Activists gathered in central Moscow's Chistiye Prudy upscale neighbourhood that saw several thousand people unexpectedly pour into the streets on December 5, 2011.
In a surprise move, both for the authorities and the opposition, Muscovites had taken to the streets after reports of wholesale violations during December 4 elections that handed victory to Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party.
"Tonight people gathered to prove that the protest continues," said Andrei Sharov, 56.
"Remember, remember, the fifth of December," opposition leader Alexei Navalny said, playing on a British rhyme made famous by the V for Vendetta movie.
The verses tell a story of a failed plot to assassinate King James I of England in early 17th century.
"A year ago, people ready, under completely uninspiring circumstances, to do the right things out of principle started a big movement which sooner or later will bring us victory," 36-year-old Navalny wrote in a commemorative blog post.
Even opposition activists admit that they had not expected that so many people would take to the streets the day after the legislative elections.
Many of the protesters at last year's rally were volunteer vote observers who had themselves witnessed the violations.
Boris Nemtsov, one of the opposition leaders, showed up at the small rally.
"We are getting ready for the March of Freedom on December 15," he said, referring to the protest movement's next major protest.
Some protesters wore white ribbons, which has over the past months become the symbol of the peaceful protest movement and badges that read "I was on Bolotnaya Square, arrest me".
Bolotnaya Square was one of the central Moscow venues rocked by the anti-Kremlin rallies last winter.
At least one person was detained at Wednesday's rally, an AFP correspondent reported.
Observers say that the large protests have died down but the opposition, which managed to elect the Coordination Council in October, still presents a challenge to the Kremlin.
The opposition movement, they say, has provoked a tough crackdown on civil society, with scores of activists now facing jail time for participating in protests and alleged plans to overthrow Putin with the help of foreign sponsors.