Atanas Semerdzhiev, Bulgarian soldier and politician, 1st Vice President of Bulgaria (b. 1924)
Atanas Georgiev Semerdzhiev (21 May 1924 – 8 May 2015) was a Bulgarian politician. He served as the 1st Vice President of Bulgaria from 1990 to 1992, under Zhelyu Zhelev. He was a veteran of World War II. In 1966 he was Vice Minister of Defense under General Dobri Dzhurov. On 27 December 1989 Semerdzhiev was appointed as Minister of the Interior and, on 2 February 1990, he was appointed to the Supreme Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. He resigned as minister of the interior on 27 July 1990. Three days later he was appointed by the Grand National Assembly as vice president.