A gay male couple who married earlier
this month in the Danish capital of Copenhagen told media that Russia
recognized their marriage.
Same-sex marriage is not legal in
Russia, but Pavel Stotsko and Yevgeny Voytsekhovsky said that they
had found a legal loophole.
Upon returning to Moscow, the couple
submitted their passports with an updated marital status.
Their marriage status was validated by
a member of staff, they told Russian channel TV Rain. “He did not
even change his expression,” they said.
Russian law does not explicitly
prohibit recognition of same-sex unions conducted abroad.
According to The
Moscow Times, Moscow's service center later rejected the
couple's marriage.
Dozhd TV quoted Russian lawmakers
calling for a legislative fix to the loophole.