer and participant in the Macedonian Revolutionary Movement, a vojvode of the Macedonian Supreme Committee, later becoming a commander in the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.

Neyko Nenov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1961-2015 (aged 54)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Neyko N. Nenov was a Bulgarian major general.

Nikola Nedev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1886-1970 (aged 84)
Occupations: historianmilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Nikola Dimitrov Nedev was a Bulgarian Major general, politician and military historian. He was the Minister of Interior affairs and Public Health in the third and fourth cabinets of Georgi Kyoseivanov (November 1938 to February 1940).

Vasil Delov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1861-1938 (aged 77)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Vasil Petrov Delov was a 20th-century Bulgarian officer and major general.

Nikola Genev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1856-1934 (aged 78)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Nikola Genev Kolchev was a Bulgarian volunteer, officer, a lieutenant general, and a commander of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps during the First Balkan War and the Second Balkan War.

Stamat Ikonomov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1866-1912 (aged 46)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stamat Ikonomov was a Bulgarian revolutionary, member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) and military officer.

Hristo Burmov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1869-1936 (aged 67)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Hristo Dimitrov Burmov was a Bulgarian Major General who was the Chief of the Defence of Bulgaria from July 17, 1918, to October 10, 1918. He also served in World War I in the Macedonian front and was one of the main Bulgarian commanders of the Vardar offensive that eventually led to the surrender of Bulgaria.

Rusi Rusev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1887-1945 (aged 58)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Rusi Rusev was a Bulgarian army general and politician who served as Minister of War of Bulgaria from 14 September 1943 to 2 September 1944.

Nikola Gabrovski

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1871-1955 (aged 84)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Nikola Gabrovski was a military figure and a colonel in the Bulgarian army. He was born in the village of Krushevo (present-day North Macedonia) in 1871 and died in 1962 in Sofia. He studied in a gymnasium and then in the Military school in Sofia. Gabrovski took part in all three of the so-called "Wars of National Unification" - the First and Second Balkan and the First World War. He became a member of the "Union of Macedonian brotherhoods" in 1924. He has been awarded numeral medals and honors during his military career. Today, one of the main streets in Veliko Tarnovo bears his name.

Nikola Andreev

Born in: Greece
Years: 1879-1911 (aged 32)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Nikola Andreev, known as Alay Bey, was a Bulgarian Army officer and revolutionary of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO). He was the leader of a revolutionary band in the Kostur region and a participant in the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising.

Pravoslav Tenev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1862-1942 (aged 80)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Pravoslav Krastev Tenev was a Bulgarian Infantry General and Chief of Staff of The Army.

Krastyu Marinov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1855-1927 (aged 72)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Krastyu Marinov Prazov Marinov was a Bulgarian volunteer, officer, and major general.

Alexandar Tanev

Born in: North Macedonia
Years: 1863-1932 (aged 69)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officerjurist
Biography: Alexander Andreev Tanev was a 20th-century Bulgarian Army officer, lieutenant general of the cavalry, inspector of the cavalry from 1913 to 1915, commander of the cavalry division from October to November 1915 and was commander of the 1st divisional district until 1916.

Petar Traykov

Born in: Greece
Years: 1896-1964 (aged 68)
Occupations: politicianmilitary officer
Biography: Petar Traykov Girovski was a Bulgarian Army officer, later activist of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. Afterwards he became close to some communist circles and after the Second World War participated in Yugoslav and Bulgarian politics.

Nikolay Boshnakov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1911-1948 (aged 37)
Occupations: aircraft pilotmilitary officer
Biography: Nikolay Stoyanov Boshnakov was a Bulgarian officer and fighter pilot who fought in World War II.

Sotir Atanasov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1876-1940 (aged 64)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Sotir Atanasov Yanakiev was a Bulgarian Army officer, revolutionary and voivode of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee.

Todor Hristov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1883-1903 (aged 20)
Occupations: military officer
Biography: Todor Hristov, also known as "the Little officer" was a Bulgarian military officer,revolutionary, activist of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization. He also was participant in the Ilinden Uprising and one of the members of the Forest Staff of the Krushevo Revolutionary Region.

Andrey Bukureshtliev

Born in: Greece
Years: 1857-1925 (aged 68)
Occupations: soldiermilitary personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Andrei Atanasov Bucharestliev was a 19th and 20th century Bulgarian Lieutenant Colonel who was notable for his service in the Battle of Banjski Dol during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.

Stefan Tasev

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1866-..
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Stefan Tasev was a Bulgarian officer, major general of infantry, Head of 7th Rila Infantry Division in World War I and after the war commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Sofia.

Hristo Pakov

Born in: Bulgaria
Years: 1859-1941 (aged 82)
Occupations: military personnelmilitary officer
Biography: Hristo Kostakiev Pakov was a Bulgarian major general and a commander of a division during the First World War.