In early may 2012, the writer Grigory Chkhartishvili, known to the General public under the pseudonym Boris Akunin, published in his blog in Live journal call for Muscovites and guests of the city to go on a "test walk". According to the author, after many political meetings and pickets held in the capital in autumn and winter, and subsequent collisions of oppositionists with OMON fighters, it was necessary to establish if citizens EN masse to move about their hometown without fear of consequences.
The Akunin-Chkhartishvili was drawn up in a half-joking tone: anyone could try at your own risk to join the protesters that, "shaking with fear", was going to stroll from monument to Pushkin located on Pushkin square, to the monument to Abai on Clean ponds.
Among the said "Control stroll" was listed basically writers: poets Dmitry Bykov and Sergei., novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Yulia Latynina detectivity, author of "the Pokrovskie gate" Leonid Zorin, and many others. Musicians at the rally was presented by Andrei Makarevich and Alexei Kortnev. Were present on action and the Deputy of the State Duma.
Assessment of gumvd of Moscow, the action was attended by about two thousand people. However, independent experts, in particular media correspondents covering the event, published the figures a few times more official. According to the organizers "Control walk" on 13 may in Moscow walked for about ten thousand people.
Gathered in the afternoon at Pushkin square, went walking on the Boulevard ring, without any slogans and propaganda. Vehicular traffic on the route of the action was temporarily halted. Periodically, the protesters stayed and applauded to some of the writers who gave during an interview with numerous TV channels. Any collision with the guardians of law and order during the "Walk" didn't happen.
