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Friends of FAVORIT, Dear Readers,
Last year, while we were celebrating our first decade, our editorial started with a short retrospective – the story of a magazine that became a genuine tool of dialogue and source of quality information for the residing Russian speaking community, including the creation of the annual FAVORIT Entrepreneurship Award. The edition 2021 opens a new decade. In spite of the recent health turbulences and economic ups and downs, we henceforth intend to think bigger in terms of readership and geography. Indeed, the magazine will from now on also focus on our Eurasian friends living in Switzerland; the present issue will therefore give the floor to Kazakhstan. Why focusing on Eurasia? Because more and more Russian speaking people from this fast developing region are settling in Switzerland. The Eurasian community living here comprises today more than 5’000 residents and plays an increasing role in several sectors, such as diplomacy, trading, banking or education. Second, FAVORIT will not only cover above all the Geneva Lake region, but also more report on other parts of Switzerland. Zürich and its area have been chosen for 2021. About 40’000 Russian speaking people are leaving today in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, half of them officially registered (since registration at the Russian Embassy is not compulsory), and about half of them residing out of the Lemanique Arc. The FAVORIT redaction feels therefore committed to say more about these Russian citizens and the towns or regions they have chosen to live, work or retire. It is in the same spirit that the editorial team wanted this year to know more on the National Museum in Vaduz and a leading bank from Liechtenstein, two institutions which demonstrate how present Russia is in their activities. The editorial team cheerfully welcomes among its readers these new Eurasian and Russian friends settled all over Switzerland and Liechtenstein! A decade devoted to the Russian speaking community also means that the magazine is in a position to meet more and more precisely the expectations from its demanding readership: the 2021 edition therefore offers solid and, hopefully, exciting contributions from Russian, Kazakh and Swiss officials, from entrepreneurs, bankers, lawyers and arbitrators. The magazine also intensively explores cultural fields like contemporary art, dance and ballet, jewellery, literature and history. We wish you a very pleasant reading. But FAVORIT is more than an informative magazine for a targeted public: it the rallying point for the Russian speaking community in Switzerland and for the numerous Swiss and Liechtensteiners who are friends of Russia and Eurasia. In particular with the famous annual FAVORIT gala dinner at the Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne – which unfortunately won’t take place this year due to the Covid restrictions, but will offer new dimensions in December 2021. We are already looking forward to meeting you on this next occasion. Finally, dear Readers, one word about the new redaction of FAVORIT: under the wise guidance of Olivier Mancassola, Publication Director, Pierre Helg, former Ambassador of Switzerland to the Federation of Russia (2011-2016) and partner at QUORUS GmbH, an advisory firm for Swiss-Russian projects in Zürich, has joined the team as the Chief Redactor and is glad, in his new capacities, to fostering the solid relations existing between Switzerland and Russia/Eurasia. He is assisted by Nina Fois, graduated in Russian language, contemporary history with a special focus on Eastern Europe and political sciences. The redaction would like to take this opportunity to extend its warm gratitude to Mr Serguei Kossenko, the former Chief Redactor, who has wonderfully contributed to the development of the magazine and is now turning to new activities in Moscow. Olivier Mancassola, Publication Director Pierre Helg, Chief Redactor Preis: 25.-CHF |
