February 16, 2015 is the date of the 60-th birthday
of academician Valery Rubakov

This issue of ZhETF collects papers written by colleagues, students and friends of Valery Rubakov in honour of his 60th birthday.

Valery is one of the brightest Russian physicists working presently in particle theory, field theory and cosmology. He is known worldwide for his fundamental contributions to particle physics beyond the Standard Model, nonperturbative methods in field theory, baryogenesis, pre-Big-Bang cosmology and many other topics. He is the author of concepts of large extra dimensions and of the electroweak baryogenesis, one of the key early developers of the inflation theory and of its alternatives, an expert in the semiclassical approach to nonperturbative effects in high-energy collisions, etc. His enormous efforts in building a scientific school of dozens of young and not-so-young students and colleagues are appreciated wherever these people start to contribute. People know him also for his continuous efforts in supporting Russian fundamental science in difficult times.

We join our colleagues, whose papers on various interesting subjects are published in this issue, in their congratulations to Valery and their warmest best wishes on the occasion of his 60th birthday!