Atanas Semerdzhiev facts for kids

Atanas Georgiev Semerdzhiev (May 21, 1924 – May 8, 2015) was an important Bulgarian soldier and politician. He served his country in many high-ranking roles. He was a veteran of World War II and later became the first Vice President of Bulgaria.

Biography

Growing up

Atanas Semerdzhiev was born on May 21, 1924. His hometown was a village called Ladzhene, which is now part of Velingrad, Bulgaria. His family was not rich. His father worked as a servant, and his mother was a housewife.

Atanas went to high school in Pazardzhik. He was an active member of the Workers' Youth Union from 1939. This group was involved in political activities. In 1941, he was briefly held by the police.

Joining the Partisans

In 1942, Atanas joined the partisan movement. Partisans were groups of people who secretly fought against the government and foreign forces. He became a commander of the "Chepinets" partisan brigade. They fought against the Tsardom of Bulgaria and Nazi Germany during World War II.

Military career

After the war, in 1944, Atanas Semerdzhiev continued his military service. He was an assistant company commander. He also went to a military school to further his education.

From 1946, he worked in the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence. This department gathers important information for the country's safety. He also studied at famous military academies in the Soviet Union.

Atanas Semerdzhiev held many important military positions. From 1960 to 1962, he was the Chief of Staff of the Second Army in Plovdiv. After 1962, he became the Chief of the General Staff. This was a very high position, and he held it for 27 years.

Political career

Atanas Semerdzhiev also had a long political career. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. This was the main political party in Bulgaria for a long time.

After the Fall of communism in 1989, Bulgaria went through big changes. On December 27, 1989, General Semerdzhiev became the Minister of Internal Affairs. This role involves overseeing the country's internal security.

During this time of change, there was an investigation related to files from the State Security (DS). General Semerdzhiev, as Minister of Internal Affairs, had given an order about these files. Years later, there was a legal case about this order. The case was about whether the order led to the destruction of certain documents. After a long process, the case was eventually dismissed in 2006.

Becoming Vice President

In August 1990, Atanas Semerdzhiev was elected the first Vice President of Bulgaria. This happened after a political agreement between the ruling party and the opposition. He served alongside President Zhelyu Zhelev. He was dismissed from the Bulgarian Army with the rank of colonel general when he became Vice President.

Family life

Atanas Semerdzhiev had one brother and two sisters. His brother and one sister were members of the BKP, the main political party. His other sister was part of a youth organization. His wife came from a family of officials. Her father was a teacher, and her mother was a pharmacist.

See also

In Spanish: Atanas Semerdzhiev para niños