Diplomatic Passport of Eduard Schewardnadze
My website is online for over a decade, and I got many requests from readers offering documents. The email I got these days was indeed one of the more exciting ones.
I was contacted by Sergo, who holds the Georgian diplomatic passport of Eduard Schewardnarze. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1990 and served as the final Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1992 he became the leader of Georgia (as Chairman of Parliament) after president Zviad Gamsakhurdia resigned. In 1995, he became the second President and served until his resignation in 2003 because of the Rose Revolution. He governed Georgia for several non-consecutive periods from 1972. He served as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party (GPC) from 1972 to 1985, making him the de facto leader of Georgia. Diplomatic Passport Eduard Schewardnadze
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev appointed Shevardnadze as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in this position, except for a brief interruption between 1990 and 1991, until the fall of the Soviet Union. Only Gorbachev would outrank Shevardnadze in importance in Soviet foreign policy during this time. Shevardnadze was responsible for many critical decisions in Soviet foreign policy during the Gorbachev Era and was seen by the outside world as the face of Soviet reforms such as Perestroika.
Shevardnadze subsequently played a vital role in the détente that marked the end of the Cold War. He negotiated nuclear arms treaties with the United States. He helped end the war in Afghanistan, allowed the reunification of Germany, and withdrew Soviet forces from Eastern Europe and the Chinese border. He earned the nickname “The Silver Fox.” Diplomatic Passport Eduard Schewardnadze
In the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Shevardnadze returned to the newly independent Georgia. He became the country’s head of state following the removal of the country’s first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Shevardnadze was formally elected president in 1995. Rampant corruption and accusations of nepotism marked his presidency. During the 2003 legislative election, allegations of electoral fraud led to a series of public protests and demonstrations colloquially known as the Rose Revolution. Eventually, Shevardnadze was forced to resign. He later published his memoirs.
Shevardnadze spent his last years living quietly at his mansion house in the outskirts of Tbilisi. As his health deteriorated, his involvement in public life became much reduced. After a long illness, he died at 86 on 7 July 2014.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry offered condolences. Kerry credited Shevardnadze with playing “an instrumental role” in bringing about the end of the Cold War, a reduction of “the risk of nuclear confrontation” as the Soviet Union’s Foreign Minister, ensuring “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of [Georgia] during the 1990s” as President of Georgia and putting the country “on its irreversible trajectory toward Euro-Atlantic integration.” Diplomatic Passport Eduard Schewardnadze
Shevardnadze was accorded a state funeral on 13 July 2014, attended by the Georgian political leaders and foreign dignitaries, including the former US Secretary of State James Baker and former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher. After a service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, Shevardnadze was buried next to his late wife Nanuli Shevardnadze at the Krtsanisi residence in Tbilisi.
This Passport Is For SALE
According to Sergo, who could acquire the passport via a distant relative was even contacting Schewardnadze’s family directly, asking if it was ok for them that he had this passport. The family seemed fine with it and didn’t want it back. Sergey says, “Georgia is a small country, and more or less, everybody knows everyone. So it was only fair to ask the family for a statement.”
A remarkable document of a significant character during the Soviet era and the Cold War, a man who helped change the world. Together with Gorbachev, he ultimately contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany. This outstanding document can be in your collection! Diplomatic Passport Eduard Schewardnadze
Georgia Diplomatic Passport issued in 1998, passport no#0009137, 44 pages and full of visas and stamps. Including a USA Diplomatic visa from 1999 as “President of the Republic of Georgia.” The condition is excellent, with typical use for a frequent traveler, and complete.
Please get in touch with me for details if you have a severe interest in acquiring this travel document!
FAQ Passport History
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1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?
The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...
2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?
Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...
3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?
"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...
4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?
Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...
5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?
Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.
6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?
A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.
7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?
During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...
8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?
Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.
9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?
Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.
10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?
A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉
Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers
11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?
First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...
Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.
Question? Contact me...