I have been married for almost 5 years, and a recent experience has raised my suspicions that at the time of our marriage she was still married to her last husband. Is it possible to obtain a copy of her Russian divorce certificate? I can provide a translated copy of her marriage cert. to her last husband.
According to Russian legislation you may request annulment because your wife’s previous marriage has not been terminated. As far as I know the majority of countries does not recognize polygamy and impose penalties against such an action.
To get such information you can only through the court because Vital Records Office can provide this information only by court request.
You have right to apply to Russian court with annulment action. The court will request the Vital Records Office whether the divorce had been registered and the date of the registration.
If the answer from Vital Records Office is positive i.e. previous had been terminated, you have right not to participate in the case anymore. In this case, the court may dismiss the case at all.
If you find out that previous marriage has not been terminated, you will have right to request annulment of your marriage, to demand on financial damage and moral compensation.