Efforts are being made to take advantage of what has been a more open and tolerant country this summer by a community seeking equality and fairness
Our interview with Aleksandr Agapov – president of the Russian LGBT Sport Federation – takes place in two parts.
We’re chatting well but his attention is called away. “Police,” he tells us. And, just like that, Aleksandr – Sasha for short - disappears for 10 minutes.
When he comes back he says he’s been to answer some questions from a local police officer, who has turned up at the Football For All event organised by Sasha’s group in an otherwise empty, unremarkable college in the north west of Moscow.