Tens of thousands of people defied a crackdown by Russian authorities to stage what is believed to be the country’s biggest political protest for eight years.

Demonstrators shouted “down with the tsar!” and waved the national flag as they took to the streets of Moscow to demand free elections to the city legislature.

The rally took place a week after more than 1,000 protesters were detained amid violent confrontations with riot police in the capital.

Up to 60,000 people took part in the officially-sanctioned demonstration, according to monitoring groups, while police put the turnout at 20,000.

At the end of the rally hundreds of young people surged towards the presidential administration building while chanting ”Putin is a thief”.

Masked riot police ringed off the area before moving in to make arrests. OVD-Info, a monitoring body, said a total of 340 people were detained across the country, including 244 in Moscow and 81 in St Petersburg.

Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Show all 20 1 /20 Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Riot police officers detain a participant of an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections at Moscow's Pushkinskaya Square AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Opposition leader Lyubov Sobol was among the hundreds arrested amid new rallies AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections Reuters Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police officers detain a woman during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Police in Moscow have detained a leading opposition figure as she was heading to an unauthorized rally and march protesting the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from the Moscow city council election. Lyubov Sobol, who is one of the aspirants rejected from the ballot, has been detained in central Moscow and taken away in a police van. Police have detained dozens of other demonstrators. (AP Photo/ Pavel Golovkin) Pavel Golovkin AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Law enforcement officers detain a participant in a rally calling for opposition candidates to be registered for elections to Moscow City Duma, the capital's regional parliament, in Moscow, Russia August 3, 2019. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva TATYANA MAKEYEVA Reuters Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police block a square during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Moscow police on Saturday detained nearly 90 people protesting the exclusion of some independent and opposition candidates from the city council ballot, a monitoring group said, a week after arresting nearly 1,400 at a similar protest. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Alexander Zemlianichenko AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Riot police officers detain a man during an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections in downtown Moscow on August 3, 2019. - The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police epa07754982 Russian riot police carry a detained participant of the liberal opposition protest action in the center of Moscow, Russia, 03 August 2019. Liberal opposition called their supporters to continue their protest actions against rejecting their candidates for Moscow City Duma elections, which is scheuled for 08 September. Most of the candidates have been placed on administrative arrest before and during last week protest action where about 1,300 participants were detained. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV MAXIM SHIPENKOV EPA Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police block a street during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Moscow police detained more than 300 people Saturday who are protesting the exclusion of some independent and opposition candidates from the city council ballot, a monitoring group said. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Pavel Golovkin AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police epa07754984 Russian riot police try to catch a participant of the liberal opposition protest action in the center of Moscow, Russia, 03 August 2019. Liberal opposition called their supporters to continue their protest actions against rejecting their candidates for Moscow City Duma elections, which is scheuled for 08 September. Most of the candidates have been placed on administrative arrest before and during last week protest action where about 1,300 participants were detained. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV MAXIM SHIPENKOV EPA Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Law enforcement officers detain a participant in a rally calling for opposition candidates to be registered for elections to Moscow City Duma, the capital's regional parliament, in Moscow, Russia August 3, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov SHAMIL ZHUMATOV Reuters Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Riot police officers detain a man during an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections in downtown Moscow on August 3, 2019. - The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police epa07754930 Russian riot police detain a female participant of the liberal opposition protest action in the center of Moscow, Russia, 03 August 2019. Liberal opposition called their supporters to continue their protest actions against rejecting their candidates for Moscow City Duma elections, which is scheuled for 08 September. Most of the candidates have been placed on administrative arrest before and during last week protest action where about 1,300 participants were detained. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV MAXIM SHIPENKOV EPA Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police officers detain a protestor, during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Moscow police on Saturday detained nearly 200 people protesting the exclusion of some independent and opposition candidates from the city council ballot, a monitoring group said, a week after authorities arrested nearly 1,400 at a similar protest. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Alexander Zemlianichenko AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Servicemen of the Russian National Guard detain a man during an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections in downtown Moscow on August 3, 2019. - The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police TOPSHOT - Riot police officers detain a journalist during an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections at Moscow's Pushkinskaya Square on August 3, 2019. - The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images ALEXANDER NEMENOV AFP/Getty Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police officers detain men during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Russian group says at least 600 people arrested at unsanctioned election protest in Moscow. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Alexander Zemlianichenko AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Police block a street during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Russian group says at least 600 people arrested at unsanctioned election protest in Moscow. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Pavel Golovkin AP Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Law enforcement officers detain a participant in a rally calling for opposition candidates to be registered for elections to Moscow City Duma, the capital's regional parliament, in Moscow, Russia August 3, 2019. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva TATYANA MAKEYEVA Reuters Moscow protests: hundreds detained by riot police Riot police officers detain a man during an unsanctioned rally urging fair elections in downtown Moscow on August 3, 2019. - The rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations after officials refused to let popular opposition candidates run in next month's city parliament elections. (Photo by Vasily MAXIMOV / AFP)VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP/Getty Images VASILY MAXIMOV AFP/Getty

The protests over elections for the Moscow city legislature have turned into the biggest sustained protest movement in Russia since 2011-2013, when people took to the streets to demonstrate against perceived electoral fraud.

They are demanding that opposition candidates be allowed to stand in a city election next month. The vote is seen as a dry run for a national parliamentary election in 2021 but authorities say the opposition candidates failed to collect enough genuine signatures to register.

“The authorities have become brazen. It’s time to defend our rights,” said Natalya Plokhova, a recruiting consultant.

Police detained hunger-striking opposition activist Lyubov Sobol before the rally, alleging that he and other activists were plotting a “provocation”.

“I won’t make it to the protest. But you know what to do without me ... Russia will be free!” Sobol wrote on Twitter.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and at least seven of his allies are already in jail for breaking protest law.

As the scenes unfolded in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin was shown on state television in a leather jacket at a biker show organised by the Night Wolves motorcycle club on the peninsula of Crimea which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer, whose fourth term in office runs until 2024, has so far avoided commenting on the unrest.