Ruggell is the perennial home for the women's national team as attendances remain modest and they would not fill the Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz (which has a capacity of less than 6,000 seated) where the men play But the town could soon be in the spotlight as the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) has submitted an official bid to add it to the catalogue of potential bases for teams competing at Euro 2025 in Switzerland children are hoisting themselves onto the advertising hoardings to get a clearer view of the action and the crowd is bubbling with friends and family of the home side African nations -- especially those outside of the continent's best -- rarely travel as far as the tiny landlocked nation in central Europe Having only been in existence since April 2021 it is the first time that Liechtenstein have played a team from another continent but this double-header of friendlies (with the second match occurring in three days' time) is enough to satisfy FIFA's criteria and grant them their maiden world ranking The game ends in a 1-1 draw (while the return game will finish 2-0 to Namibia) and SV Meppen's Lena Göppel one of the few players with a professional grounding stands head and shoulders above her teammates in the middle of the park Liechtenstein captain and centre-back Sophia Hürlimann (currently at Winterthur in Switzerland's second tier) also impresses with her reading of the game and makes countless interceptions while Salomé Stampfli shows spark in attack before tucking home the equaliser -- her second goal for her country and just the 19th in entire history of the senior national team Liechtenstein is the second-smallest national team by population with a recognised senior women's team behind British overseas territory Gibraltar [pop.32,000] -- at the time of writing So it would be easy to assume that the group possesses a small-team attitude or an undeveloped style almost all of whom are amateurs with full-time jobs elsewhere But for those who represented their national team on this summer evening against Namibia A first-ever FIFA ranking of 187th out of 194 is on the way Kids on the sidelines try to get a good look at the action as Liechtenstein take on Namibia. Sophie LawsonA nation without a domestic leagueIf you have 25 minutes to spare you can drive the length of Liechtenstein from the apex of the country in Ruggell to the mountains in Triesen There is just one hospital in the capital of Vaduz but since 2014 it has lacked a maternity ward meaning any resident has to cross the border to give birth The journey by car may not take long but it means very few of the players who represent the national team were actually born in Liechtenstein the country's close ties with Switzerland mean that eyelids are rarely batted when a car or bus crosses from one side to the other Everything about the diminutive nation feels like a town but one that is subdivided into smaller towns -- many of which have their own football teams there is no structure for a domestic league Liechtenstein is bordered on three sides by Switzerland shares the Swiss Franc and speaks a dialect similar to Swiss German so it relies on the Swiss football league system to play host to its clubs To allow for Liechtensteiner men's clubs to participate in Europe the LFV organises and runs the Liechtenstein Cup for their domestic teams it was their recent success that saw them become the first club from Liechtenstein to play in a UEFA tournament group stage -- the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League like their six fellow Liechtenstein teams (FC Balzers and FC Triesenberg) play their league football in Switzerland and are currently in the second tier (the Dieci Challenge League) a long way from their compatriots who are languishing between the fourth and eight tiers There is no equivalent qualifying competition on the women's side hence why no team from Liechtenstein has never contested the UEFA Women's Champions League there is something about the country that promises to punch above its weight when it comes to sport Liechtenstein have 10 Olympic medals (all in alpine skiing) making it the nation with the most medals per capita and the smallest sovereign state by area to claim an Olympic gold (it has two.) The Liechtenstein women's national team only played its first game in April 2021 (a 2-1 loss to Luxembourg) Many of the current team played for the under-16 and U19 teams that predated the senior side by four years and the creation of a senior team allowed a pathway for the teenagers who had taken their first international steps at youth level 🇱🇮 Congratulations to Liechtenstein, whose women's team played its first official international match this weekend!⚽ Despite being beaten 2-1 by Luxembourg, it was a day to remember for the principality, whose first goal was scored by captain Viktoria Gerner. pic.twitter.com/tZHJGgvWv6 "I think because there were many girls that played who were born around 2000 or 2001 it kind of made sense that you move up with them and then build with those people into a senior national team," Göppel tells ESPN it was always a step-by-step process to move on and we all knew that at some point there must be a senior national team." it was clear that Liechtenstein wanted to compete in European tournaments entering a team into U19 European Championship qualifying in 2022 just six months after the senior team's first-ever game For the advent and growth of the senior team the LFV has made it clear it needs to have a structure and plan in place for the development of women's football "It is like a fragile plant; you have to handle it very You have to give water: but not too much water so we have to be very careful and to make it step by step." -- LFV president Hugo Quaderer the country has been taking those steady steps and advancing towards their first-ever official FIFA ranking The next step is to play competitive games and that means taking part in the UEFA Nations League and European Championship qualifiers given their players are having to juggle jobs and lives outside the game asking them if it would be possible for them to take part in the qualification [in the next Nations League cycle]," Quaderer tells ESPN "And have to we explain to them what it means to play a qualification And that means for the players [who are amateur] who are studying or working San Marino's men are the world's worst team and stories of what the players do in their day jobs while also trying to qualify for a European Championship often takes centre stage -- as documented by ESPN's Mark Ogden last year -- but it is a persistent norm for many countries across the women's football landscape has to balance her career as a footballer with a passion for architecture. Salome StampfliFor 19-year-old midfielder Stampfli who in her other life is in the last year of her apprenticeship to become an illustrator specialising in architecture a typical day looks something like this: "Wake up at 6.30 a.m. before going straight to practice until about 8.15 p.m Then home for dinner and sleep." The teenager is shy when talking to ESPN; her English is limited but she considers her answers and says how much she enjoys her job where she gets to "draw plans for buildings but [I] know that they're always proud and yeah .. just to continue being healthy and have fun playing and then look out for how far [I] can come." it's easy to spot her friends and family on the sidelines A woman with dark hair wearing a Stampfli shirt hovers around the halfway line paying rapt attention to the game; while a clutch of women who look to be in their late teens and early 20s gather on one of the benches laid out across the concrete and give intermittent cheers and shouts of "Woo when asked how her friends and colleagues feel about her role with the national team "It's great that you have the chance to do that to have all these great experiences and I think they see it as an honour as well." who was the first Liechtenstein women's player to transfer to Germany when she moved to Essen in January 2024 is now preparing for her first full season with Meppen in Germany's second tier The 22-year-old understands the need to keep studying preparing for whatever comes after her career even though she spent four years at the University of Louisiana at Monroe getting her bachelor's degree since returning to Europe she has opted to further her studies and is currently working towards an MBA in business administration whose older brother Maximilian plays for Swiss 1 Liga club USV Eschen/Mauren and Lichtenstein's men "We always played football and he was professional as well for some years, so I looked up to him and wanted to be like him... And then I lived my dream [at university] in America because that's the infrastructure you have there. It's just unbelievable for college kids... Then playing with Essen and making my debut [against Bayern Munich] My family always supported me: they just said do it if you want to." Going from Lichtenstein to one of the biggest countries in the world Göppel needed time to adjust when she first moved to Louisianna not least as it was during the start of a pandemic so it was different with flying and all the rules they had and that made it easy for me to adjust," she says they were all so happy to have me there and were so fascinated that my country is so small [laughs] So even like the soccer team was just like a huge family." As well as those who play "domestically" in Switzerland such as Stampfli and Katharina Risch at St there are the likes of Julia Benneckenstein (Itawamba Community College) and Felicia Frick (Carson-Newman University) who are currently in the U.S collegiate system where sport and study are firmly balanced allowing enough time for college athletes to study and play without either having to take a backseat international windows and training camps are budgeted for by U.S which allows players like Benneckenstein and Frick to travel home when duty calls Liechtenstein's women are looking to play more competitive games in European competition. Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty ImagesWith their maiden FIFA ranking secured on Aug 187th out of 194 (three spots above Andorra) Liechtenstein's women's team are looking ahead In agreeing to play in the 2025-26 UEFA Nations League campaign the team would have to confirm participation in the subsequent qualifiers/Nations League seasons "The worst scenario for us would be if we start the qualification but end up with not enough players," Quaderer says "Then we couldn't play the next qualification." Once Liechtenstein head coach Krysl has spoken to all her players -- Quaderer estimates that a total of 40 would be needed due to injuries as well as school or work commitments -- the board will review if Liechtenstein can take its next step For the players given a chance to represent their national team it's a sizable step up for the small country "You always have to be reasonable and evaluate if it makes sense because you can also see it with our men's team .. you will never really have a chance against big nations," she says "But I think the Nations League is always a good opportunity to show what you can do even smaller countries -- even if you lose 2-0 or something sometimes that's a win for a smaller country." Krysl explained her coaching philosophy involved letting the players think for themselves wanting them to learn and grow as footballers It's important that the players can say if they should go left or right; to know what to do in different situations rather than being told the talk from everyone involved with the team -- from players to the head of the federation -- was about the need to be realistic to understand the limitations of the team and accept that they are still taking the early steps on their journey was reminiscent of countless mid-table Women's Super League games last season: lacking shape in the first half with a lone striker who struggles to get into the game and a difficult time in balancing defence and attack The strategy put in place almost a decade ago has been followed -- and There is the hope the team will soon be playing in the Nations League if not next year than in the next few years Then a principal sponsor for the women's team will be required to keep the investment steady and allow the federation to keep grassroots funding while the sponsor takes on the expenditure of the travel that comes with a Nations League campaign The coach is working as closely with the handful of clubs in Liechtenstein as possible and even though trainings remain limited to three times a week the national team is on a gentle uphill curve The promise of more competitive games in the near future will only benefit the team in the long run the Liechtenstein women's national team are officially a FIFA-ranked nation heavy warm rains in the Swiss Alps melted ice and snow raising the level of Lake Constance by 15 feet and turning the Rhine River into a raging torrent.  A concrete dam on the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein failed and that small landlocked country essentially filled up to become a muddy lake.  The sixth smallest sovereign country in the world the Principality of Liechtenstein is about the size of Washington more accurate measurements in 2006 added about one-fifth of a square mile to the country bringing it to almost 100 square miles.  Connect with Linn’s Stamp News:  The principality is a constitutional hereditary monarchy with 17th-century roots in the House of Liechtenstein The sovereign nation had economic and postal relationships over time with the German Confederation but began issuing its own postage stamps in 1912.  and its stamps carry the principality’s official name in that language: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein.  The Rhine River (Rhein in German) rises in the Alps in southeastern Switzerland and forms part of the border between that country and Liechtenstein The river flooded regularly and disastrously over the centuries with the first documented flood in Liechtenstein in 1206.  the Austrian Federal Railway bridge at Schaan was the other major structural victim Trees were uprooted and cattle were washed away and the country’s farmlands were submerged in the muddy waters Thousands of the population of 9,500 were made homeless 710 volunteers from 25 countries went to Liechtenstein to help dig it out of the mud Austria and Switzerland sent soldiers to assist in relief efforts falling temperatures in the Alps halted the snow melt and the rainfall stopped “Nearly the whole of Liechtenstein is reported as presenting the appearance of a huge bog with only the bolder housetops and church spires protruding from the mud.”  Liechtenstein made a general plea for international aid and the American Red Cross sent $5,000 — about $69,000 today.  The United States was still recovering from the Great Mississippi Flood of April 1927 The Mississippi flooded for nearly its entire length killing 246 persons and leaving a million homeless The railroad bridge at Schaan was repaired by Nov but it was almost Christmas before the dike was again intact The farmlands were not cleared and dry enough for cultivation for many months Damage from the flood of 1927 was estimated at millions of francs during the next five or six years of recovery.  Liechtenstein had issued three semipostal stamps in October 1925 honoring the 85th birthday of its ruler Three more semipostals were issued in October 1927 and it evidently occurred to someone that a similar stamp issue might provide some funds for flood relief The artist for the designs of the October 1925 and October 1927 semipostal stamps was Eugen Verling a native of Vaduz who had moved to Switzerland at age 18 to become an apprentice lace designer Verling (1891-1968) was largely self-taught as an artist but some of his landscapes had drawn public attention and he was commissioned in 1923 to design a tax stamp for Liechtenstein.  Verling’s first postage stamp design for Liechtenstein was for a 5-rappen issue of 1924 (Scott 75) depicting a farmworker balancing a large basket on his back The design is variously known as “the vinedresser” or simply “a peasant.” Verling also prepared the design of Scott 80 in 1924 a 1½-franc stamp showing the government palace and a church in Vaduz Verling was given the commission in November 1927 to design semipostal stamps for flood relief basing them on photographs taken during the disaster of which four were accepted and produced as stamps Each of the four different designs and denominations says “Rheinnot” at the bottom translating as “Rhine Need,” “distress” or “trouble.”  shows the breached Rhine embankment and damaged Schaan railroad bridge The inundated village of Ruggell is shown on the 10rp+10rp stamp in blue-green and brown (Scott B8) Ruggell is the northernmost and lowest-lying municipality in Liechtenstein’s Rhine valley.  shows Austrian military personnel rescuing victims Swiss “pontonier” soldiers appear on the 30rp+10rp stamp in deep blue and brown inks (Scott B10) Swiss and Austrian military mail postmarked at Schaan exists for this time period The Rheinnot stamps were printed in sheets of 25 on white unwatermarked paper at Orell Fussli & Cie in Zurich The print run seems to have been 300,000 sets of the four designs The stamps were perforated gauge 11½ and issued Feb They were on sale at postal windows in Liechtenstein until Nov and valid for use until the end of that year Because the stamps seem to have been marketed only within Liechtenstein, and thus sold essentially to the victims themselves, it’s not surprising that the effort was not a great success as a fundraiser. In his exhibit of Eugen Verling’s stamps, posted on the website of the Helvetia Society of Great Britain Robert Wightman states that “about 82% of the total printing” was unsold and destroyed after the period of validity Lymer of the Liechtenstein Study Circle wrote that “more than 250,000” sets were burned.  The Rhine has long since been straightened and controlled to the point where some travel writers say that the river’s progress through Liechtenstein now resembles a canal though watery devastation continues as recently as this past summer in other parts of Europe.  The Liechtenstein Rheinnot semipostal set is valued in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 at about $88 mint and $104 used A set of all four denominations on first-day cover is the top of the market for these issues insights US Stamps World Stamps With Namibia’s quest for Cosafa Women’s Championship glory firmly in sight the Brave Gladiators are raring to go in a pair of international friendlies The matches against the Liechtenstein national women’s team serve as a crucial stepping stone in their preparation for the upcoming tournament in South Africa The Cosafa Women’s Championship is a major target for the Gladiators and the friendly matches against Liechtenstein provide a crucial opportunity to get in the necessary game time Liechtenstein’s women’s team is a relatively new outfit having only debuted internationally in 2021 They are not Fifa-ranked and rely heavily on players competing in neighbouring Switzerland due to there being only three women’s football clubs in Liechtenstein “There’s nothing friendly about these friendlies,” Jacobs said adding that he hopes to maximise the opportunity to ensure his team is ready for Cosafa The Gladiators wasted no time getting down to business holding their first training session yesterday morning at the FC Ruggell training centre surrounded by the majesty of the Swiss Alps and the Hoher Kasten mountains Jacobs was pleased with the team’s response after the long journey and is optimistic it will translate well into the games “We want to use these friendlies to prepare for the Cosafa Women’s Championship a tournament that has been elusive for us.” Jacobs acknowledged Liechtenstein’s lack of ranking but said he views the European nation as a “first-world country” and thus he believes the matches will provide valuable game time and the right mindset for the upcoming Cosafa challenge Germany-based players Vewe Kotjipati and Nicole Philander joined the 17 players who travelled from Namibia Team doctor Hilma Uugwanga reported a clean bill of health for the Gladiators with no injuries leading into the first friendly Captain Lovisa Mulunga echoed Jacobs’ sentiment expressing the team’s readiness for the upcoming clash Both friendly matches will be played in Ruggell and no longer in Zurich as initially planned Ruggell is a municipality of 2 322 inhabitants where the international borders with Switzerland and Austria meet copyright in the content of this website vest in The Free Press of Namibia (Proprietary) Limited (Registration No 85/058) The unauthorized making of copies or use of this material constitutes a copyright infringment under the Namibian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act Powered by PageSuite © 2025 The Namibian. 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Liechtenstein covers a total area of 160 sq. km (62 sq mi) in Central Europe. It is a doubly landlocked country as it is surrounded by all landlocked countries. It is very small in size, barely the size of Washington DC, in the United States. As observed on the physical map of Lichtenstein, the Alpine mountains cover the eastern half of the country. The western part is dominated by the Rhine River valley.  Liechtenstein's highest point is Vorder Grauspitz, which reaches 8,526 feet (2,599 m). The lowest point in the country is Bangserfeld (429 m), Ruggell. Both these extreme points have been marked on the map above by triangles (upright and inverted). Liechtenstein has only one lake - Gampriner Seele. The Rhine and Samina are two major rivers flowing through the country. Liechtenstein (officially, the Principality of Liechtenstein) is divided into 11 communes or municipalities (Gemeinden, sing. Gemeinde) In alphabetical order, these communes are: Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg and Vaduz. With an area of 160 sq. km, Liechtenstein is the 4th smallest country in Europe and the 6th smallest country in the world. Located along the Rhine River, Vaduz is the national capital of Liechtenstein. Situated in the central part of the country, to the north of Vaduz is Schaan – the largest municipality of Liechtenstein. Schaan is also the most populous municipality and the country’s chief administrative, business and industrial hub. Liechtenstein is a small, alpine and ‘doubly landlocked’ country, situated on the banks of the Rhine River in Central Europe. It is positioned both in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. Liechtenstein is located in the heart of the Alps and is bordered by Austria in the north and east; and by Switzerland in the south and west.   The outline map above is of Liechtenstein, one of the world's smallest countries. It is located in Europe. The map can be downloaded, printed, and used for coloring or educational purpose. The above outline map represents Liechtenstein. It is a German-speaking microstate located in Europe. It is a doubly-landlocked country, only one of the two such countries in the world, the other being Uzbekistan. This page was last updated on February 24, 2021 All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com Peikko Group Corporation’s Austrian subsidiary Peikko Austria GmbH has received a substantial order to an office construction named KOKON II in Ruggell, Liechtenstein. The order comprises 1 kilometer of DELTABEAM® Composite Beams, hidden PCs Corbels, and column connections. The deliveries start in April and continue until August 2017. “We are very pleased that our DELTABEAM® and connections were chosen also to the second phase of the KOKON Corporate Campus. We have successfully worked together with Frickbau AG in several building frame projects over a long period of time. The slim floor structure offers higher room height and the long spans enable open and aesthetic interior solutions which are highly valued in such premium class office constructions”, states Topi Paananen, CEO of Peikko Group Corporation. while Sergei Vasilyev keeps visiting European states with an Italian visa Offshore companies of Petersburg Oil Terminal Ilya Traber's organized crime connections How Skype prevented them from covering their tracks Skigin: «I did nothing but optimize taxes» «Celebrities from Monaco» share business with Yakunin and Timchenko Petersburg gangsters take over Sakhalin: Allegations of illegal port takeover head of Tambovskaya gang: How to manage a port with a primary school education Gennady Timchenko and the Bank of New York Crown Prince Albert (the current Prince of Monaco) hired Robert Eringer who undertook to investigate the activities of foreign organized crime groups in the country His official capacity remains unclear; according to Eringer«s own words he was head of the Monegasque intelligence whereas Prince Albert denied the very existence of such a service in the principality and claimed that Eringer had been looking into the «rumors» he caught wind of «at his own discretion.» Either way there are documents confirming that Eringer received regular wages from the Prince's palace while the documents and evidence he released are noteworthy with the information being backed by a number of other sources Eringer stated that he had been studying the Sotrama oil-trading company since 2005 driven by his suspicion that the company acted in the interests of both the organized crime groups and Vladimir Putin personally money laundering through export of natural resources is not unheard of: time and again Russian gangs try to get hold of legitimate European enterprises to play on the difference between domestic and export prices or launder money through actual or fake shipments during multiple resale transactions such was the case of the Izmailovskaya organized crime group (with Oleg Deripaska and Iskander Makhmudov as suspects the case was transferred to Russia for investigation in 2011 and eventually closed in Spain in 2016) A Swiss intelligence report mentions that crime boss Semion Mogilevich was involved in the Russian natural gas export, while gangster Zakhariy Kalashov (also known as Shakro Molodoy – «Young Shakro») acted on behalf of Lukoil in Spain to be subsequently convicted both in Spain and in Russia a source (whose real name Eringer does not reveal) contacted the journalist: «MARTHA informed me that Sotrama had declared a monthly income of 100,000 euros to the Monegasque tax authorities which barely covers its salary fund and operational expenses the oil-trading company actually laundered »millions upon millions« euros a month for its controlling company MARTHA attended a party in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat <The Insider«s note: Skigin»s place of residence on the French Riviera> where Sotrama«s CEO proposed a toast to the Russian president saying: »None of this would be possible if it hadn«t been for Putin.»» The search of information on Sotrama became easier after Dmitry Skigin's death in Nice in 2003 when his widow hired Spanish lawyer Pablo Sebastian to prove her entitlement to the property her deceased husband had left behind in a number of countries the lawyer described the situation as follows: «Sotrama and a wide range of other companies are nominally managed by two attorneys acting on behalf of very influential individuals your guess is as good as mine.» In the Monegasque police reports Eringer refers to Sotrama is just a link in the chain of legal entities suspected of money laundering for the Tambovskaya gang under the cover of oil trading The company was registered in 1972 under the name of Aermar and was re-registered in December 1990 according to the Trade and Industry Register of Monaco Petersburg mob acquired other previously existing companies around the same time as well The official head of the company is none other than Markus Hasler (more on Hasler's connection with Vladimir Yakunin and Gennady Timchenko below) prior to the sale of the port to Vladimir Lisin in 2004 all these Liechtenstein-based companies connected to Sotrama and registered at the same couple of addresses – «mailbox» companies as they are dubbed in Europe – indeed formed a network (see the scheme below) and were managed by the same group of individuals with one of the companies currently listed as an official partner of Petersburg Oil Terminal which still trades in oil products manufactured at the Kirishi Oil Refinery Dmitry Skigin«s surviving divorced spouse was not the only contender for his inheritance filed a lawsuit to the American court against such companies as Gazprom Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) Freidzon claimed that he and Skigin had co-founded a company named Sovex which engaged in jet fuel deliveries; 34 percent of its shares belonged to Horizon International Trading was acquired by the aforementioned Sotrama who answered to Vladimir Kumarin (head of the Tambovskaya gang) «ordered Traber to withdraw Sovex« incorporation documents and corporate stamps» and to alter the list of founders the incorporation documents were falsified and the Tambovskaya crime group gained control over the company equal parts of its shares belong to Lukoil and Gazprom – two of the companies sued by Freidzon in the USA «Vasilyev and Kumarin used Sovex not only for tax evasion purposes but also for the laundering of their »dirty« money through Horizon International in Liechtenstein and the Bank of New York The scheme was realized by Graham Smith and Dmitry Skigin,» says Freidzon in his claim former official of Vladimir Putin's Committee for External Relations was in charge of direct «investments in the port» through Liechtenstein he occupied the position of director for development and investment in the Sea Port of St After the main adversary of OBIP was assassinated <The Insider's note: Mikhail Manevich> the company secured a contract with the city administration for the control over the Sea Port of St Petersburg (Traber and Skigin«s enterprise),» according to Maxim Frteidzon's claim in the American court District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected the lawsuit because neither the plaintiff nor the defendant were U citizens (Graham Smith is a citizen of Liechtenstein while Freidzon holds citizenship in Israel and Russia); the plaintiff also failed to prove any other connection of his claim to the USA according to the ruling of the Southern District Court the claim that the money was laundered through the Bank of New York was not sufficient grounds for a RICO indictment because it was a consequence of alleged corruption and racketeering in Russia an American lawyer with an expert knowledge of the RICO Act RICO lawsuits are often filed without the purpose of winning simply to «leave a record» in the U judicial system and attract the attention of the media It seems unlikely that such an influential businessman should have any criminal connections all the more so because he consistently sues any media that make insinuations to that effect Ilya Traber is also a defendant in Spanish case #321/2006 which landed his name on an international wanted list Petrov called his accomplice Leonid Khristoforov and said he was going to meet Traber that day he mentioned «the evidence they have against Vasilyev» Petrov complained to Traber that he had not been able to get through to Ilya for as long as two days to which Traber replied that he had been in Paris and the French «wiretap everyone,» looking for enemies a pre-investigation check was carried out a few years ago in Switzerland at Traber's place of permanent residence (the man had already acquired Greek citizenship by then) As the Swiss prosecutor general stated to The Insider Ilya Traber is not currently being prosecuted in the country he made an appearance at a horserace in Madrid According to the abstract from the register obtained by The Insider at the Chamber of Economic Development of Monaco the new administration of the company consisted of Russian national Vladimir Belkovsky (a native of St Petersburg) and Swiss citizen Ueli Ambauen with Belkovsky permanently residing in Abtwil It looks like Sotrama has been doing some reputation cleansing in Russian as well The search for publications mentioning its exact address in Monaco leads to a 2015 «political detective novel» titled «The Chase for Putin's Gold.» Its author former Pravda correspondent Vladimir Bolshakov published books like «Zionism at the Service of Anticommunism» in Soviet times and has now switched to mass-production of trashy pro-Putin fiction that aims to undermine the Russian fifth column In «The Chase for Putin«s Gold,» a certain American intelligence agent is looking for «Putin's fortune» to dismantle the Russian statehood but fails to find Sotrama's office in Monaco because the indicated address is a large business center with thousands of companies The Insider's correspondent rendered a personal visit to the office of CINPIT (former Sotrama) in Monaco (at 7 rue du Gabian The company occupies offices 20 and 21 on the fifth floor; one of the offices did not answer the door there were only two female Russian employees The employees corrected the correspondent»s pronunciation («Not Michel Michele Tecchia!») but refused to offer any assistance saying they could not provide Tecchia«s email or fax even for an official media inquiry The only thing they gave away is that one of them had been Michele Tecchia»s personal assistant The company's statutory activities are «Rendering of oil and gas extraction services.» Mikhail Skigin denied any connection to his father's business or the Sotrama company and neither was he listed among the shareholders he unexpectedly admitted that he had owned the company but had sold it by then He explained cooperation with Hasler and Graham Smith by his intention to «optimize taxes.» At the same time he denied his involvement in any money laundering schemes: «I make movies and run a few projects for children because they have nothing to do with corruption.» In reply to the question about the connection between Traber and Vasilyev Skigin countered: «The authenticity of the Monegasque reports in the Internet is yet to be verified; I have only gotten down to it recently and I have outlined my course of action There is a different person there now – a number of other people it is not so easy to start a new company in Monaco; my father bought a company that had already existed and it was later sold to Vladimir <Belkovsky> Had the company been involved in any illicit activities where I resumed the university course I had abandoned in 2003 because of my father's death I had enough time to go back and complete my studies Gallen is a small town with few Russian residents and he expressed his interest in the Monegasque business It appeared that he would spare me the trouble by moving to Monaco and taking charge of the company but your call shows that I was wrong.» a company that was registered by Markus Hasler and Graham Smith in Panama in 2002 It would appear that CINPIT is not a new company after all; it is a renamed company that has retained its connections to Skigin and the rest of the network old operations» – this is how Robert Eringer interpreted the emergence of CINPIT in place of Sotrama to The Insider The lawmakers were concerned by low environmental standards of the construction site and the collapse of facilities which resulted in the damage to the protected area of the Baltic Sea was arrested in 2016 and placed into custody till December 27 He is charged with embezzlement of 1.5 bln rubles co-owned in equal shares by Russian national Roman Belousov (who is also the CEO of Platnaya Doroga) and Magalo Investments (Panama) headed by the Liechtensteinian attorneys Markus Hasler and Graham Smith Markus Hasler signed an agreement on the lease of his Italian villa in the Monte Argentario peninsula indicating his address in Liechtenstein as Raben Anstalt The Insider has obtained a copy of the agreement the tenant is Czech lobbyist Marek Dalík who was sentenced to five years in prison by the Prague Municipal Court in 2016 for receiving a payoff while overseeing armored personnel vehicle shipments for the Czech Army As Maxim Freidzon revealed in his interview to The Insider «Mikhail Skigin acted as a legal representative of his «big brothers» – Ilya Traber and Sergei Vasilyev.» Here is what another acquaintance of Vasilyev's mentioned to The Insider in confidence: «Vasilyev would sometimes say in a very heartfelt manner: 'The head of the department in the port <The Sea Port of St Petersburg> has a doctor’s degree in Economics this subparagraph needs amendment.» I look at this paper with my three classes of primary school – and I can«t understand s*** this matter requires careful consideration.« I met Freidzon with Skigin because they spent all their time with Vasilyev he did not leave Sergei's side (at a luxury suite in Belmond Grand Hotel Europe) When Vasilyev was shot <The Insider's note: former leader of the Tambovskaya gang was later convicted for his assassination attempt> the crime boss has lately called Freidzon «a fool who would not last long.» Maxim Freidzon has reported being threatened on Facebook; his claim in the American court also contains information about anonymous calls with threats Robert Eringer learned that Sergei Vasilyev traveled to Monaco with Michele Tecchia from Italy by helicopter to avoid French immigration officers: «MARTHA contacted me with urgent news: Sergei Vasilyev had arrived in Monaco to meet Sotrama's COO Vasilyev had opted for an intriguing mode of transport: he was brought from Italy to Monaco by a private helicopter It was a trick to avoid the French immigration control posts Vasilyev is affiliated with the Tambovskaya organized crime group in St he had a Bentley waiting for him in a garage in Monaco; they say he was also looking for an opening in the port to moor a yacht he had intended to buy here.» Vasilyev also uses a helicopter to get to his suburban cottage in Vyritsa near St Furshtatskaya Street) – and the office had a number of unofficial uses as well would not be able to operate without the contracts signed by Vladimir Putin himself Vladimir Putin signed Directive 488-R on the lease of the Pulkovo Bulk Fuel Installations to Sovex CJSC Sovex enjoyed a monopoly on aircraft fueling in the Pulkovo Airport up to 2013 de-facto co-owners of Petersburg Oil Terminal have attended Putin«s birthday parties No other crime bosses have been honored this way: thus according to a source who witnessed the entire celebration Ilya Traber is on an international wanted list states investigative prosecutor José Grinda of the Special Public Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime Russian prosecutors have tried making direct reports about «the violation of Traber«s rights,» taking on the role of Traber's defense attorneys whereupon the Spanish side lodged a formal protest his acquaintance disclosed to The Insider that the crime boss continues visiting Europe with an Italian visa he failed to see «any hint of a lead» in Eringer's report on the network of companies in Monaco and Liechtenstein connected to the Tambovskaya gang and Putin at the same time His Highness joined Vladimir Putin on a trip to Tuva in 2007 participated in the Olympic Torch Relay in Sochi in 2014 and finally honored Vladimir Putin with the highest Monegasque award – the Order of Saint-Charles We really need your help! 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Сделано в Charmer устарел и не позволяет корректно отображать сайт Schaan is the largest municipality of Liechtenstein by population and a major economic hub Liechtenstein is an independent Principality nestled between Austria and Switzerland The country occupies an area of 160 km2 and has an estimated population of 37,000 people Liechtenstein has eleven municipalities headed by a mayor and each with its administration Schaan Municipality boasts a population of 5,748 inhabitants and occupies a total area of 26.8 km2 Schaan is an ancient region as witnessed in the numerous buildings built in the Baroque period such as the Chapel of St The Municipality is an economic hub and is home to large global manufacturers including Hilti Corporation and Ivoclar Vivadent AG The region is also a tourism hub since it is located in proximity to the mountain range along the border with Switzerland The Municipality of Vaduz is home to 5,197 inhabitants Vaduz is the location of the national parliament and the Vaduz Castle The region was established by the Counts of Werdenberg in 1322 and has medieval architecture as part of its history including the Cathedral of St The Municipality has a well-established tourism sector and cultural centers such as the National Museum and Art Gallery The municipality enjoys good infrastructure although it lacks railway and airport stations Triesen is the third largest municipality with a population of 4,701 The Municipality lies south of Vaduz and in proximity to the Rhine and chapels as well as a weaving mill built in 1863 complete with vineyards and ancient houses The region has however been modernizing in recent times and it is characterized by a blend of new and old Triesen has been experiencing a growing population who are attracted to the excellent infrastructure and modern residential areas Balzers Municipality lies in southern Liechtenstein The region occupies a total area of 19.6 km square and it is Liechtenstein’s fourth largest municipality One of the most famous landmarks in the Municipality is Gutenberg Castle The castle has been occupied since the 12th century and it has undergone construction works throughout the centuries and it serves as a public museum in a modern day the city is home to the headquarters of Oerlikon Balzers The rest of Liechtenstein’s municipalities and their populations are include Eschen (4,008); Mauren (3,626); Triesenberg (2,689); Ruggell (1,862); Gamprin (1,268) The population of Liechtenstein is projected to reach 39,000 by 2030 with the increase being spread out across its municipalities The municipalities are also expected to experience an increased number of foreign immigrants photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com Etienne Bonello somewhat made amends for the country’s poor showing in the cycling road race earlier this week as he finished a creditable ninth in the time-trial in Ruggell After the withdrawal of world-class rider David Millar The Team Greens cyclist pro-duced a strong performance on his way to a top-ten finish after covering the 23km distance in 33 minutes 26.73 seconds The gold medal was won by Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels Liechtenstein’s Stefan Kueng took silver in 31:29.58 and the bronze medal went to Jungel’s team-mate Tom Thill The other Maltese riders in the time trial finished way behind Bo-nello in the final standings as Maurice Formosa came home in 21st position (35:10.63) please register for free or log in to your account Heute ist Altregierungschef Markus Büchel im Alter von 54 Jahren verstorben Markus Büchel folgte 1993 Hans Brunhart als Regierungschef des Fürstentums Liechtenstein September 2002 Honorarkonsul der Russischen Föderation in Liechtenstein um 10 Uhr in der Pfarrkirche Ruggell. (PD) Anmelden Bearbeiten stimmen Sie der Datenspeicherung hierfür zu You can register a free account and get 10 FREE premium articles a month. To reset your password, please enter your email address in the box below and we will send you an email with a few steps to reset your password and get you back onto your account. Read our latest newspaper by downloading our app from the link below. The Gibraltar Chronicle is a daily newspaper published in Gibraltar since 1801. It is one of the world's oldest English language newspapers to have been in print continuously. Our print edition and e-paper is published daily except Sundays. The Gibraltar Chronicle (Newspaper) Ltd is licensed by the Gibraltar Government's Office of Fair Trading, licence number BL 152009. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On June 17, 2021, Golomt Bank successfully completed second loan agreement with Enabling Qapital AG for medium term funding of USD 5 million. We are very happy that Enabling Qapital AG has bestowed trust in Golomt bank and continued to support our clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This second agreement not only ensured its strong cooperation with Golomt Bank’s international partnerships, but also offers diversified funding sources with impact and sustainability principle for its SME clients to support business growth, job creation and overall development of the market through all available mid to long term financing solutions. Golomt Bank is a leading bank in Mongolia, with MNT 7.3 trillion in assets as of December 31st, 2020 serving corporate, SME and retail customer segments across the country. Golomt Bank aims to help its clients build sustainable businesses and with this goal in mind, Golomt Bank is working to bring favorable and diversified funding solutions to its clients. its 160-square kilometers offering stunning mountains and deep valleys which draws on Alpine and European influences We list the 10 must-try restaurants in this tiny Principality the most emblematic building of the Principality Burg Brasserie serves international cuisine dominated by Italian flavours and is the place to be on warm summer evenings Restaurant Marée is a Michelin-starred restaurant located on a plateau offering a stunning view over the Principality’s mountains The menu is full of experimental dishes created by its head chef Take the time to wander around Park Hotel Sonnenhof’s surroundings and admire the building whose architecture mixes traditional Alpine style with contemporary and avant-garde elements Park Hotel Sonnenhof, Mareestrasse 29, Vaduz, Liechtenstein, +423 239 02 02 Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy In the country’s finest Italian restaurant diners can choose from a menu that includes sensational pasta meat or fish dishes and Italian ice-cream to satisfy their tastebuds Ristorante Enoteca Leonardo, Höfle 2, Balzers, Liechtenstein, +423 384 14 33 the latter two being typically convivial meals as it offers an amazing view over Liechtenstein’s scenic mountains Bergrestaurant Sareiserjoch, Sareiserjoch, Malbun, Liechtenstein, +423 263 46 86 © stockcreations / Shutterstock Alpenhotel Malbun‘s restaurant has an Alpine vibe dominated by an impressive reindeer head and imposing beams holding up the venue’s ceiling The menu is focused on high-quality meat dishes There is a wide range of local and foreign wines on offer and its French pastry as a dessert is a must A night in one of the hotel’s comfortable rooms will only make the pleasure last longer Although Bangshof is not exactly a restaurant this farmyard plays a very important part in Liechtenstein’s culinary landscape The door to the Ruggeller Riet nature reservation is the place to be on Sundays in spring and summer which is Liechtenstein dialect for ‘farmer’s breakfast’ Join this cheerful buffet and make friends while sampling the country’s best farm products Bangshof, Bangshof Ruggell, Ruggell, Liechtenstein, +423 373 49 30 ©Michael Shehan Obeysekera / Flickr b’eat is a multifaceted venue which contrasts with the tradition and tranquillity that characterise Liechtenstein b’eat cultivates a glamorous image that also applies to its restaurant b’eat changes faces and becomes a hip nightlife hangout full of lighting ranging from hot pink to lilac-purple import PrebidBidService from "/v1/js/PrebidBidService.js"; import AmazonBidService from "/v1/js/AmazonBidService.js"; window.addEventListener('intersecting',async (e) => { const element = document.querySelector('[data-id="in_article_1"]'); const slot = element.getAttribute('id'); if(e.detail.slotName !== slot) { return; } let promises = []; if(window.canRunPrebid) { const prebidService = new PrebidBidService(); promises.push(prebidService.requestPrebidBids(null [slot])); } if(window.canRunAmazon) { const amazonService = new AmazonBidService(); promises.push(amazonService.fetchBids(null [slot])); } if(promises?.length) { await Promise.all(promises).then(() => { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); }); } else { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); } }); If you click on a link in this story All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip Read Next Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips This Is Europe's Ultimate Road Trip Guides & Tips Beat the Crowds with these Alternative Summer Destinations Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do Lesser-Known Summer Destinations to Visit in Europe See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Spring See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer Guides & Tips The Best Places to Travel in August See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd