ST. PETERSBURG, December 4. /TASS/. Employees and visitors are being evacuated from St. Petersburg courts on Wednesday afternoon due to a bomb threat, the joint press service of the city courts told journalists.

"The St. Petersburg City Court, the Petrodvortsovy District Court and the Oktyabrsky District Court are being evacuated," the press service said in a statement.

The courts’ press service specified that a bomb threat letter that was received indicated that in addition to the courts, explosive devices were planted in 57 schools and colleges throughout the city. Yesterday, a similar bomb report claimed that explosives were hidden in 43 shopping centers.

The wave of bomb threat messages began last week. That being said, a bomb ransom letter was sent to the St. Petersburg City Court by e-mail. The perpetrators demanded that 120 million rubles ($1.8 mln) be transferred in bitcoins to a digital wallet. The report also noted that a certain Konstantin Malofeyev had to return this debt in bitcoins. Other city courts, ranging from district courts to military ones have received similar letters. All the threats have turned out to be hoaxes.