These "Marriage Bureaus" are really civil Registration Offices of Vital Statistics; they keep records of marriages, births, deaths and divorces. ZAGS stands for "Zapis aktov grazhdanskogo sostoyaniya", "Registration of acts of civil condition." But the registration of marriages with accompanying ceremony gives them their image as a "marriage bureau". The marriage registration ceremony is often held in former palaces, with some ceremony; thus the name "Wedding Palaces". See BRIDAL SALONS for wedding dresses and tuxedos (both are often rented), wedding accessories, and items for newlyweds.