Simeon Kovachev
His Excellency Simeon Kovachev | |
|---|---|
 Formal Portrait taken in 1958 | |
| President of Tengaria | |
| In office November 14, 1958 – January 2, 1983 | |
| Deputy | Boris Goga (1958-1966) Rumeon Slanev (1966-1977) Vasil Radev (1977-1983) |
| Preceded by | Simeon Radez Rumen Santov (Disputed) |
| Succeeded by | Dimitri Kovachev Vasil Radev (acting President) |
| Head of the National Rally | |
| In office April 13, 1957 – January 2, 1983 | |
| Deputy | Ivan Ivanev |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | Dimitri Kovachev |
| Head of the Tengarian Provisional Government | |
| In office May 14, 1956 – November 13, 1958 | |
| Regent of Tengaria | |
| In office April 21, 1930 – November 14, 1935 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Simeon Vasil Kovachev April 17, 1901 Stelsti, Istros Tengaria |
| Died | January 2, 1983 (aged 81) Lenovo, Lenovo Tengaria |
| Nationality | Tengaria |
| Political party | National Rally |
| Spouse(s) | Teodora Denov (m. 1924) |
| Children | Gregori Kovachev Milena Kovacheva Olga Kovacheva Petar Kovachev Dimitri Kovachev |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Tengaria |
| Branch/service | Tengarian National Army |
| Years of service | 1930-1958 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
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Simeon Vasil Kovachev (Tengarian: Симеон Васил Ковачев; April 17 1901-January 2 1983) was an important Tengarian statesman who was the founder and commander of the Tengarian National Army, the leader of the Tengarian Resistance during the Great War, the head of two Tengarian provisional governments, founder of the National Rally political movement, the writer of Tengaria's second consitution and sixth President of the Republic of Tengaria from 1958 until his death in 1983. One of Tengaria's national heroes, he is considered the most important Tengarian statesman of the Republican era.
Born in Stelsti as the only son of middle-class military family, Simeon followed in his father's footsteps from a young age. He was sent to a military boarding school as a boy in Istros, and later was accepted and educated in the Imperial Military Academy in the same city. During this stage of his life he became acquainted with the Znaniya School and adopted their Teleological philosophy, which would play an important role throughout the rest of his life and political career. He excelled at his studies, graduating at the top of his class and earning himself a prime commission as an infantry officer in the Imperial Army in 1920. Already a colonel by the time of the outbreak of the Great War in 1927, he orchestrated several brilliant victories on the Ravnian Front, and was awarded and promoted, quickly gaining a reputation for his strategic mind. He rose through the ranks quickly and by 1929 was promoted as Tengaria's youngest general at the age of 28. The war turned against Tengaria on the Amathian Front, and so Kovachev gathered as much of the forces as he could from the Ravnian Front and strategically retreated to the hills of Visoclesia. There he proclaimed the remnants as the Tengarian National Army and assumed the title of Regent in the name of his imprisoned Emperor Dragomir III and spearheaded the Tengarian Resistance against the Amathians. He was able to finally reclaim Tengaria from Amathian Control and worked to rebuild Tengaria. However, Soravia mandated that liberated Tengaria become a Republic, and so after he brought stability to the country, he resigned from his position as Regent, but continued to serve as the Field Marshal of the Army.
During the Early Tengarian Republic, Kovachev remained aloof from the political scene, as partisan factionalism became rampant and out of control. As the primary hero from the war, he was massively popular with most of the country. His monarchist and conservative views were at odds with the the republican statesmen of the time, who saw his ideals and his popularity as a potential threat. However, despite having enemies, he kept the army loyal to him and was able to retain his position. When factionalism eventually descended into the Tengarian Civil War, Kovachev led the National Army in assisting the loyalists. After the assassination of President Radev, Kovachev assumed power as the provisional head of government. He defeated the rebels to end the civil war and then stabilized the country in the aftermath of the war. He founded the National Rally in order to end partisan conflict and to strengthen national unity. In addition, Kovachev wrote Tengaria's second constitution based upon a model reflective of the political ideals of the ancient authors Xenagoras and Theocritus. he was elected as Tengaria's President in 1958, with National Rally taking control of the government. As President, he began to implement his philosophic ideals into the way Tengaria was run upon the ideals of the Znaniya School. He made firm connections between Episemialism to the state as the state religion and made policy to support it. In addition, repaired and nationalized many aspects of Tengaria's broken economy and brought the country out of debt to a working surplus. He served as President until his peaceful death in 1983, when his son Dimitri succeeded him as President.
Kovachev left a powerful legacy in his wake. His popularity as a war hero compounded with a successful presidency firmly implanted a postitive image in the minds of the Tengarian people. Since his death, Tengaria has continued to be dominated by his descendants and his political movement. His successors have promoted and fostered Simeon's image in order to solidify their own power base. In Tengaria, Kovachev is widely revered and respected both as a political figure and as a holy man. Many in Tengaria widely revere him as a Saint, and the Tengarian Church is making an investigation into his glorification. However, outside Tengaria, receptions of him are mixed. Most Eastern countries think of him as a benevolent dictator, who while concerned for the good of his country, implemented repressive policies and stifled democracy. He has been called a modern example of Theocritus's Philosopher king both postiively and pejoriatively.
Early Life
Simeon was born the fifth child and only son of Boris Kovachev, a middle-ranking military officer in the Tengarian Imperial Army, in 1901. His family hailed from the town of Stelsti in the South of Tengaria, near the city of Istros. Simeon was sent to a military academy in Istros to take after his father and pursue a military career. While there, he became acquainted with the philosophers of the Znaniya School, who offered free lectures and discourse in the Agora, and embraced their Teleological philosophy.