It is doubtful that many analysts could have imagined the events that unfolded in the summer of 1989.

The bearer of this passport had initially received the particular “AB” Service Visa for travel to the USSR in May 1989. Obtaining a Service Visa did not necessarily mean that someone was a government member. Anyone traveling for reasons other than tourism (including sporting events and cultural associations) could be given a Service Visa for travel abroad. East German Passport Ukraine

Interestingly, even though this passport was issued in 1989 for travel to the USSR, the bearer continued to travel to Russia and the newly independent Ukraine as late as 1993. When this passport was issued in 1989, the idea of an independent Ukraine was as far-fetched as was the idea of German reunification. It is incredible to see multiple 1993 entry stamps of an independent Ukraine inside an East German passport; this is undoubtedly a unique if not a very rare example.

Ukraine after 1989 East German Passport Ukraine
By January 1990, an estimated 300,000 Ukrainians had gathered to collectively form a human chain between Kyiv and Lviv, asking for Ukrainian independence. By July, the newly elected Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, calling for self-determination and national independence. In October 1990, the Ukrainian “Revolution on Granite” was ignited by students seeking to sever all remaining ties with the USSR. Finally, after multiple months, the Ukrainian parliament adopted the Act of Independence on 24 August 1991. The Ukrainian President and the President of the Russian Federation signed the Belavezha Accords, which de-jure dissolved the Soviet Union on 8 December 1991. In December 1991, a referendum was held whereby more than 92% of Ukrainians approved the Act of Independence.

An article from Cold War expert – Mat Louis.