Translated material
Recognize love
Citizens of Russia 28-year-old Pavel Stotsky and 27-year-old Evgeny Voitskhovsky got married in Copenhagen. Denmark is the first country that began to make same -sex marriages, including between tourists. After returning home, Pavel and Eugene managed to legalize their marriage in the Moscow Multifunctional Center (MFC). The employee of this organization, without asking unnecessary questions, put in passports on the page of the marital status of the stamp. Pavel and Eugene talked about an amazing event on their pages on a social network. A little later, the MFC denied the information that this service recognized the marriage between two men.
On January 26, the Ministry of Internal Affairs on its website reported that “passports of these citizens are included in the federal database of invalid passports ”. And the employee who put the stamp in the passport, and her immediate supervisor will be dismissed from the internal affairs bodies. On the same day, police officers came home to Pavel Stotsko's parents. In an interview with Radio, Freedom Pavel Stotsko, a doctor and specialist in public health, said that he would appeal the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in court and complain to the prosecutor's office.
- We did not see the documents that our passports were recognized as invalid. We do not understand what this means. Are we devoid of Russian citizenship?! The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not publish, on the basis of which this atrocity committed. It is possible to deprive a citizen of a passport only by court decision. I consider the actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs an egregious violation of Russian legislation, arbitrariness and abuse of official position. In addition, we condemn the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a flagrant violation of labor legislation. Nonsens that they plan to dismiss an employee who conscientiously performed duties in accordance with the law. With such actions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs urges all its employees to violate laws. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is nightmare of citizens, stating that everyone who acts within the law will be dismissed. We declare civil disobedience to this decision, we will go to court and complain to the prosecutor's office. We also advise an employee who put the stamps to us and defend his labor rights.
We declare civil disobedience to this decision, we will go to court and the prosecutor's office
- For what purpose did police officers come to the house of your parents?
- The whole operational department came to the apartment of my loved ones. Under the pretext that a crime was supposedly committed in the yard, so you need to rewrite all the inhabitants of the house. Especially the police were interested in me and asked my parents to give my phone number. Parents put the police into the apartment. I do not know what exactly the police did there. They could leave some things or, conversely, pick up. But everyone knows that I have not been living at the place of registration for a long time.
-The police asked something about your marriage, a trip to Denmark, a LGBT community?
- They did not affect such topics in a conversation with my family, but I am sure that their visit is connected with our sensational story. I think they just wanted to intimidate relatives. But my loved ones are not shy. They support me in everything. Mom and grandmother cried with joy when they saw our photos during the ceremony at the Copenhagen City Hall.
The registrar said that he understands how heavily same -sex couples in Russia
- How did you meet Eugene?
- Six years ago, I headed the Student Council of the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov. On the basis of student activity, Eugene and I began to communicate, discuss what projects can be done to help young doctors. This united us, and we became a couple. We have been living together for more than three years. According to the laws of Denmark, marriages between tourists are not dissolved. And we are going to be together until the end of our days.
- Why from all countries where foreigners can get married, did you choose Denmark?
- We wrote a letter to the Copenhagen City Hall, and we were very quickly answered. They asked to send scans of documents. Then they wrote that everything is in order, we can come. During the ceremony, we made oaths, kissed and exchanged rings. After the official part, the registrar said that he understands how he is seriously a same -sex couples in Russia. He said how important it is that there are people who have the courage to declare their relationship in the face of society. And it is important that there are more such couples. These words touched me very much. And I realized that I could not be silent, I must publicly talk about LGBT problems in Russia. I must help other couples openly declare my love. Therefore, we, returning from Denmark, decided to legalize our marriage in Russia.
- How did you learn about this opportunity?
An employee of the MFC acted as part of Russian legislation, which turned out to be more liberal than we all thought
-From the brochure about the legal support of the same-sex family, which was published by the LGBT network. It turns out, in accordance with the Federal Law “On Acts of Civil Status”, a certificate of marriage issued in Denmark is recognized in the territory of the Russian Federation. We translated into Russian a certificate that the town hall of Copenhagen gave us, and assured the notary's seal. An employee of the MFC, an ordinary middle -aged woman, without unnecessary questions posed a stamps for us. Please note that it was an experienced registrar, not a student who could confuse something. She did not show the slightest hint that our case requires a special relationship. Just asked: "Guys, are you together?" And I looked at the documents. Some call the fact that we managed to legalize marriage in Russia, hacking the system. But the official of the MFC acted in the framework of Russian legislation, which turned out to be much more liberal than we all thought. I believe that our story is an example of how the law should be respected: the letter in the letter, word in word. Without any homophobic interpretations.
- What reaction of officials did you prepare when you went to the MFC with passports and a certificate of same -sex marriage concluded in Denmark?
- Of course, I did not expect that everything would go so easily and simple. I was preparing for difficulties and wrote a statement in which I described in detail the legal grounds to legalize our marriage. The main of them: Article 158 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation. "Marriages between citizens of the Russian Federation concluded outside the territory of the Russian Federation in compliance with the legislation of the state in which they are concluded are recognized as valid in the Russian Federation if there are no circumstances stipulated in Article 14 of this Code that impede the marriage." Among these circumstances, there is not a word which sex of the spouses have the right to recognize marriage. In addition, I referred to the fifth paragraph of the Passport Regulation, which obliges the Ministry of Internal Affairs to put marks on marriage in the passport. And to the Hague Convention, canceling the requirement of legalization of foreign official documents for the countries of the Convention. I prepared well, but I did not have to prove anything, because, as it turned out, Russian officials can professionally do their work. Without any homophobic reservations. Perhaps our society is already ready to recognize same -sex marriages and not as homophobic as it is customary to think.
- Publishing polls indicate the opposite. According to the Levada Center for this year, 83% of Russians condemn same-sex ties.
- People are busy with their problems. They do not want to understand someone else's personal life. If only the government does not bring personal to the public agenda and does not try to divide and rule, infringing on the rights of LGBT. As soon as officials begin to discuss same -sex marriages, instead of saving healthcare and education, you can put an end to the state. And on the contrary, as soon as the authorities stops provoking hatred of LGBT, homophobia comes to naught. In this regard, changes in the attitude of society to LGBT in Ukraine are indicative.
Pavel and Eugene at the Copenhagen City Hall
- You probably have encountered homophobia many times.
-I was subjected to violence due to homophobia in the family. I was inflicted a serious physical trauma, which still makes itself felt. Once I was fired, only because I took part in a LGBT conference on HIV infection. I was insulted on the street. Zhenya and I were threatened, we were beaten. Moreover, we did not demonstrate our relations, but only, from the point of view of homophobes, were too friendly to each other. But we learned to defend ourselves from attacks.
I was subjected to violence due to homophobia in the family
They are upset not so much homophobes as the reaction of Moscow LGBT activists to our marriage. Until recently, I knew about LGBT organization. I turned to them for legal help when I decided to legalize our marriage. They did not help me. And most of all dirt in response to our act we received from LGBT activists. They wrote that the legalization of our marriage does not mean anything that everything would play back. LGBT activists acted like crabs that prevent those who are trying to do this from a bucket. I think they are afraid that if they begin to defend their rights too actively, they, for example, are evicted from rented premises. LGBT activists are very scared and at the same time consume grants that they manage to receive for loud statements about anything. I think we need LGBT organization, which will actually fight for the rights of minorities.
-And you decided to become a LGBT activist?
Do not cut wings to people who think freely and want to get out due to skirting
- The decision made me. People from all over Russia ask questions. I answer, advise and convince that we, ordinary citizens, can use the laws of Russia for our good. We are all - both LGBT and heterosexuals are under a terrible press. We have no rights! Even for life. The country is dying out. I say this as a specialist in public health. Putin somehow, commenting on same-sex marriages, said that they do not contribute to the birth rate . No, people do not want to give birth and die out, because they are unhappy, and not because of same-sex marriages. Numerous studies show that public health directly correlates with a state of happiness. I am very pleased with the numerous words of support from heterosexuals. We are all tired of stagnation and want to breathe freely. I think we must unite and defend every he span of our right to health, self -esteem, love and happiness. Fight for each unconnected diagnosis, unrecognized analysis, for every unacceptable statement to the police.
And to those who advise to hide and sit quietly, I answer: do not spread your thinking of rodents (mice are always hidden so as not to get a slipper from the owner of the house). Do not cut the wings to people who think freely and want to get out due to the skirting board. Better do not write anything, but watch silently. And maybe your rights will be recognized by the efforts of other people.
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"They do not have the right to deprive us of passports"
This interview with Pavel Stotko was recorded on Friday, and soon the young man reported that he had been threatening.
“They write to me in a personal with a proposal to“ cut off my head ”, they call from the unknown numbers of my mother and ask me to“ calm down ”so that she would not be fired. It is terrible to say this, but it is an expected and “natural” reaction. In Russia, where today they say so much about the “norm”, threats of murder, the arbitrariness of the police, blackmail and incitement have become the norm, ”wrote Pavel Stotsky on Facebook.
On January 27, police officers began to break into the house where Pavel and his husband live, they turned off the Internet and electricity. The press service of the metropolitan police reported that an administrative case was instituted against the married couple about the intentional damage of the document. As part of the production in such cases, a passport with a marriage mark is subject to seizure.