The Kremlin's rule is beginning to look much shakier than at any time since Vladimir Putin came to power, after a series of protests in cities across its vast landmass this weekend by Russians disgruntled about the economy.

And as the country starts to feel the effects of the global credit crunch, there are also signs of a growing rift between Prime Minister Putin and his hand-picked successor as President, Dmitry Medvedev.

In Vladivostok, some 2,000 protesters took to the streets, with some carrying banners reading “Kremlin, we are against you”, and other people chanting directly for the removal of Mr Putin. The demonstration passed off peacefully.

Nearly every major city had a street rally, and though most were low key, the unusual scale of dissatisfaction is likely to worry the authorities. The Russian economy has been hit hard by falling oil prices, many oligarchs have seen billions of pounds wiped off the value of their shares, and ordinary Russians are feeling the pinch as factories struggle to stay afloat.

Mr Putin has made several speeches blaming the economic chaos on America, and says he expects things to improve by the end of the year. State-controlled television is playing down the crisis, and most newspapers are also toeing the Kremlin line, but the internet is a worrying medium for those in charge, and offers a forum for dissenters to exchange ideas. Tiger, an acronym for The Society for Proactive Russian Citizens, is an online community of anti-government activists based across Russia's 11 time zones.

“We're waiting for warmer weather because it's simply difficult to stay outside for long when it's minus 20,” said Maria Baranova, a 27-year-old resident of Vladivostok active in the Tiger movement. “But in the spring we plan to mount protests every weekend. Before I got involved I never realised how many people are unhappy.”

Mr Medvedev, who was swept into the Kremlin last year with the backing of Mr Putin, has begun to emerge as a more independent player. He has criticised the government for failing to implement anti-crisis measures effectively, and many commentators noted the water he was putting between the presidency and the premiership.