Ivan Yordanov Kozarev, nicknamed Balkan, is a member of the Bulgarian Communist Party. A participant in the Communist guerrilla movement during the Second World War.

On June 27, 1941, near the his fishpond over Dobrinishte, a group of policemen tried to capture him, but he killed two of them and became "illegal". On July 26, 1941, together with Nikola Parapunov, created the first partisan rebellious group in Bulgaria "Nikola Parapunov" in the vicinity of Razlog. He is considered for first Bulgarian partisan, although there are historical data indicating that this is Hristo Dimitrov Nestorov (Shtako) from village of Gabare, Kazanlak. Others think that it was Mityo Ganev from detachment Hristo Botev - 1925.