Russian establishments in 2022 will not be included in the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world. This is stated in the message of the prestigious restaurant award World’s 50 Best Restaurants, published on March 7.
“We confirm that Russian establishments will not be included in the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world – 2022 and the list of the 50 best bars in the world – 2022,” the statement posted on Instagram said.
The organizers noted that “they do not place personal responsibility on any restaurant or bar”, indicating that the decision is related to the situation in Ukraine.
The ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the world is compiled by The Restaurant Magazine based on a survey of chefs, restaurateurs, gourmets and restaurant critics around the world.
As Ekaterina Pugacheva, chairman of the jury in the Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, noted, this decision was painful for both parties and has nothing to do with “specifically Russian restaurants or Russia as a whole”, since today “all international organizations are under enough strong pressure.”
“While this decision is temporary, it concerns the list only in 2022, which means that those restaurants that were on the list in previous years remain there, they will not go anywhere from there,” she explained in a conversation with Izvestia.
Pugacheva emphasized that many industry professionals with whom she spoke do not support such a decision by the organizers of the award, as they understand “that sanctions cannot be applied simply because you are a Russian restaurant.”
“And when I ask what happened, they very carefully begin to answer me: you understand, now is such a difficult time, this will cause an additional wave of aggression, we will be misunderstood. <...> I want to say one thing, this does not mean that the entire global gastronomic industry has turned its back on us, that we are persona non grata. At the moment, everything is very emotional and any step can be interpreted differently than we would like, ”she concluded.
On March 4, the French Michelin, which publishes a guide to the best restaurants in the world, suspended its activities on the recommendation of establishments in Russia. However, the company emphasized that this decision does not call into question the professionalism of Russian chefs.
On February 17, the situation in the Donbass escalated significantly. The Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) announced a general mobilization, the evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia and asked for help. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the DPR and LPR, as well as treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. On February 24, the Russian leader announced the launch of a special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass. Western countries that disagreed with its implementation began to introduce new anti-Russian sanctions.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
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