ST. PETERSBURG, March 30 - RAPSI. The St. Petersburg law on prohibiting propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia among under-aged, which gathered a host of both supporters and opponents, came into effect on March 30.

Now any citizen who violated the law may be fined in St. Petersburg for administrative offence.

Under the amended law public actions intended to promote homosexual and bisexual relations and transgender issues among under-aged are to be punished by administrative fines amounting to 5,000 rubles ($170) for individuals, 50,000 rubles ($1,700) for officials and from 250,000 to 500,000 rubles ($8,500 to 17,000) for legal entities.

The draft law prohibiting the propaganda of homosexuality in St. Petersburg incited a major public uproar in Russia and abroad when it was still considered.

Particularly, the U.S. State Department expressed its concern over the law. Rallies against the law were held both in Russia and abroad.

Canadian embassy called its citizens of non-traditional sexual orientation to abstain from showing their emotions in public in St. Petersburg.