Neftegorsk, earthquake (May 28, 1995). The largest earthquakes in the history of Russia

Earthquakes in Russia occur quite often. Residents of the central strip do not know what it is. But still many people understand that this is a destructive action of the elements, from which it is almost impossible to be saved. This article will tell you about the most terrible and large-scale earthquakes in our country.

What is an earthquake?

This term literally means the vibrations of the Earth's surface caused by the natural forces of nature. Sometimes they can be accompanied by large explosions or other artificial stimuli.

By its destructive power, if we take, for example, the 1995 earthquake in Neftegorsk, these disasters occupy the main places. In the history of Russia and the world, there are a lot of facts of the destroying force of nature - millions of victims around the globe and consequences that completely violated the infrastructure of large megacities and even countries.

The epicenter of the earthquake is the surface of the Earth, which is nearest to the center of the spontaneous phenomenon. Today, specialists distinguish the following types of earthquakes:

1. Volcanic, caused by volcanic eruptions.
2. Artificial, which arise from the strongest explosions and subsequent shifts in the underground plates.
3. Technogenic - earth tremors, arising from the processes of human life.

Where there are earthquakes in Russia?

Our country has repeatedly suffered from various natural elements, including from such a disaster that occurred in Neftegorsk. The earthquake then destroyed the locality and carried away a huge number of human lives. Other cities in the Sakhalin Region are no exception.

The landscape of our country is diverse and great, as well as climatic zones. In the main, the spontaneous phenomena of such a plan on the territory of the Russian Federation occur in the mountain regions. Leaders among the victims of such a natural disaster are:

1. Kamchatka.
2. Altai.
3. Caucasus.
4. Eastern Siberia.

This is not the whole list of territories where there are tremors. In some areas, a small but constant seismic activity is recorded - these are towns and cities of the Sakhalin region and the territory of Kamchatka. Such activity is sometimes almost invisible to local residents, but it does not always happen that way.

Major earthquakes that occurred in Russia

In August 2005, a strong earthquake with an amplitude of about 7 points on the Richter scale occurred in the Uglegorsk region . It was not as powerful and fast as the earthquake on Sakhalin (Neftegorsk, 1995), but still. During this spontaneous phenomenon, many buildings and structures were destroyed. In addition, roads were destroyed by landslides, descended from the mountains.

In September 2003, in six districts of southern Altai, an earthquake occurred with a force of about 7.5 points. Then in the province, a series of spontaneous phenomena were noted, but of lesser strength. At the same time, earth tremors were recorded in other areas:

1. Novosibirsk region.
2. Krasnoyarsk Territory.
3. East Kazakhstan and others.

Fortunately, there were no human casualties, but several people were injured (slightly injured). The earthquake caused huge damage to the republic in the amount of about one billion rubles.

In 2008, an earthquake of magnitude 5 occurred in Chechnya in the North Caucasus in October. There were human casualties (13 dead), more than 100 people were injured. Underground tremors were also felt in Georgia, Dagestan, and North Ossetia.

Earthquakes of the seventeenth century

As you know, the recording of natural disasters, including earthquakes, began only three hundred years ago. This does not mean that there have been no underground strikes before this time. It's all about the historical division of the territory. Until the 16th century, only the Central European part and the Volga region belonged to Russia. In these regions earthquakes were insignificant and sometimes even imperceptible for people. Mountain territories were included in the country only in the 18th century, accordingly, and the report of natural disasters began precisely from this time interval.

The strongest earthquakes of the 18th century

Serious natural disasters have periodically occurred on the territory of our country. A major earthquake in 1725, which occurred in Eastern Siberia, went down in history as the most destructive at that time. About him became known from the stories of the naturalist Messerschmidt D. According to the scientist, the force of the thrust was 11 points. Examining his house, the naturalist noticed that huge cracks had formed in the building. Since the regions of Eastern Siberia were not densely populated, the earthquake did not bring many casualties. According to the notes of scientists and researchers, then similar phenomena occurred quite often, but there were no serious consequences.

In 1761 a terrible earthquake with an amplitude of 11 points happened in Altai. Data has survived to this day thanks to the surviving military reports. The tremors were so strong that cracks formed in the ground, and the towers rocked and collapsed.

Earthquakes of 19-20 centuries

Kamchatka is a region that is still considered to be a region of seismic hazard. The largest earthquakes are the tremors in 1792 and in 1841. According to the seismic shock classification, earthquakes were assigned a value of 8 on the Richter scale.

In the South of Russia, namely in the Caucasus, a terrible earthquake was recorded in 1970. Then the elements destroyed more than 250 settlements. Dagestan has lost more than thirty inhabitants. The magnitude of the tremors is 7 points. This earthquake was considered the most destructive in the history of the country's existence.

January 1862 - it was then that terrible seismic strikes began to crush the territory of Lake Baikal. Three days lasted a catastrophic earthquake. According to the research, its magnitude was equal to 8-9 points. As a result of the disaster, the Tsagan steppe was flooded and part of the lake went underground.

Seismic activity in Russia

Earthquakes, tremors, vibrations of the Earth's surface can occur with a certain force. That is, sometimes the above phenomena are almost invisible, for people in particular. And sometimes this force is destructive, for example - Neftegorsk (Sakhalin). On the map of Russia there is no such populated place, or rather, no one lives there. The jolts in the indicated place were so strong that the integrity of the ground was broken, which led to the destruction of buildings and the death of people. Neftegorsk, an earthquake that took many lives, was practically wiped off the face of the earth. We will discuss it in more detail below.

The territory of our country has averaged indicators of seismic activity, despite the fact that some natural disasters have become real catastrophes. There are regions where the probability of an earthquake is very high. According to statistics, more than 40% of the territory of Russia is at risk. These include regions where earthquakes of more than 6 points occur every 500 years. 9% of the territory have a high class of earthquakes, that is, they belong to the zone with the maximum probability of frequent tremors - on the Richter scale they reach a mark of 8-9 points. Such areas of the mainland include the Altai, the Sayan Range, the Baikal, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Transbaikalia and Sakhalin.

Earthquakes in Russia, recorded recently

What earthquakes were in Russia more recently? To these natural disasters can be attributed the incident in Tuva. In 2012, an earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale was recorded near Kyzyl. It started at 7 o'clock in the morning. The injured were not in view of the fact that the earthquake was of little strength. In the same region in 2011 there was a natural disaster of 9-point strength in the epicenter and about 6 points in the regions. Seismic activity lasted from December to the end of February. But since the epicenter of this earthquake was located at a distance of more than 100 km from the nearest settlements, victims and destruction were not observed. But the tremors of the earth's surface could be felt in the following regions:

1. Buryatia.
2. Irkutsk region.
3. Khakassia.
4. Krasnodar region.

The main regions that are subject to seismic activity are noted, including Kyzyl, Sakhalin, on the map of Russia.

Neftegorsk

Neftegorsk of the Sakhalin Region is a small Russian town with a population of just over three thousand people. It was conceived as a rotational city of oil workers. It was founded in 1964. But, as often happens, everything temporary becomes permanent. Why leave the city, where there is a constant high-paying job, good housing? Moreover, it is even a provincial town, but very cozy and well-groomed, in which there are 4 kindergartens, a school, etc.

1995 - the year of unprecedented seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean. In winter, an earthquake in Japan claimed more than 5,000 lives. Russian seismologists expected a tremor on the earth's surface both in the Far East and Kamchatka. Nobody imagined what soon Neftegorsk would turn into. The ghost town is the place of the oil industry's existence. Nobody expected an earthquake here. The north of Sakhalin has always been considered a zone of less seismic activity than the southern part or the Kurile Islands.

Neftegorsk: an earthquake

It was unexpected, fast and terrible. On the night of May 28, 1995, when the main population was asleep, the town of Neftegorsk , a provincial small town, was almost completely destroyed in Sakhalin. This earthquake is the most destructive in Russia in the 20th century. It claimed about 2 thousand lives. Disappeared from the face of the earth this settlement.

Earthquake in Neftegorsk (1995) Consequences

As a result of the Sakhalin earthquake,

1. 17 five-storey panel houses.
2. School.
3. Bakery.
4. Club.
5. Canteen.
6. Houses of the private sector.
7. Bridges.
8. Roads and etc.

It was enough to push, and almost all the buildings with peacefully sleeping people turned into a pile of debris. Under them remained buried alive over 2300 people. A little more than 400 people managed to get alive, 37 of whom died in the hospital.

Destiny of the village

It was decided not to restore Neftegorsk. The earthquake has erased this town from the map of Russia. In the same year, in the autumn, it was completely liquidated. Now at this place a sandy desert with tombstones and a memorial complex. The plates lie on the site of the former five-story building. And the memorial complex is open in the place where the graduates' ball of the school passed, dedicated to the last call. Every year on May 28 people come to this place to bow and honor the memory of the dead.