Irina Fedotova-Fet and Irina Shepitko, the Russian lesbian couple who challenged the country's legal system in May 2009 when they asked for a marriage license that was ultimately rejected, will finally marry today in Toronto, Canada, where gay marriage is legal and no residency is required.

Hurrah!

The two women will wed at the Toronto City Hall, and when they return to Russia next week, they will try to get their Canadian marriage licence recognized. Russian marriage legislation has a number of reasons that prevent the recognition of foreign marriages in the country, but according to gay activists, a marriage license signed by two persons of the same sex is not one of them. If, nonetheless, they are turned down, the couple say they will file a complaint with the European Human Rights Commission.

Although Russia decriminalized gay sex in 1993, two years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, unlike other major European cities, Moscow has no LGBT-friendly district, and gay life is largely kept underground, with only a few openly gay bars.

In any case, today is a day to smile and celebrate. So cheers to the happy couple, and best wishes for a wonderful future together as wife and wife!