My experience of 40 min transfers at ZRH is limited to 1st flights in the morning, which are more likely to be on time.
However, it is not unknown to make the connection but for luggage not to - I wouldn't be surprised if that made things pretty tricky in Moscow.
They would be unlikely to delay the Moscow flight unless a lot of people had a late connection. Try your hardest to take all essential items (changee of clothes) as hand luggage and try to persuade Helvetic to check your hold luggage in at the aircraft side and reclaim it at ZRH, before taking it to the gate of your Moscow departure.
The size of the Moscow aircraft and the no. of passengers flying will determine when boarding opens - 30mins before pushback or 15mins, for example.