According to police 90,000 people were taking part in a rally in support of Vladimir Putin in Moscow while 23,000 had shown up at a rival protest march challenging his rule.
"Between 87,000 and 90,000 are attending the (pro-Putin) rally that has started at Poklonnaya Gora" in western Moscow, capital city police said in statement. "Around 23,000 are taking part in the (opposition) march."
On the other hand, police units were deployed across central Moscow on Saturday ahead of a large rally calling for a rerun of disputed December parliamentary elections and an end to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin s rule.
Police buses and vehicles were amassed near Red Square and the iconic Bolshoi Theatre, with troops ready to be dispatched along a procession route and at Bolotnaya Square in central Moscow, where about 28,000 people are expected to rally, after signing up on social media sites.
On March 4, Putin is expected to retake the presidency that he held from 2000-2008, and the Russian public research group the Levada Centre has said 78 percent of Russians expect Putin to win the poll.
A counter rally for Putin supporters in a northern Moscow park is also planned for this frosty Saturday, and another rally for supporters of nationalist presidential candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky took place in central Moscow.
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