Natalya and Asya have been together for more than a decade and are raising a child together. After leaving Russia, they celebrated a milestone that would have been impossible in their homeland — they got married.
Natalya and Asya are from St. Petersburg, Russia. They've been together for almost 11 years now.
They also have a 2-year-old daughter and a cat. To protect their privacy, the couple asked BuzzFeed not to print their full names or photographs of their daughter.
Photograph by Kevin Truong for BuzzFeed
The couple first met in Crimea, where Natalya was vacationing and Asya was visiting her parents.
"I was invited by my friend to go over her friend's house, where we met for the first time and, after that, we never were apart," said Natalya. "We eventually decided to move in together, but I guess no one ever expected that our relationship would last this long."
Courtesy of Natalya and Asya
The relationship between the couples' respective parents became strained after the birth of their daughter.
"My parents at first generally were OK with the relationship between Asya and I — but after our child's birth, things got more complicated," said Natalya. "Asya’s relationship with her parents was also ruined after the anti-gay propaganda started in Russia."
Courtesy of Natalya and Asya
Back in Russia, they also dealt with neighbors who threatened to call child protective services.
"We started having problems with the neighbors once a child was introduced. Before that, we got along fine — I wouldn't say we were friends, but if we ever bumped into each other, it was fine," said Natalya, pictured above submitting her paperwork at the Marriage Bureau at the city clerk’s office.
Photograph by Kevin Truong for BuzzFeed
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