In most countries the airline is responsible for the cost of returning the passenger but that does not mean it will necessarily be on their plane (even though in practice that is the preferred scenario because it makes everyone’s life easier).

Ultimately, as mentioned, this is all about immigration authorities (or courts, if the authorities’ decision is challenged) decisions. There are many possible ways to resolve this from relatively innocuous to very unpleasant.

incidentally in the case described in the op of the visa starting 24 hours after arrival, I would have expected some conciliatory resolution in many countries, but this is Russia and admittedly bureaucracy can be rather challenging there...

Not what I should be reading when heading to LED on my second 1 night “tourist” visa in 5 weeks next week. Has anyone had issues with using multiple tourist visa’s in Russia? I shall be applying for a proper working one in January as this project seems to be kicking off, but there just hasn’t been time this year!

please don’t be ridiculous... such immigration practice (denying an entry) is standard. It happened to a Russian scholar visiting the UK and arriving on a visa which was valid, but not the correct one for the type of visit. Travel documents must be in order period.

I travel to Russia quite frequently and - in my experience - the whole immigration process (getting a visa/going through a passport control) is on the whole much easier than it’s ever been.

It is not ridiculous. Yes, absolutely, you should travel with the correct paperwork, but to think that problems with it always necessarily result in denied entry is simply inaccurate. Both cases - someone with a valid visa but which was requested to start a day later, someone who duly obtained a visa but the wrong type assuming it was not an ‘easier’ type (eg get a holiday visa when you’d have needed a working one is different from get a holiday visa when you’d have needed a conference one) and where the appropriate visa application would have required the same paperwork are situations where in most countries, the authorities would have discretion to requalify and end up allowing entry. Other cases that can be resolved are minor clerical mistakes such as misspelling your middle name in an online application etc. Obviously discretion is just that, it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be allowed and officers will usually assess the seriousness, the intention, the history etc but immigration authorities have options.