Russia: were the presidential elections fair?

Both protests and celebrations mark Vladimir Putin's election to a third term as Russia's president, as debate continues over the legitimacy of his win.

Critics continue to rally in Russia's capital, intent on moving forward with their opposition movement, in spite of Vladimir Putin's win with nearly 64 precent of the vote.

They say the voting was skewed in Putin's favour and techniques like bribery at the ballot box were used to influence the vote.

But Putin's supporters continue to celebrate his third term as Russia's president, saying he won fair and square.

Despite the nation's divide over Putin's win, increased public awareness and interest in the election, particularly among the younger voters, has marked a shift in Russia's politics.