3 people died, several dozen were injured. Vladimir Mayakovsky then made jokes about the escaped holidaymakers - only “NEPmen”, so disliked by the poet, could be allowed to rest in Crimea.
Crimea, in contrast to the same Far East, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and even the Caucasus, never entered the seismic danger zone. However, “shaking” of the earth’s crust happens here all the time; another thing is that they are not particularly felt by humans and even by creatures as sensitive to earth vibrations as reptiles. And if, say, on the same Kamchatka peninsula there are no snakes and other crawling reptiles that are extremely uncomfortable with earth tremors, then Crimea is not deprived of the presence of reptiles. This indicates that the seismic hazard zone on the peninsula is not so large and tremors occur here not so regularly. The probability of a Crimean earthquake is only slightly higher than in Moscow, Kaluga or Ryazan, which, by the way, also periodically “shakes”, which, however, is imperceptible to ordinary human perception. Movement of the earth’s crust, which is characteristic to a greater extent of displacement of layers in mountainous areas and coastal ocean and sea zones, characteristic of the so-called new mountain ranges, such as in Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Latin America and the Pacific Basin are shaking, the Pamirs are not calm, even the quite peaceful Alps and Carpathians are slowly in a fever. The Crimean mountain range is one of the oldest on the planet; it has not been growing for a long time and is characterized largely by vegetative meadows and forests, which indicates its aging. However, even here we cannot exclude possible cataclysms associated with the displacement of the Earth’s crust, which occur not on the territory of the peninsula itself, but on seabed, at a distance of 40-50 kilometers from the coast. 
The first written mention of natural disasters in Crimea is an entry in the book of Paul Orosius “Against the Pagans”. There is a note in it that in 1963, yes new era It happened strong earthquake, when many people died and cities were destroyed. Strong earthquakes were recorded here in the 480s AD, followed by subsequent earthquakes in 1292 and 1471, when the Black Sea reclaimed several kilometers of coastline from the land. Detailed descriptions of the Crimean earthquakes that occurred in Sevastopol, on Cape Chersonesos and in the Foros region are dated 1790 and 1812, when the force of the tremors was 6 points, according to the naturalists of that time. Crimea shook in 1908, and then in 1919, when an earthquake caused a powerful storm that caused serious destruction in the Yalta port. The last earthquake in Crimea was noted in 1927. The first tremors occurred on June 26, but they did not bring much destruction, but only caused some fluctuations in the sea, which confused first of all the fishermen, and then the citizens vacationing on the South Coast (the southern coast of Crimea). Despite minor damage, most of the holidaymakers chose to leave the peninsula ahead of schedule. The second wave of the earthquake came in September of the same year. In terms of its destructive power, it was many times greater than the summer strike of the elements on Crimea. The level of seismic hazard was known in advance - the activity of displacement of the earth's layers was recorded by seismic stations, but this data did not always reach vacationers, most of whom were unaware of the impending disaster and were enjoying the “velvet season.” 
A natural disaster struck Crimea on the night of September 11-12, 1927 - the epicenter was located south of Yalta, under the seabed, and stretched along the coast. Following the first shock, estimated at 9 points, a second one of almost the same strength immediately followed. Fluctuations in the earth's crust were accompanied by a powerful wave from the sea, which first rolled away from the shore and then hit the coast. The coastal cities from Sudak to Alushta were primarily affected, the Genoese fortress, the Vorontsov Palace, the famous Swallow's Nest were partially destroyed, the "solar path", in the vicinity of Yalta, about 70 percent of buildings were damaged. The “shock wave” went deeper into the peninsula, reaching foothill villages, many of which were adobe buildings, and were completely destroyed. No serious damage was noted in Sevastopol and Simferopol.
"Features of the causes of natural Disasters due to the uneven distribution of dangerous zones of seismic activity, says seismologist Dmitry Otatyuk. - IN Pacific Ocean There is a belt, also known as the Pacific volcanic ring of fire, or Ring of fire, with which most earthquakes are associated. It includes Indonesia, the west coast of Central and South America, Japan, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands, Alaska, Hawaii, Philippines. The second Eurasian arc is the Pyrenees, the Caucasus, Tibet, the Apennines, the Himalayas, the Russian Altai, the Pamirs and the Balkans. If you look at the level of the Earth's equator, seismic zones are located closer to it. The poles of our planet are the safest in this regard. Regarding Crimea, the situation here is polar. 
On the one hand, no special displacements of the earth's rocks are observed, but the bottom of the Black Sea is capable of producing unpredictable surprises. I note that all recorded geomagnetic changes in the earth’s crust are located outside the land and the expected impact of the elements may come precisely from the sea. To a greater extent, one can only expect movement of ground rocks, which are unlikely to lead to destruction of long-term structures. The likelihood of a tsunami occurring is also unlikely - in the Black Sea there is no acceleration for the occurrence of a particularly large wave, and the wind rose around the peninsula is not capable of raising a tsunami wave. There is a great danger here for the Novorossiysk region, where such natural disasters occur regularly.” 
Crimea continues to remain a seismic zone, despite the fact that serious damage as a result of an earthquake was noted here 90 years ago. Nowadays, no one will remember not only that natural disaster, but also the earthquake of 1990, which many residents of the peninsula and vacationers simply did not notice. The earthquake in May 2016, which did not cause any destruction, was also a mild fright. 
“There will definitely not be global destruction in Crimea as a result of earthquakes; there are no prerequisites for this,” says Dmitry Otatyuk. - It is likely that the movement of earth layers in the Black Sea will continue, but the degree of activity of this process is extremely slow. There may be some anomalies that will affect the seismological situation in this region, but except for specialists, hardly anyone will notice it. Moreover, almost everything modern buildings made exactly with increased level earthquake resistance at a level of nine points.” 
The 1927 earthquake in Crimea went virtually unnoticed. In Yalta, the consequences were eliminated quite quickly - the hotel complex began to function within just a few years. The legendary Swallow's Nest castle remained in a "suspended" state until 1960, which was opened only after strengthening the foundation, the natural Aurora rock on which it is located. The architects claim that this “pedestal” can even withstand a nuclear bomb.
The seismicity of Crimea is about three earthquakes a year, the same in strength as the one that happened in Alushta in early May,” Yulian Burym, director of the Crimean Expert Council for Seismic Hazard Assessment and Earthquake Forecast, told RG. - Once a year the fluctuations exceed four points. Then there are seismic events with a periodicity of tens and hundreds of years. Earthquake, similar to that What happened in 1927 happens once every 400-500 years.
Today, the seismic situation on the peninsula and surrounding areas is continuously monitored by seven stationary stations.
All of them are located along the coast from Kerch to Sevastopol, as well as in the center of the peninsula,” the director of the Institute of Seismologists and Geodynamics of Kazan Federal University told RG. Vernadsky Yuri Volfman. - The data obtained at the stations form the basis for improving the methodology for predicting seismic hazard for areas prone to it, including Crimea.
In Ukraine, although earthquake monitoring was prescribed in a special budget item, no funds were provided for the reconstruction of the observation system at all. For this reason, all seismic stations on the peninsula still have Soviet sensors that have been operating for more than a quarter of a century.
It was assumed that we must ensure the operability of the stations without specially allocated funds for the reconstruction of the observation network. Therefore, we tried in every possible way to modernize the network on our own,” said Yuri Volfman. - For example, we had to make blocks of analog-to-digital converters for seismic stations ourselves; we assembled them literally on our knees.
Now the Institute of Seismology has become integral part KFU im. Vernadsky, thanks to the support of the university, we purchased five new domestic converter units for stationary stations.
With a margin of safety
Alas, in the 21st century, scientists still cannot predict earthquakes. In 1975, a successful forecast was made in China, which made it possible to avoid many negative consequences this natural disaster. However, a year later in the same region it happened terrible earthquake, in which about 250 thousand people died. Nobody could predict it.
If someone makes a so-called “accurate” forecast of the time, place and strength of an earthquake, then these are most likely not scientists, but astrologers or psychics, says Yulian Burym. - More than 20 years ago, the international scientific community adopted a declaration banning the publication of forecasts in the media, since they are probabilistic in nature. There were more or less successful attempts after 1975, but overall the problem was not solved.
The modern concept of seismic safety is not to predict as accurately as possible the place, time and force of the impact of the elements, but to comply with building codes to avoid destructive consequences. For example, in Yalta, in order for residents to feel safe, buildings must be prepared for eight-magnitude seismicity. Experts carry out microseismic zoning, since the soil in each specific area can both weaken and enhance the destructive impact. Microzoning saves money, or vice versa - it adds millions of rubles in costs to builders, because according to the law, absolutely all projects must undergo an examination for seismic safety. However, in reality this is not always the case.
We know many cases when modern construction is being carried out in violation of standards, including seismic standards,” says Yulian Burym. - In the center of Yalta there are candles built in the 2000s without any seismic examination.
The water is mixed
The Crimean earthquake of 1927, in addition to destruction, had many other consequences. Among other things, the South Coast has changed chemical composition and debit of springs. Today, artesian water is the second most important source of water supply for the peninsula.
In our region, pumping groundwater from artesian horizons will not lead to increased seismic activity, says Yuri Volfman. - Groundwater reserves are replenished; one should not think that if we took water from the depths, it will no longer be there. At one time, these sources were the alternative to the North Crimean Canal.
Another thing is that wells need to be drilled very carefully, under the supervision of specialists. Alas, experts admit, today this is often done with gross violations, which leads to the mixing of fresh and saline aquifers, and there is practically no control over these processes.
Previously, we monitored the state of artesian waters at five wells, today only one remains under observation,” says Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor Anatoly Lushchik. - Naturally, such data will not be representative.
Mud volcanoes
In addition to water, hydrocarbon production is actively carried out in Crimea. That is why two temporary seismic observation points appeared on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, where gas wells are operated. The second region requiring increased attention seismologists, is the Kerch Peninsula.
The management of the university approached the government of Crimea with a proposal to create a comprehensive East Crimean geodynamic test site, says Yuri Volfman. - All communications connecting us with the mainland flock to Kerch. This additional intensive effect on environment, which increases the risks caused by already unfavorable engineering-seismological and geological-structural factors.
Mud volcanism, high seismicity, difficult ground conditions - all these phenomena exist in Kerch, and they are monitored by one single seismic station. Experts were seriously concerned about the eruption of a mud volcano that occurred in December last year in the village of Novoselovka, Leninsky district, which almost flooded the village. The bridge under construction passes near several mud volcanoes that form at a depth of 13-15 kilometers.
Now experts have prepared maps of seismic zoning of Crimea for inclusion in building codes RF. Appendix to the maps - a list of more than 200 settlements of the peninsula.
Help "RG"
Like seas, Crimea is surrounded on all sides by seismic zones. The one that caused tremors on the South Coast is located 20-40 kilometers from the coast and stretches to Kerch. Another zone stretched from Sevastopol in the direction of Odessa. The seismic activity of the peninsula is not stable. There were years when instruments recorded up to 250 local earthquakes per year. In other periods, their number did not exceed 50. Now the “norm” is considered to be 70-80 tremors of varying strengths per year.
Many evidences of destructive earthquakes that occurred several thousand years ago have survived to this day. They often became the reason that entire cities disappeared from the map, and the number of victims was in the tens of thousands of people.
There are also “turbulent” regions on the territory of our country. The earthquake in Crimea on May 13, 2016 reminded us of this.
Causes
According to experts, in the area between Gurzuf and Yalta, in the Black Sea, there is a zone where the epicenters of Crimean earthquakes are most often observed. Their foci, as a rule, are located 10-40 km from the coast. Moreover, they are recorded at a depth of 200-2000 m, on the steep part of the slope of the Black Sea depression. It is there that sections of the earth's crust touch, making opposite directions. vertical movements. They occur unevenly and are accompanied by earthquakes.
Another one in Crimea is the rise of mountains associated with the advancement of the seabed underneath them. Many millions of years ago, as a result of such processes, Pilyaki, Sharkha, Ayu-Dag, Kastel, etc. were formed, and the most powerful catastrophe caused the explosion of the Karadag volcano.
Another line of the most powerful latitudinal fault runs along the Simferopol-Bakhchisarai line. In this area, traces of ancient earthquakes are also visible in the form of the deposition of igneous rocks in numerous quarries.
Seismic situation
On this moment Various physical and chemical processes continue to occur in the earth’s crust under the Crimean peninsula and under the bottom of the Black Sea.
Since, as a result of powerful tectonic movements on the peninsula, organic materials (trees, swamp peat, lake silt, etc.) got into faults in the earth’s crust, their fermentation continues at great depths, and the resulting slurry is thrown out through mud volcanoes.
Earthquakes are also felt on the territory of Crimea, the sources of which are many hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from the peninsula. For example, over the past decades, “echoes” of magnitude 2-4 have been observed due to earthquakes occurring in Romania, Iraq and Turkey.
The most destructive earthquakes that occurred in Crimea before the 18th century
It is believed that the first written mention of such a natural disaster is an entry in the book of Paul Orosius “Against the Gentiles,” written in the 5th century AD. e. In it he reports that in 63 BC. e. There was such a strong earthquake in Crimea that many people died and entire cities were destroyed.
A similar catastrophe occurred in Chersonesus in September-October 480 AD. An inscription found on the ruins of the city recalls this event.
The next strong earthquakes were recorded in 1292 and 1471. In addition, the work of the Byzantine Georgiy Kedrin “History” mentions a natural disaster that occurred in 1341, when, following tremors, the peninsula was flooded at a distance of up to 10 miles (inland from the coast). Apparently, the epicenter was in the sea, which caused the appearance of a very high wave.
Earthquakes in Crimea in the 18th-19th centuries
From the beginning of the 18th century, more than detailed descriptions seismic phenomena. For example, the Russian naturalist of German origin P. Pallas gave detailed data on the years 1790 and 1793, and P. Sumarokov left detailed evidence about the tremors recorded in 1802. Moreover, the latter observed them in Sevastopol, where the force of the cataclysm was 6 points.
Residents of the peninsula especially remembered the night earthquake in Crimea in 1838, which was felt not only populated areas South Bank, but also in Simferopol.
Another disaster occurred in 1869. Its epicenter was near Foros, it caused damage to medieval Genoese buildings, causing panic among the population.
Seismic disasters that occurred at the beginning of the 20th century
The first fairly strong earthquake was recorded in January 1902. Fortunately, it did not cause casualties or destruction. Tremors were also recorded on May 18, 1908. In addition, in the documents of the archive of the office of the Tauride governor there is a record of an earthquake with a tremors force of 5-6 points, which was observed on October 24, 1908.
Much evidence has been preserved about the disaster that occurred on December 26, 1919. This earthquake in Crimea was accompanied by a storm extraordinary power. It caused destruction in the Yalta port and damage to the telegraph network.
The first earthquake in Crimea in 1927
During the summer and fall, the region experienced increased seismic activity. At the time of the earthquake, which took place at 13:21 on June 26, 1927, fishermen noticed that in clear weather the sea seemed to boil, and then a loud noise was heard. It was so loud that it deafened those who were swimming.
The earthquake in Crimea in 1927 was preceded by the appearance of a long strip of foam stretching across the coast in the bay between Cape Plaka and Ayu-Dag.
As a result of the tremors, large collapses were recorded in the vicinity of Sevastopol, where cracks appeared in many houses. In addition, the buildings of one of the churches and the post office were damaged. Panic began, and tourists began to hastily leave the resorts of the peninsula. As newspapers of the time reported, total amount losses exceeded 1 million rubles.
The most powerful earthquake in Crimea
None of the natural disasters described can compare in terms of damage to what happened on the peninsula on the night of September 11-12, 1927. The epicenter was located south of Yalta, under the seabed, and extended along the coast. It was established that the second earthquake in Crimea in 1927 had a magnitude of 9 points.
Its first signs were noticed local residents and vacationers already at about 8 o'clock in the evening. In particular, peasants and collective farmers noticed that domestic animals began to noticeably worry: horses neighed and tried to escape from the stables, cows constantly mooed, and dogs and cats tried to stay close to their owners.
Fishermen who went fishing at night heard a roar in the sea in the area between Sudak and Alushta. In addition, they were frightened by the “boiling” of the sea, and at midnight dogs howled in all settlements along the coast. 15 minutes after midnight, a strong roar was heard and the earth began to shake. The second shock occurred 10 seconds after the first, and after it several more vibrations of the earth's surface occurred. The sea first moved away from the shore, and then hit the sand with a high wave. The roar of landslides was heard in the mountains.
This powerful earthquake in Crimea, to which Petrov-Vodkin dedicated one of his paintings, caused a lot of destruction. In Alushta, the Genoese Tower and several hotels were damaged, in Alupka - a mosque and in the vicinity of Yalta, almost 70 percent of buildings were damaged, and in the city itself - the Yalta and Rossiya hotels, as well as residential buildings.
Earthquakes that have occurred during the last half century
The peninsula continues to be a seismic zone at the moment. After another earthquake occurred in Crimea (1990), many began to take seismic danger lightly. And this is natural, since there were almost no eyewitnesses of the 1927 disaster alive, and the last tremors recorded in the 20th century turned out to be quite weak. The earthquake in Crimea on May 13, 2016, did not cause any destruction, as a result of which Crimeans escaped with only a slight fright. However, experts do not advise relaxing. After all, a fairly strong earthquake could occur in Crimea at any moment. The forecast of some seismologists is disappointing, since almost 80 years have passed since the last strong cataclysm, and, as practice shows, they occur even with less frequency. Even if we think that these experts are wrong, we need to understand that earthquakes are unpredictable, and in such corners of the planet as Crimea, they can happen at any time.
The October earthquake 4 km from Gurzuf, the echoes of which were felt both in Yalta and Partenit, was not an accident at all, but evidence that an active seismic zone had awakened in Crimea.
According to the head of the Crimean International Seismic Safety Center Nikolai Georgiev, earthquakes occur here every 85-100 years. The last one was on the South Coast in 1927. Its power was up to 8 points, the destruction was massive.
“The period of calm is ending. For the first time in so many years, activity is observed exactly where the epicenter of the 1927 earthquake was. Seismic activity will increase – that’s a fact,” Georgiev said.
The expert also added that, in his opinion, seismologists who claim that such tremors do not mean a threat are misinforming the population. “It is real sabotage to say that there is no cause for concern,” Georgiev said.
Ten days ago Odessa was also shaken. At the same time, seismologists also give disappointing forecasts for Odessa. “In Odessa, on weakened soils, an earthquake of up to 8 points is possible, and when building houses we must count on ground vibrations of up to 7 points. There is up to a 95% probability that such impacts are possible in the next 50 years,” says Alexander Kendzera, Deputy Director of the Institute of Geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Previously, Alexander Kendzera stated that some territories of Ukraine are included in the so-called “world earthquake belt,” which is due to the natural movements of lithospheric plates.
Ukrainian experts note that the picture of seismicity is now very broad. Scientists predict a new earthquake with a magnitude of up to 10 points, which will come to Ukraine not from Romania, but from Bulgaria.
“On the territory of Bulgaria there are two areas with 10-point seismicity. It is expected that one of them, the Kaliakra zone, will soon become active,” said Nikolai Georgiev, director of the Crimean International Seismic Safety Center.
According to the scientist, the seismically active region of Bulgaria has been sleeping for a long time, but may soon awaken and “delight” the Crimeans and Odessa residents with a devastating earthquake. The Kaliakra outbreak is located approximately 600 kilometers from Odessa.
“It is impossible to say yet where exactly the new tremors will appear regionally. Cape Kaliakra is located on the Black Sea coast, one hundred kilometers north of Varna. It is quite obvious that the wave will travel across the sea. This will be a powerful discharge,” said the seismologist. According to him, the recent tremors in Romania and Moldova are simply preparation for a more powerful earthquake.
Any buildings constructed in Crimea must comply with regional seismic requirements from 7 to 9 points. This is not a formality - this is safety! Requirements for seismic stability are laid down at the level of design and structural solutions. There are technologies that initially meet these requirements, such as frame houses, monolithic houses or at home using technology TECOLIT, But Most technologies require adaptation.
The most common houses in Crimea made of shell rock, foam or gas blocks, as well as brick buildings, require reinforcement with a reinforced concrete monolithic frame. In Crimea You can’t just form walls from blocks or bricks – that’s not enough.
Most often, a monolithic reinforced concrete frame is formed from reinforced concrete columns, ceilings and crossbars connected to each other. After formation, the monolithic frame is filled with wall material - shell rock, foam block, ceramic block or brick. This design solution gives the necessary rigidity to the structure, contributing to resistance to seismic loads. It is very important to observe key technological points: