Problems of Engineering Seismology: article

Аnnotation: The systematic damages of building structures of Archangels Gabriel and Michael Armenian Church in Kaffa-Theodosia (southeast Crimea) are investigated. The deformations include tilts, rotations and drag’s displacements of building elements, sagging of the hinge parts of above-window and above-entrance arched structures and a wide range of fissures, including through-going joints and joints assemblies in the form of “flower” structures. Complexes of systematic damages were formed by four earthquakes. The epicentral area of the earliest earthquake (event A) with local intensity IL = VIII-IX points (MSK-64) was located along the submeridianal axis in the South Crimean seismogenic zone. After this event the church was repaired: a chapel with counter-force function was built, many windows were filled with stones for stability. The earthquake, highly likely, occurred in 1423. This dating is supported by the data of seismogenic deformations of earthquake 1423 in walls of the Funa fortress. The next earthquake (event B), highly likely, occurred at the turn of the 17th - 18th centuries along one of the segments of the South Azov seismogenic zone. The local intensity of seismic vibrations was IL = VII-VIII points (MSK-64). Earthquake C occurred in the 2nd half of the 18th century after big remedial works, which repaired the damage of the event B. Its consequences have been especially well preserved in the arches and platbands of the western facade of the church. Maximum seismic oscillations that led to these damages acted along the ≈130°-160° axis. The local seismic intensity of oscillations was IL = VII-VIII points (MSK-64). The last earthquake (event D) occurred in 1875. Our data generally coincide with the available parameterization of this event. Its epicentral area was in the South Crimean seismogenic zone, intensity of vibrations was IL = VII-VIII (MSK-64).