My first-hand visa information is from getting a visa at the Russian embassy in Tokyo in 2003. I did meet a German who got his Russian visa in Mongolia, though. Talk to whoever is issuing your first tourist visa, they should be able to say. Just remember to start the process as early as possible so you don't have to wait around weeks just for the invitation!
The only additional rule for US citizens I know of is a special form where they ask every detail of your life. This is in retaliation (implemented on the basis of reciprocity, as they say in the language of diplomats) for the US requiring more information from Russians to get a visa and has been around for years. (e.g., List all countries you have visited in the last ten years and indicate the year of visit, List all educational institutions you ever attended, except high schools)

I don't know if you have started anything yet, but I don't think you need your actual passport to get the invitation, so you may as well start the visa process while waiting for your passport to come back.

Hi Bill,

I agree with Chirs, you don't need your passport to get the invite and the invite is the bit that takes ages. You can get the actual visa in only a few days. The invite, however takes about 3 weeks to get, so start now.

Cheers,

Mark and Jane

News-Passport on the way
 

Hey everyone,
Below is the e-mail I just received.
It is very good news.
Apparently the $60usd for expedited service still works.
I wrote several emails and called many times. I even called my congressperson to plead for help.
In the USA the visa service gets the LOI and the visa all together.
Hopefully I can turn my passport around to them and with luck get the business visa.
Thanks for the concern. It helped!!!
bill.

Subject: RE: extra pages
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 10:39:23 -0400
From: "NPIC, Passport" <NPIC@state.gov> Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
To: "Shockley III," <bmwstbill@yahoo.com>

Your passport was mailed on 04/18/2007 from theCharleston Passport
Center in South Carolina. Passports are normally sent priority mail. You
should receive the passport in 3-5 business days.


For further information, please refer to our website
Welcome to Travel.State.Gov or call (877) 487-2778, for TDD/TTY users 1-888-874-7793 (Mon-Fri
7am to midnight ET, excluding federal holidays). If you need to contact
us again by email, please include all prior messages/correspondence in
your reply so we can review what has previously taken place.

Thank you.
National Passport Information Center
Agent #007


-----Original Message-----
From: Shockley III, [mailto:bmwstbill@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 3:38 AM
To: NPIC, Passport
Subject: extra pages


Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
Shockley III, (bmwstbill@yahoo.com) on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at
03:38:20
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

general: General Questions

QUESTION: I need my passport back ASAP because I need to apply for
Russian Visas for my trip.
I applied for Expedited service for extra pages.
Can you estimate how long this will take?
my locator number is:
309726222.
Thank you,
William.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had a couple of Russian visa entry and exit dates changed in Mongolia back in 1994 ... the Russian embassy there doesnt exactly have a lot to do, so they were friendly and quick with visa stuff ... but then that was a long time ago ... and they were Australian passports.

Sounds like a good trip mate ... I am in "the big M" May 2nd - 6th again ... not sure when the next visit after that ... some time in June but ntg booked yet.

Might be easier to meet in London to be honest.

As for the HIV requirement ... yes I have forgotten it once and they didnt ask for it ... (the 2006 annual visa) but the 2005 and the 2007 visas they sent the applications back to me asking for the HIV note ... so had to run around to get one in the couple of days before I needed to travel. Too much hassle if you are cutting the visa date fine... next year will just throw the note in the with application.

Technically they require it for any visa of over 3 months duration, regardless of whether its business, tourist, residency, work, multi entry, single entry or whatever ... but the obviously dont always enforce that. Maybe I just look dodgy!