16.15 As the day draws to a close, the mood among protestors as they return home from today’s Moscow protest, which saw one of the biggest gatherings in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union pass without any arrests or violence, appears to be one of jubilation. Though some people were detained in demonstrations that took place from Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East to Krasnodar in the deep south and Arkhangelsk in the Arctic, the day’s events proved wrong the observers who had said the Kremlin would not allow such a large manifestation of popular dissatisfaction. The contrast with smaller rallies in Moscow during last week which saw arrests and beatings was very clear. Saturday’s meetings were even covered by state-controlled television channels. All eyes will now be on the Kremlin as Putin ponders a response to the extraordinary events, and on the emboldened opposition as it decides how to take its demands forward.