AN INVITATION LAST YEAR FROM THE SOUTHERN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES TO VLADIMIR AND NADIA KOVALENKO TO SPEAK ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THEIR DESIRE TO LIVE PERMANENTLY IN ATLANTA. EACH HAS SUCCEEDED IN FINDING A JOB IN ATLANTA. A FORMER BUREAU CHIEF IN SINGAPORE FOR THE TASS NEWS AGENCY, MR. KOVALENKO IS NOW WORKING WITH COWAN & ASSOCIATES TO DEVELOP BUSINESS INTERESTS IN RUSSIA, AND MRS. KOVALENKO, A FOREIGN TRADE CONSULTANT, HAS BEEN HIRED BY SEABOARD MANAGEMENT CORP.
IGOR GORBUNOV, A 27-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN ENTREPRENEUR AND A FRIEND OF THE KOVALENKOS, WILL BE ARRIVING IN ATLANTA FOR A SECOND VISIT TO THE SOUTHEAST IN MID-TO-LATE JANUARY AT THE INVITATION OF SAM AYOUB, SEABOARD'S CHAIRMAN. MR. GORBUNOV'S MOSCOW COMPANY HAS A PRIVATE DATABASE WHICH INCLUDES DETAILED INFORMATION ON MORE THAN 80,000 STATE-OWNED AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES, ENTREPRENEURS AND DAILY INFORMATION ON SALES FROM THE MAIN COMMODITY EXCHANGES IN THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS. HIS HOLDING COMPANY, INVARIANT LTD., IS BASED IN MOSCOW AND SPECIALIZES IN TRADING COMMODITIES AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AMONG RUSSIA, BYELARUS AND KAZAKHSTAN.