Perhaps the best bit of planning for Moscow's end-of-the-summer City Day blast was that it was held during the height of the political convention season. With such notable killjoys as Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Alexander Lebed locked up in stuffy conference halls reading tedious speeches to their entranced disciples, the rest of us were free to roam the streets, listen to music and enjoy the weather.


This is not to say that the celebrations were not tainted by politics. Old habits die hard in Russia, and there certainly were some awkwardly state-centered events at this ostensibly popular festival. President Boris Yeltsin, surrounded by his seemingly innumerable bodyguards, joined Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, Mayor Yury Luzhkov and their bloated entourages to watch a parade along Tverskaya. In true Soviet style, the parade was closed to the public -- much to the unhappiness of the people.


But this, thank goodness, was not what the day was really about. The city and the event's sponsors did a creditable job of dreaming up a wide variety of events and scattering them throughout the city. From street performances to an air show and sporting events, City Day events seemed well-designed to involve as many people as possible.


This was also true at the financial level. More than 2.5 billion rubles ($560,000) were donated by private businesses and individuals, marking another milestone in breaking the former state domination of all spheres of life in Russia. In 1997, Moscow will mark its 850th birthday, and it would be a great achievement if a fitting celebration were put together solely on the basis of private enthusiasm and funding.


The celebration this year was an excellent beginning. And the best thing about it all was the sheer spontaneity that was evident everywhere. As in major cities around the globe, daily Moscow life is usually characterized by frenzied activity and widespread indifference.


But City Day, for one weekend at least, broke through this facade and that was its real achievement. Streets that are normally choked with cars and covered with black clouds of exhaust were thrown open, and tens of thousands of people poured into them with no other purpose than to look up at the buildings and enjoy being out and about. While marathoners plodded along the Moskva River embankment, ordinary Muscovites watched and walked and fantasized about not ever giving the streets back.


Most people would not normally rank Moscow high among cities where there are fun things to do on the streets. Maybe this is changing. If the point of City Day is to make people feel good about their city, then this year's celebration was an unqualified success.