Muscovites can now rally without notifying City Hall or fearing police action. The law on the so called Hyde Parks took effect on January 7.

      However, there are two buts here – first, you can only do it in two places in Moscow and second, locations will be ready for demonstrations no earlier than late spring.

      Gorky Park and Sokolniki Park were picked by the municipal authorities as places for open-air debate points after the idea was suggested by Dmitry Medvedev in 2009 and approved by the current leader in 2012.

      The locations are designed to be used as Speakers’ Corner in London’s Hyde Park and house up to 2,500 people.