Leonid Kravchuk, President of Ukraine. Autograph on card security entry ticket for “Corporation of London requests the honour” “at a Dinner in Guildhall in honour of His Excellency The President of Ukraine & Mrs Kravchuk. February 1993”. 

The ticket is made out to “His Excellency the Ambassador of Denmark and Mrs Thorning-Peterson”.

Kravchuk, the first president of independent Ukraine, visited Britain in 1993 to foster closer ties with Western leaders. During this period, he was navigating intense pressures, including economic instability and critical negotiations over the removal of Ukraine’s nuclear arsenal, which was being negotiated as part of a trilateral process involving the US, Russia, and the UK.

Provenance: 

From a large collection of Autographs (c500 +) in two albums that were personally obtained by Mr Bernard Sullivan (Apr 1920 – Feb 2017), renowned Senior Toastmaster for the Society of London Toastmasters.

Over his long distinguished career, he worked with many people from around the world including Royalty, Heads of States, Archbishops, HM Judges, Stars of Stage and Screen , Politicians and Sportsmen, many becoming like old friends. During his 58 years as a Toastmaster, he gradually built up a large, impressive collection of autographs, which were all personally collected by him. He cherished them and proudly showed them off to friends and family.  

Sullivan would use whatever was available to hand to get his autograph. This may be a menu, a business card, a scrap from his notes, a page from a programme, a ticket to the event, etc.