Russian riot police yesterday clashed with small groups of protesters who tried to gather in Moscow for an unauthorised opposition rally against the election of President Vladimir Putin's protege, Dmitry Medvedev.

More than 300 riot police detained dozens of activists, sometimes using batons, and dragged protesters to police buses.

Some of the protesters lit flares spreading smoke across the square in central Moscow, screaming "your election is a farce" and "Fascists! Fascists!".

"It is my duty to come down here and express my opposition after these pre-planned and falsified elections," Yelizaveta, a protester in her 50s, said as riot police arrested people around her. "Now they are dragging us away one by one."

The leaders of Russia's small and splintered liberal opposition have called a series of rallies to protest against the election of Dmitry Medvedev, who official figures show won just over 70 per cent of the vote.

Opposition leader Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion who attended a separate rally in the northern city of St Petersburg, said 250 people had been detained in Moscow. A spokesman for Moscow's police declined to comment.

Western observers have criticised Sunday's election as not fully democratic but Mr Putin said the vote was held in strict accordance with the Constitution.

Independent opposition candidates were either barred from running or refused to take part in protest.

"Yesterday they were shouting Heil Putin... on Red Square to celebrate their victory," Alla Petrova, a pensioner who was wrapped up warm against the driving snow, said. "Today they are beating innocent people. Shame on them."

In St Petersburg, about 2,000 activists chanted "Revolution, Revolution" and "Russia without Putin". The meeting was sanctioned by authorities, but a senior opposition activist was arrested before the rally.

Olga Kurnosova, an opposition worker, said Maxim Reznik, head of the Yabloko opposition party in St Petersburg, had been detained late on Sunday.

"He was accused of not obeying police orders. He called me this morning and said his coat had been torn and his forehead bruised," she said.

Police confirmed the detention, saying Mr Reznik was detained after he had attacked another man - a charge Ms Kurnosova denied.

Meanwhile European countries voiced hope yesterday that the election of Dmitry Medvedev as Russia's new President would ease tensions and boost cooperation with Moscow despite a vote they said fell short of democratic standards.