Career
Tarabanko was born in Moscow, but was soon moved to Kirovsk and then Angarsk, where he started training in cross-country motorcycle racing. After working as a turner at a factory, between 1968 and 1972 he served in the army. In 1975 he graduated from the University of Pedagogy in Chita.
He then worked as a test driver for a Jawa Motors factory in Novosibirsk, and in 1977 moved to Moscow to coach motorcycle racers.
He participated in the 1988 Winter Olympics as a driver of the Soviet Olympic team and later worked as the head of the CSKA racing team in Moscow.