City governance

Every mayor of Plovdiv

A complete chronology of mayoral terms from the first post-Liberation mayor in 1878 to the incumbent mayor in 2026.

The base is Plovdiv Municipality's official “Mayors of Plovdiv” page. The incumbent term is added from Bulgaria's Administrative Register because the municipal historical list still stops at the 2019-2023 term.

Portrait of Atanas Samokovliev Portrait of Kostaki Peev Portrait of Ivan Stefanov Geshov Portrait of Dr. Sotir Antoniadi Portrait of Petko Karavelov Portrait of Hristo Dyukmedzhiev Portrait of Dimitar Sveshtarov Portrait of Stefan Kalchev Portrait of Angel Semerdzhiev Portrait of Konstantin Hadzhikalchov Portrait of Mancho Manev Portrait of Nikola Chalakov Portrait of Mihail Madzharov Portrait of Danail Yurukov Portrait of Hristo G. Danov Portrait of Dragan Manchov Portrait of Dr. Hristo Tanchev Portrait of Georgi Dzhevizov +41

From the archive

Records and curiosities

Computed from the dates and biographies in the archive — every tile links to its term.

Ailyak note: the shortest term lasted 21 days — just long enough to learn not to hurry.

Connections between the mayors

Which mayors served more than once and which are related by family.

Multi-term mayors

Families & dynasties

  • Христо Г. Данов — Милош Данов father & son

The historical portraits are in the public domain.

Where the mayors were born

The birthplaces of the documented mayors, mapped. Click a point to see the names.

Birthplaces by number of mayors

  • Plovdiv 21
  • Koprivshtitsa 3
  • Karlovo 3
  • Batak 2
  • Panagyurishte 2
  • Bratsigovo 2
  • Samokov 1
  • Asenovgrad 1
  • Dupnitsa 1
  • Klisura 1
  • Shipka 1
  • Merichleri 1
  • Rozovets 1
  • Stara Zagora 1
  • Kazanlak 1
  • Byala cherkva 1
  • Galabovo 1
  • Osoitsa 1
  • Saedinenie 1
  • Tyurkmen 1
  • Krystallopigi 1
  • Parvomay 1
  • Pirot 1
  • Pazardzhik 1
  • Svishtov 1
  • Chirpan 1
  • Gorno Belevo 1
  • Manolovo 1
  • Polykastro 1
  • Smolyan 1

Chronology by era

Timeline of mandates

Mayoral terms grouped by political era. Scroll through the periods to follow how the office changed over time; the detailed list below stays filterable.

1878–1944

Post-Liberation

48 terms

Elected mayors build the modern city — streets, waterworks, schools and parks — between wars and economic crises.

  1. 1878 Portrait of Atanas Samokovliev Atanas Samokovliev 1878–1878
  2. 1878 Portrait of Kostaki Peev Kostaki Peev 1878–1880
  3. 1880 Portrait of Ivan Stefanov Geshov Ivan Stefanov Geshov 1880–1883
  4. 1883 Portrait of Dr. Sotir Antoniadi Dr. Sotir Antoniadi 1883–1883 Acting mayor
  5. 1883 Portrait of Petko Karavelov Petko Karavelov 1883–1884
  6. 1884 Hafuz Ahmed Efendi 1884–1884 Acting mayor
  7. 1884 Portrait of Kostaki Peev Kostaki Peev 1884–1887
  8. 1887 Portrait of Hristo Dyukmedzhiev Hristo Dyukmedzhiev 1887–1890
  9. 1890 Portrait of Dimitar Sveshtarov Dimitar Sveshtarov 1890–1893
  10. 1893 Portrait of Stefan Kalchev Stefan Kalchev 1893–1893
  11. 1893 Portrait of Angel Semerdzhiev Angel Semerdzhiev 1893–1893
  12. 1893 Portrait of Konstantin Hadzhikalchov Konstantin Hadzhikalchov 1893–1893
  13. 1893 Portrait of Mancho Manev Mancho Manev 1893–1894
  14. 1894 Portrait of Nikola Chalakov Nikola Chalakov 1894–1894
  15. 1894 Portrait of Mihail Madzharov Mihail Madzharov 1894–1894
  16. 1894 Portrait of Danail Yurukov Danail Yurukov 1894–1896
  17. 1896 Portrait of Hristo G. Danov Hristo G. Danov 1896–1899
  18. 1899 Portrait of Nikola Chalakov Nikola Chalakov 1899–1901
  19. 1901 Portrait of Dragan Manchov Dragan Manchov 1901–1901
  20. 1901 Portrait of Dr. Hristo Tanchev Dr. Hristo Tanchev 1901–1902
  21. 1902 Portrait of Georgi Dzhevizov Georgi Dzhevizov 1902–1903
  22. 1903 Portrait of Hristo Milev Hristo Milev 1903–1905
  23. 1905 Portrait of Nikola Chalakov Nikola Chalakov 1905–1906
  24. 1906 Portrait of Valko Shopov Valko Shopov 1906–1908
  25. 1908 Portrait of Dr. Ivan Kesyakov Dr. Ivan Kesyakov 1908–1912
  26. 1912 Portrait of Georgi Dzhevizov Georgi Dzhevizov 1912–1912
  27. 1912 Portrait of Nikola Kozarev Nikola Kozarev 1912–1914
  28. 1914 Portrait of Denyo Manev Denyo Manev 1914–1918
  29. 1918 Portrait of Milosh Danov Milosh Danov 1918–1919
  30. 1919 Portrait of Stefan Gevgalov Stefan Gevgalov 1919–1919
  31. 1919 Hristo Pavlov 1919–1919
  32. 1919 Portrait of Hariton Kuev Hariton Kuev 1919–1919
  33. 1919 Portrait of Nikola Galabov Nikola Galabov 1919–1920
  34. 1920 Portrait of Panayot Mutafchiev Panayot Mutafchiev 1920–1920
  35. 1920 Portrait of Petar Shilev Petar Shilev 1920–1921
  36. 1921 Portrait of Dr. Ivan Kesyakov Dr. Ivan Kesyakov 1921–1922
  37. 1922 Portrait of Petar Yankov Petar Yankov 1922–1923
  38. 1923 Ivan Stanchev 1923–1923
  39. 1923 Portrait of Petar Drenski Petar Drenski 1923–1927
  40. 1927 Portrait of Dr. Panayot Kostov Dr. Panayot Kostov 1927–1928
  41. 1928 Portrait of Milosh Danov Milosh Danov 1928–1929
  42. 1929 Portrait of Enyu Manolov Enyu Manolov 1929–1932
  43. 1932 Portrait of Bozhidar Zdravkov Bozhidar Zdravkov 1932–1935
  44. 1935 Portrait of Georgi Todorov Georgi Todorov 1935–1936
  45. 1936 Portrait of Bozhidar Zdravkov Bozhidar Zdravkov 1936–1939
  46. 1939 Portrait of Petar Malchev Petar Malchev 1939–1943
  47. 1943 Portrait of Dimitar Kostov Dimitar Kostov 1943–1944
  48. 1944 Portrait of Dr. Asen Kozhuharov Dr. Asen Kozhuharov 1944–1945
1945–1989

Socialist period

10 terms

Chairmen of the city people's council, put forward by the party-state; the city expands with the new housing estates.

  1. 1945 Portrait of Ivan Perpeliev Ivan Perpeliev 1945–1949
  2. 1949 Nikola Balkandzhiev 1949–1959
  3. 1959 Portrait of Atanas Kostov Atanas Kostov 1959–1963
  4. 1963 Ivan Dimitrov 1963–1965
  5. 1965 Ivan Panev 1965–1968
  6. 1968 Kosta Kumanov 1968–1971
  7. 1971 Portrait of Diran Parikyan Diran Parikyan 1971–1979
  8. 1979 Hristo Mishev 1979–1986
  9. 1986 Portrait of Dimitar Bakalov Dimitar Bakalov 1986–1988
  10. 1988 Todor Petkov 1988–1990
1990–2022

Democratic period

9 terms

Free local elections return in 1991; mayors are once again chosen directly by the people of Plovdiv.

  1. 1990 Nikolay Somlev 1990–1991
  2. 1991 Dr. Garabed Tomasyan 1991–1995
  3. 1995 Portrait of Spas Garnevski Spas Garnevski 1995–1999
  4. 1999 Dr. Ivan Chomakov 1999–2003
  5. 2003 Dr. Ivan Chomakov 2003–2007
  6. 2007 Portrait of Slavcho Atanasov Slavcho Atanasov 2007–2011
  7. 2011 Portrait of Eng. Ivan Totev Eng. Ivan Totev 2011–2015
  8. 2015 Portrait of Eng. Ivan Totev Eng. Ivan Totev 2015–2019
  9. 2019 Portrait of Zdravko Dimitrov Zdravko Dimitrov 2019–2023
2023–

Current office

1 term

The 2023–2027 term of Plovdiv's incumbent mayor.

  1. 2023 Portrait of Kostadin Dimitrov Kostadin Dimitrov 2023–2026 Incumbent
More filters

68 terms

19th century

18 mayoral terms

Portrait of Dr. Sotir Antoniadi

Term 4

Dr. Sotir Antoniadi

Acting mayor Biography
Years 1883-1883
Approx. duration 1 year
Century 19th century

acting mayor 26 January 1883 – 21 April 1883

Officially listed mayoral term in Plovdiv Municipality's mayor archive: acting mayor 26 January 1883 – 21 April 1883.

Profile Open source: Plovdiv Municipality — Mayors of Plovdiv

20th century

44 mayoral terms

21st century

6 mayoral terms