CM&KV

As for going to Russia, I need a passport, visa etc. I just started a new job about 3months ago so I won't have vacation time till my 1st year anniversary, but I'm willing to take unpaid leave. Which to my estimate would make me qualify as the affidavit of support sponsor. But we are hoping for me to go after his divorce is final. But I might not since there are many unknown at this time. We have thought about a 3rd county to visit.

He's been to the USA about 4 times from b1. Because he is legally married but separated for 2 years, at least a year before him and I met. He has to go to Russia to get the divorce, since they have a child. I'm hoping to file in either January or February.

For when I finally get my chance to file, I'm counting a 2 month AP just in case, even thought my S.O. states with his J1 visa he got approved a week later, and his past b1/b2's took nearly a month. The only thing that changed was his citizenship. Ukraine to Russian, and the visa type. They were both done at the Moscow USA Embassy. Even with the assumed 2 months AP the amount of time is a lot shorter than other countries without AP.
I have been so paranoid ever since Lowens' post, and how to prevent getting their type of 221g, that I think I'm annoying my S.O. with tons of questions about things that I already knew about him.
I don't know how someone could get a 221g for inaccurate information.... unless it was a sham, or someone was lying. Or the CO, had the wrong file or the wrong person came up in the AP.

I understand why you are worried, I keep checking your profile nearly every weekday to see if there is an update, and same with Lowens'. I thought they would have been approved with what I had read, but again we don't know the full story, and they most likely don't either. There were others that have posted from the Russian portal that have been put into AP for about a month or two and they were approved.
I do have high hopes for you.

What you are planning on doing is something that I am researching as a possible path for my boyfriend and I. We want to be together, either in USA or in Russia. His parents live in Crimea.... so we don't know if that is even possible place for us to live. In the mean time I am working and trying to save up 10k before I am to "live" there for a short amount of time, USA money goes a really long way in a small village like my boyfriend's. For a month I can rent a really nice hotel room looking at the black sea for about less than 400 usd. We have a few people that can sponsor him, if needed.
If you get married in Russia (please correct me if I am wrong) you need to go to FMS(I think it is called Zags) apply for marriage, Documents need to be trans into Russia, unsure if you need an apsial(SP, I forgot how it is spell ><) wait a month for your date and get married. I am unsure if you can get married over there as a tourist visa, but I know you can on a private, I am wondering if it is because of the length of time from applying to get married to being married in Russia.(Multi gives you 6 months) You might be able to on a tourist and later return, after the 6 months are up on that entry and come back as a tourist again and wait with him.
I think your best bet is the private stay visa and after being in the country for 6 months apply for the spouse visa at the USA Embassy. I don't know if you need to be a tempo or perm resident for this or you can be living in Russia on a 6 month private visa come back and renew the time spent with a small gap. Worst case you might be able to do the overseas fiing.
Btw I do not know the timelines for most of these. In order to get the tempo resident permit in Russia, it takes about 6 months as well. You need a medical(I heard that this is only good for 3 months and can cost about 200 USD or more), FBI background check(Good for 3 months, done at the Embassy), and passing the Russian Language History and Law test(Good for 5 years and costs about 5300 Rubles depending on the School you take it at.) And I think you need to know the basic rules of the Russian Language.
Note: If my information is wrong, please correct me and please give links. Its been a few weeks since I looked up this information, and have been busy with a new job and studying Russia.

I hope this helps you. This information is correct, and has been repeated many times on travel sites, and I think I read it somewhere on the governments sites as well.
You can get a tourist or a private stay visa, which both will let you in for 6 months or so. If you plan on being a temp resident (No longer needing a Russian visa to visit). You need to past the Language, History and Culture, and they are done in Russian. ( I have a link to a demo test if you want it)
Btw this the company that issues Russian Visa's to the United States.
Tourist
http://www.ils-usa.com/main.php?id=travel〈=en
Private Stay
http://www.ils-usa.com/main.php?id=private〈=en
Tourist:
Tourist Visa Tourist visas are issued to US citizens, foreign nationals, and stateless persons whose purpose of travel involves cultural events, excursions, sightseeing, and/or general tourism.
It is issued on the basis of a confirmation that the foreign tourist is going to be hosted by a Russian travel agency.
A tourist visa may also be issued for conducting short-term business exchange, participating in exhibitions, auctions, and also in the case of medical consultation or examination. In this case, the Confirmation of hosting a foreign tourist should indicate the purpose of travel as “Aim Tourism” in the necessary field, and the visa is issued for the time period that corresponds with the Confirmation (no more than 30 days).
Regular tourist visas are either Single or Double entry, for a period of no more than 30 days. But in accordance with the simplified visa formalities agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States, US citizens are now able to obtain either a 3-year Multi-Entry Tourist visa upon request which exceed the 30 day stay limit.
It is recommended that US citizens apply for a 3-year, multiple-entry Tourist visa regardless of the dates of entry and exit, number of entries or period of stay indicated in the Confirmation of Hosting a Foreign Tourist issued by a hotel or tourist operator registered with the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Ministry of Culture.
In order to apply for a 3-year multiple-entry Tourist visa, please indicate the full three year period as the length of stay in the Russian Federation when filling out the visa application. (ex. Date of Entry 25/10/2016 until Date of Departure 24/10/2019-minus one day )
Double-entry tourist visas are only issued when the second country is of the 'near-abroad' (CIS states, Baltics) or those that require return transit through Russian territory, such as China and Mongolia, etc.
In order to obtain a double-entry visa, the arrival city to be visited in the second country must be written in the travel itinerary and in the confirmation issued by the tour operator.
The maximum length of stay while traveling on a Single or Double-entry tourist visa is 30 days.

http://www.ils-usa.com/main.php?id=visa-info〈=en
Visa Durations
Single-Entry allows the foreign national a one-time entry into the borders of the Russian Federation.
Double-Entry allows the foreign national to enter and exit the Russian border of no more than two times.
Multi-Entry allows for unlimited entry into the Russian Federation within the visa period.
Do Note! In accordance with the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on the simplification of visa formalities for nationals of the Russian Federation and nationals of the United States of America effective September 9, 2012. US citizens are able to obtain multiple-entry business, private, humanitarian and tourist visas for a stay of no more than 6 months starting from the date of each entry that are valid for three years (36 months) from the date of issue of the visa.


Also Citizens of Russia can get a B1/2 visa that is under the same guidelines but lasts 3 years till expires, max stay per time is 180 days. (They need to show strong ties to Russia thought, and chances he might get denied a B1/2 visa since he has show immigration tent. )