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Sergei Riumin  served with the Protocol Department of the Soviet Armed Forces Group in Germany in 1982-1987. He was stationed in Wuensdorf. In 1987 he transferred to Riga, Latvia, and worked as editor with the local Army command post  through 1991. Because he knew Latvian language he was assigned to a Soviet task force to investigate the situation in Latvia during the last months of the USSR existence (1990-1991). He retired in 1991 as major.

 

He became interpreter with Latvian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1991. Later he had stints with Terra-Import (wholesale shoe importer), Leo (retail store chain), and Kometa Service GmbH (a franchisee of Quelle, a German catalog sales business). In 1996 the government of Latvia investigated Sergei’s participation in the Soviet task force of 1991. His legal residency status in Latvia was revoked as a result of the investigation, which was believed to be one of the many acts of retribution committed in Latvia in respect to Russian nationals.

 

Under the circumstances Sergei had to look for a place to live and checked several countries. Australia turned out to be the most friendly, and he relocated down under in 1996. He studied Computer Graphic Design at a local college in Sydney in 1997 and completed a certificate program. In 1996-1999 he worked as Graphics Designer with one of the businesses in Sydney, and in 1999 he incorporated his own Graphic Design business. In 2002 he enrolled at New South Wales University (www.unsw.edu.au), Master of Arts in International Relations program.

 

 

 

 

  © Art Shvetsov 2000-2003