Last time I did this was 6 years ago....
Time spent/wasted on arrival to get a visa can depend on many factors, but it was not that bad......
To get a multi-entry visa, I used a tourist/visa agency (then in Paris) and the process was very straightforward. They got all the necessary "invitations" and took care of all the paperwork.
I do NOT recall if I needed a previous 1-shot visa or not (which I had, but I doubt it).
I was still a F/O, and my then-Captain who did the first leg to, got stuck at the check-in of BA in Heathrow going back to Moscow to pick-up the aircraft, so my Boss called me, appointed me "Captain on the Battlefield", found a young lady who was typed on the aircraft and off we went....