Denied

Went to the Russian consulate at the Russian embassy here in Stockholm yesterday morning, all paperwork, photos, invitation letter from my Russian sponsor, 2500 sek (about 300 bucks) in hand and ready for my tourist visa.
Denied. Reason: my invitation letter was not an "original" (it was a printout of an email attachment sent from my sponsor company in Moscow - which, by all accounts and research I did is fine). I asked what I could do. Two suggestions; one, have my sponsor company send my original invitation via post and try again next week, two, go through this company that he gave me the name of to arrange all my Russian travel. Called them (no small feat with these crazy phones). All travel must be booked through them and pre-paid. Hotel, air, "touring", visa app, sponsorship, etc. Seven grand, and will take them 5 days. Fuck that. And I don't have time to spend another week here in Stockholm.
So, the Russians demonstrate they are the worlds best at being the bad guys once again. I am not allowed to come into their country and spend $1000 a night on a hotel. Impressive, if I wasn't a bit devastated (Russia was really the reason for this trip).
Apparently this "original invitation letter" is a thing with the Stockholm Russian consulate, and its recently become very hard for Americans to get tourist visas out of here. And, its impossible in Germany, only Germans can get tourist visas from the Germany Russian embassies, as apparently is reciprocation for the Germany policy in Russia. And, it takes 10 working days in Finland. So, I'm screwed.
Spending this morning reworking travel plans. I know I'm out the flights into and out of Russia, they were non changeable non refundable fare, and I know I'm out the ticket to the Bolshoi ballet. The plane tickets were about $300 total, and the ticket to the ballet was about the same. Fuckers.