Georgi Traykov

Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly

14 April 1898 Varbeni, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire

14 January 1975(1975-01-14) (76) Sofia, Bulgarian People's Republic

23 April 1964 – 7 July 1971

Georgi Traykov Girovski, also known as Georgi Traykov (Bulgarian: Георги Трайков Гировски, 14 April 1898, Varbeni, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (today Itea, Greece) – 14 January 1975, Sofia, Bulgaria), was a Bulgarian politician and the longtime leader of Bulgarian Agrarian National Union. Traykov became leader of the Agrarian Union in December 1947, a year after the Bulgarian Communist Party rise to power. He quickly dismissed officials not affiliated with the Bulgarian Communist Party, helping to make the party a loyal partner of the Communists. On 23 April 1964 he became the nominal head of state and Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, following the death of Dimitar Ganev. He remained head of state until 7 July 1971, when the leader of the communist party, Todor Zhivkov, took that position as the Chairman of the State Council. Nearly a year later, In April 1972, Traykov also gave up his position as chairman of the national assembly. In July 1972 Traykov was appointed as First Deputy Chairman of the State Council and held this post until November 1974. Traykov won a Lenin Peace Prize in 1962. Traykov died on 14 January 1975, aged 76.