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Thousands of troops have been deployed in the Russian capital as unprecedented numbers of people protest over the weekend's results.
Liberal opposition party leader Boris Nemtsov was among the hundreds of people who were arrested.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party saw a significant drop in support in Sunday's election but it will still have a majority in parliament.
Opponents have said even that victory was due to massive vote fraud.
The election results have caused an international war of words after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested the vote had been neither free nor fair and urged that reports of fraud were investigated.
Russia's foreign ministry has responded by saying the comments are "unacceptable".
Mr Nemtsov was later released without charge but said: "People finally realise they are being lied to. United Russia stole 13 million votes. Putin must go."
Demonstrators shouted "Putin is a crook and a thief!" referring both to the alleged election fraud and to widespread complaints that United Russia is one of the prime reasons for Russia's endemic corruption.
Hundreds of young men with emblems of United Russia's youth wing, the Young Guards, gathered on the outskirts of the city's Revolution square and tauntingly chanted "Putin victory!"
Sky's Amanda Walker has heard reports of fireworks being thrown and anti-Putin protesters being dragged off by police officers.
Kommersant newspaper reports that the Interior Ministry has deployed 50,000 police officers and 11,500 troops to Moscow.
Colonel Vasily Panchenkov, a spokesman for interior ministry forces, said the troops were being drafted in for people's protection.
"They have just one aim - to ensure the security of the citizens," he told Interfax.
Interior ministry spokesperson Oleg Yelnikov played down the deployment, telling Sky News: "Interior Ministry forces were moved into Moscow at the beginning of the voting process and will stay until the votes are counted and the results announced. They are here to ensure public order...
"The forces will be used as necessary. We should be prepared for anything."
Moscow police spokesman Maxim Kolosvetov said about 250 people had been detained.
Preliminary results show the party got 49.5% of the vote, one of the worst election results of Mr Putin's 12-year rule, which gives it a slim 13-seat majority.
Prominent activist Ilya Yashin and opposition blogger Alexei Navalny were arrested for their roles in Monday's protest which saw people take their discontent to the streets of Moscow, chanting "Russia without Putin".
Yashin was sentenced on Tuesday afternoon to 15 days in jail. Navalny's lawyer has not been able to speak to his client and says he does not know where he is.
Mr Putin has promised a "significant reshuffle" following the presidential election next year in an attempt to calm anger that has spilled onto the streets.
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