His early distinctions include the USSR Master of Sports and Honored Coach of the Ukrainian Republic. He was principal fencing coach of the Ukrainian Olympic Training Center. His students earned more than 40 gold medals in Soviet National Championships and in international competitions. In 1994, Maestro Burdan moved to Atlanta and founded Nellya Fencers. Since then, he has trained many successful fencers, including

• US National Champions at every age group and competitive level
• Junior Olympic Champions
• NCAA Champions
• Junior and Senior Pan American Champions
• Junior and Senior World Champions
• Three Olympians
• An Olympic Medalist.

The United States Fencing Association named Maestro Burdan Elite Coach of the Year (2002)

Maestro's college-bound fencers have also been recruited for varsity teams and have competed for Columbia, Ohio State, Penn State, St. John's, Stanford, and Yale.

Mr. Burdan's Champions:
 
National Champions:
Skyla Powers WSY12- 2007
WS Team-2008
Sarah Parker WSY14-1999
Christina Crane Div 1 WS- 2000Div 1 WS Team- 2001
David Jacobson Vet50MS- 2003
Sada Jacobson Div 1 WS 2004
David Jacobson VMS50 2005
Chris Loper VMF50 2005
Skyla Powers Y10 WS 2006

NCAA Champions:
Sada Jacobson, 2001, 2002 Yale
Emily Jacobson, 2004 Columbia

Jr. Olympic Champions
Colin Parker MS Cadet 1999
Colin Parker MS Jr. 2001
David Douville MS Jr. 2002
Sarah Parker WS Cadet 2002
David Douville MS Jr. 2003

Olympians:
Nhi Lan Le, Epee, Atlanta 1996
Sada and Emily Jacobson, Athens 2004
Sada Jacobson, Beijing 2008
Arkady Burdan, US Olympic Coach 2004 and 2008

Pan American:
 Amelia Gaillard WS Cadet 1999
 Sada J acobson 2003

World Champions:
Sada Jacobson WS team 2000, 2005

Jr. World Champions:
Sada Jacobson, Emily Jacobson, Amelia Gaillard- Jr. WS team 2001
Colin Parker Jr. MS team 2001
Sada Jacobson Ind. WS 2003
Emily Jacobson Ind and team 2004
Emily Jacobson Jr. WS team 2005
Jacoba Jacobson Jr. WS team 2006