Authorities in Moscow have agreed to allow a mass opposition rally on February 4, a month before Russia's presidential polls.

Deputy Mayor Aleksander Gorbenko says authorities approved the route for the protest, which will see demonstrators march to Bolotnaya Square, just opposite the Kremlin on the other side of the Moscow River. An estimated 50,000 people are expected to attend.

The rally will follow mass protests last month against parliamentary polls that the opposition claimed were rigged. The demonstration is being held before the country's March 4 presidential election, where Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is standing for a third term.

If re-elected, the 59-year-old leader could serve two more six-year terms and remain in power until 2024.

Mr. Putin was first elected president in 2000 and held that post until 2008, due to term limits. He then assumed the position of prime minister .