Georgi Ivanov, the first Bulgarian cosmonaut

Georgi Ivanov Kakalov, known as Georgi Ivanov, is a Bulgarian officer and lieutenant general, born on 2 July 1940 in Lovech. He was the first Bulgarian and Balkan cosmonaut and also served as a member of the Seventh Grand National Assembly in 1990–1991.
After graduating from the military school in Dolna Mitropoliya in 1964, Ivanov began serving in the Bulgarian army as a pilot and pursued a successful military career. He joined the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1968 and defended a dissertation in 1984, receiving the degree of Candidate of Physical Sciences.
In 1978, Ivanov became a cosmonaut as part of the Intercosmos programme. On 10 April 1979, he launched into Earth orbit aboard Soyuz 33. Despite technical difficulties, the flight provided important data for the development of spaceflight.
Following the changes in Bulgaria in 1989, Ivanov entered business, establishing airlines and investing in golf courses and hotels. He served as a member of various National Assemblies and was awarded the senior military rank of lieutenant general in 2004.
Ivanov is the author of Flights (1981) and Time for Flights (1987). His world record involves a calm pulse and stability throughout the spaceflight, even during the emergency landing. On 10 March 2004, he received the Order of Stara Planina for his contribution to space research.