[travelbuffoon]

Needing that kind of recognition seems unhealthy.

I'm pretty sure both London and Switzerland have cultures (OK, UK culture is mostly just drinking but still...).

Large software hubs generally need to pull in people from around the world, not just USSR. And that's the crux of the problem. London, Berlin, Paris, Zurich are all major international cities - it's easier for people from all around the world to settle down there than in places like Warsaw or Perugia.