The millions of Moscow residents can move freely again on Tuesday. The strict lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus has primarily been lifted after about two months.
In the Russian capital, there were again traffic jams on Tuesday. Many people also walked around without mandatory masks.
“It’s a beautiful day, in every way,” said a 33-year-old woman in the city centre. It seemed to be even quieter in the metro than before the corona crisis.
Mayor Sergei Sobjanin said on Monday that the measures could be eased because things are going in the right direction in the fight against the virus, but not everyone agrees.
Critics criticize the authorities for paving the way for a major military parade later this month and a referendum to enable President Putin to stay in power longer.
Thousands of new infections are still being diagnosed every day in Russia.
Authorities have diagnosed 485,253 people in recent months as contracting the coronavirus. The official death toll is 6142.