11 photos from one of Russia's biggest anti-Putin protests in years

Anton Vaganov/Reuters

Russian state media downplayed Monday's anti-government protests as small, but in reality, demonstrations that took place in more than 100 Russian cities were some of the largest in years.

The protesters gathered on Russia Day - a national holiday celebrating the adoption of the Russian Federation on June 12, 1990 - to speak out against government corruption.

They were organized by Alexei Navalny, a long-time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and himself a presidential hopeful.

In the past, Navalny has labeled Putin "the czar of corruption," and even accused Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of "building a corruption empire," according to the Moscow Times. But the day did not go very well for him.

Here's what happened.