Spitak earthquake (1988). Earthquake in Armenia (1988)

Earthquake in Armenia on December 7, 1988- On December 7, 1988, at 11:41 a.m. local time, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Armenia. A series of tremors in 30 seconds practically destroyed the city of Spitak and caused severe destruction to the cities of Leninakan (now... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Earthquake in Spitak- Church in Gyumri after the earthquake. Spitak earthquake (Armenian Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, Georgian სპიტაკის მიწისძვრა) catastrophic earthquake (magnitude 7. 2), which occurred on December 7, 1988 at 11:41 a.m. ... ... Wikipedia

1988.12.07 - The earthquake in Armenia destroyed the cities of Spitak, Leninokan, Kirovokan... Chronology world history: dictionary

1988- For the term "1988" see other meanings. Years 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 1988 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 Decades 1960s · 1970s 1980s ... Wikipedia

Earthquake- (Earthquake) Contents Contents 1. Where and why they occur 2. Seismic waves and their measurement 3. Measuring the strength and impacts of earthquakes Magnitude scale Intensity scales Medvedev Sponheuer Karnik scale (MSK 64) 4. What happens during... ... Investor Encyclopedia

Earthquake- This term has other meanings, see Earthquake (meanings). Earthquake epicenters (1963 1998) ... Wikipedia

Spitak earthquake- Arm. Wikipedia

Seismicity in Armenia- The Armenian Highlands, of which Armenia is a part, is one of the seismically active regions and is part of the Mediterranean seismic zone. According to the rich historical data available, dating back almost 2000 years, the maximum strength of earthquakes ... ... Wikipedia

Earthquakes in Armenia- This list contains earthquakes that occurred in Armenia. Date Name Place Magnitude Intensity Epicenter Depth Victim 12/07/1988 Spitak earthquake Spitak, Leninakan, etc. 7.2 VIII 40°30′0″N,44°9′36″E 10 km ... Wikipedia

Geography of Armenia- Part of the world Asia Region Middle East ... Wikipedia

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On December 7, 1988, at 11:41 a.m. Moscow time, an earthquake occurred in Armenia. The cities of Spitak, Leninakan, Stepanavan, and Kirovakan were destroyed. About 60 villages in the north-west of the republic were reduced to ruins, almost 400 villages were partially destroyed. According to scientists, during an earthquake in the rupture zone earth's crust energy equivalent to the explosion of ten atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima was released. The wave caused by the earthquake went around Earth and was recorded by seismographs in Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

500 thousand people died, tens of thousands were wounded, missing, traumatized for life. The pain of the Armenian people was felt by people all over the world. The bell of the tragedy was heard by all humanity. In those days, Armenia became a place of heroism. And together with everyone else, this feat was accomplished by the rescue team of the Peoples' Friendship University. Soldiers of the student detachment of the UDN named after. Patrice Lumumba took on the responsibility of helping people in trouble. And God knows, we did everything possible for this.

We bring to your attention 2 interviews with eyewitnesses of the earthquake in Armenia who were clearing away the rubble.

Earthquake in Armenia

Yuri Aleksandrovich Reznikov, graduate Faculty of Law Russian University Friendship of Peoples, was a member of the detachment that was sent to Armenia in 1988 in connection with the tragic event.

Yuri Alexandrovich, tell us,please, about the squad. What were you doing there?

There were two detachments, they were sent in turns, one after another. I was in the first one. There were many brigades within the detachment: rescue, medical, humanitarian aid, and a corpse brigade. I was in the corpse brigade. Only guys worked there. Each brigade needed a representative who would resolve organizational issues; I was such a representative. This was at the beginning of the first year. I just recently returned from the army (I served in Afghanistan), perhaps this is one of the reasons why I was chosen as a brigadier. When we arrived at the scene, they immediately began digging and searching. We looked for the living, but, unfortunately, we didn’t find any living ones... We walked around the objects, collected, cleaned, and loaded dead bodies.

Ruins, dead bodies... YouIt was scary?

Was. Not without it. But my partner was a Marine, very good man, in any troubles with him it was not so scary. It was still difficult, of course. The boys screamed at night in their sleep and woke up. After seeing enough during the day, falling asleep was not so easy.

How many days did you stay at the site?

About two weeks, but every day there passed like a year. There were a lot of unpleasant things.

How did the city residents behave? Did they help you?

They helped as much as they could... But they were in a completely different situation. How were they supposed to dig? What if they find one of the relatives? It turned out that they were sitting near the ruins, lighting fires, and waiting. We cleared out the rubble. There were children and old people there - everything in a row. They were also broken. After we found the bodies, they called them meat, there was a lot of cynicism there on purpose, in order to make it easier to relate to what they saw, they put them in a coffin and either gave them to relatives, or took the coffin to the square, from where their relatives soon took them . There were cases when people simply fainted when they recognized one of the dead.

What mark did this tragic event leave on your life?

This is a huge mark on my life. These two weeks turned my life upside down. I began to look at the world differently. By that time I already had army experience - these were not the first dead I had seen in my life.

What is important in this incident is how living people behaved in the midst of all this nightmare. The way the local residents, who miraculously retained at least some sense of reason, behaved was something incredible for them. The way our squad guys behaved, we can be proud of each of them.

Do you remember your state whenreturned to Moscow?

We got together often, especially the first few weeks: it was impossible to separate. It felt like we were different from other people. We have become different. We were looking for meetings with each other, because some kind of pain settled inside that no one would understand except the one who was there. You just have to approach, look into each other’s eyes, say some words... and you understand the person completely differently. No one will understand you like someone who has gone through this.

Do you often remember this event?

Yes. It's less common now. It was too painful and scary to remember. In the early years it was a huge block of its own history. These two weeks were very concentrated. I have never seen so many deaths in the army, in Afghanistan. Due to the fact that we saw a lot of dead people, we could smell life very keenly. Many people live and never think about death, they avoid thoughts about it. After this story, everyone present there had a different outlook on life.

What would you do after going through such a difficult life path, wished us, the youth of the 21st century?

Probably look at your life broadly with open eyes, even if they are open. Open them again and again. Evaluate life based on death, knowing that death is inevitable, it will happen to everyone.

Earthquake in Armenia 1988, video

Senior Lecturer of the Department foreign languages Faculty of Law Kamo Pavlovich Chilingaryan shared his memories, and this is what I managed to find out.

I know that 20 years ago, immediately after the tragic events in Armenia, RUDN University students went to the scene of the incident, and you were among them. Tell me how many students succeeded go to the rescue and what united you?

At first there were 33 of us, then 33 more arrived, then 13. 7 more people arrived individually, for a total of 86. All were united by one desire to help people in trouble. RUDN University students came to help my people, although many of them only heard about Armenia in geography lessons.

Who took part in this trip?

Among us were guys from different faculties, even graduate students. I was a student at that time. There were not only Armenians, but also Russians, Georgians, Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Azerbaijanis, and Uzbeks. There were many people who wanted to go and help, but the issue of obtaining visas played an important role here.

How did you manage to go to Armenia almost immediately after the earthquake, because there weren’t enough tickets for all the people who wanted to help?

I remember it was December 10th. On this day, from the very morning, donors went to donate blood. About an hour later the food was ready to be sent, but the question of the detachment had not yet been resolved. Organizational matters decided quickly, on the run. Everyone was involved: the party committee, the trade union committee, the Komsomol committee. After another couple of hours, we were given the go-ahead, but it was unknown whether all the volunteers were going or only half of them. Everyone was in a hurry. They loaded the bus with blankets and food. We acted like a capture group. We went to Vnukovo airport. To get to the ticket counter, you had to push past the crowd. We were offered an option: to act with a policeman. Finally, late in the evening everything was settled: our detachment flew out the next day in the morning.

Debris clearance in Armenia

What did you encounter at the airport?

There were a lot of people at the airport - real pandemonium. All these people listened to and watched the “Time” program with faces petrified from emotions. There were tears in their eyes. People tried to fly there, but there were no tickets. I remember that everyone considered themselves the most necessary. One woman argued that she had the right to fly first, since she works in a hospital, and rescuers are not the main thing.

With what thoughts did you go to Armenia, to the scene of the incident?

I thought: tomorrow we will see the pain and the depth of the tragedy with our own eyes. WITH tomorrow we are fighters.

And what did you see upon arrival?

We arrived in Leninakan. We entered the city at midnight and searched for headquarters until two o’clock. There was no water in the city, fires were burning. It was a ghost town. In the darkness of the night, in the light of the headlights, we saw the horror with our own eyes. Corpses, ruins, coffins, coffins, coffins... We pitched two tents on Lenin Square. Night. Dirt. Rain. Cold. Faceless people. There were also looters among them: before our eyes, unknown people were dragging from the former “ Children's world» toys, pens...

What problems did you face?collide?

Infection had spread throughout the city, so the main problem was the lack of water. You can't drink water. Only mineral water. The city was paralyzed. And an incredible thing was happening in the square: there was a line for diesel fuel, bread, and water. However, there was still no mineral water. We approached other groups, asked for at least one bottle, and they did not refuse us. Sometimes the army provided food. After several days it became very cold: 20 at night, 10 during the day. The newspapers wrote that there were bathhouses, but at headquarters they only promised to take us there. Armenian students took several children with them and went home to wash. Everywhere, in all the yards, there are coffins. Large and small, plywood and planks, hastily knocked together. The presence of such a huge number of corpses could cause an epidemic within a few days. I remember how our doctor said, our health is in our hands. But this was not a slogan. This is a fact of life. I was a supply manager, and that meant a lot of work. Every day we had to get bread and mineral water. I remember one day the French gave us a bag of concentrates and a bag of biscuits. "Will live!" we thought.

Did you have a specific object,and what was your squad involved in?

The desire to work did not leave us, despite everything we saw. We helped everyone. The next day, as soon as we arrived there, in the afternoon, some people approached us and asked us to remove the children from the rubble of the school. Even now it’s hard to talk about it. That day we returned to camp tired, frightened... Then for the first time in our lives we shook hands with death.

What remains of the city of Leninakan?

The Flower City has turned into a Dead City. From everywhere there is only noise, fuss, smoke, stench. Ironically, next to the ruins there was an exhibition “Leninakan Today”, although empty. At times the landscape resembled a surreal painting. The house, as if cut by a powerful cutter, with all its sofas, baths, hangers, stands in front of you and silence...

What feelings took over you?returning to another world, to Moscow?

A strange feeling gripped everyone who came from the earthquake site. It seemed like what he saw there was just a nightmare. The withdrawal was slow. Our detachment fulfilled its duty to the Armenian people, to the Motherland.

What did this trip change in your life?

I began to appreciate life more. “Friendship” has transformed from an ephemeral concept into a real concept. We then lived in an overly politicized state. But here, in Leninakan, we saw Americans, Swiss, Poles and many other volunteers from different countries, ready to help people in trouble and the country as a whole.

We began to feel differently about Israel when we saw their rescuers with dogs. There were no more enemies, imaginary or real. It was the unity of peoples, which we sometimes lack so much today.

A catastrophic earthquake in Armenia occurred 27 years ago, on December 7, 1988. It destroyed the city of Spitak in thirty seconds and caused severe destruction to the cities of Leninakan, Kirovakan and Stepanavan. In total, 21 cities, 350 villages and settlements were affected by the disaster. According to official data alone, 25 thousand people died. One of several thousand volunteers who worked in the earthquake zone, Gennady Kirilenko, shared his memories with Sputnik Armenia.

Black months

We learned about the tragedy in Armenia in the morning at a lecture at Rostov State University. The Internet did not exist, there was too little information in the news, but rumors about the scale of the disaster spread instantly. In the afternoon, without any command from above, students and teachers lined up to donate blood. To the main building on Bolshaya Sadovaya people brought canned food, jars of Don pickles, Azov bream, pasta and cereals, in general, everything that they had stored in the pantries of Rostov Khrushchev houses for a rainy day. And it wasn’t the days that were “black” then—the months and years of empty store shelves, coupons for butter, washing powder, and sugar.

Everyone considered it their duty to help wounded Armenia in at least something. The decision to go to the earthquake zone was born spontaneously, during a lecture there. For several years, we, students of different faculties, traveled to God-forsaken corners as an international construction team, so we got together quickly. Armenians, Russians, Dagestanis, Ukrainians, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, Abkhazians, Georgians... Who could have known then that in just a few years borders would separate us, and someone would look at each other through the sights of a machine gun.

Lost bus

The university "Ikarus" could take about forty people, but there were five times more people willing. We had to weed out the people through a medical commission - people with glasses, hypertensive patients and just nerds remained in Rostov.

Early in the morning, when rescue work was already in full swing in Armenia, we set off. All food collected at the Russian State University was loaded into the luggage compartments of the bus. A ZIL cargo truck was following us. military department with tents, tools, medical equipment. In the evening we reached the border with Abkhazia, where we spent the night in the bus. The first serious incident happened near Tbilisi - we lost a ZIL. The truck driver fell behind the bus and got lost while approaching the city. We decided to wait for him at the Tbilisi bus station.

It's there now Cell phones, and then, according to the logic of our driver, all those who were lost had to look for each other at bus stations. On windshield“Ikarus” had a sign “Special flight Rostov-Spitak” attached, so as soon as we got off the bus, we were surrounded by drivers of the same old Georgian Ikarus, Lviv and Pazik. We drove almost a thousand kilometers on Rostov fuel - the hoses of all gas stations along the way were tied into a knot. We needed a diesel. The Georgians silently dispersed and returned after a while, each with a canister of priceless fuel drained from their cars. And we stood, smoked and didn’t know what to do next. It seemed absurd to us to go to Spitak without tents and tools.

Several nervous hours passed. It seemed that the entire Tbilisi bus station was looking with suspicion at our bus, which was in no hurry to go where help was pouring in from all over the country. The way out of the situation came by itself. On foot, in a shabby sheepskin coat, a hat with earflaps and thick stubble on his face - like everyone else in those parts who mourns for the dead. I didn’t remember the name of this Armenian, who was using the crossroads to get home to the destroyed Kirovakan. He approached us with a request to take him with us, and five minutes later we were already leaving towards Armenia. By the way, the ill-fated ZIL, having circled around Tbilisi, eventually left for Leninakan. I am sure that everything we brought with us was not superfluous there either.

© Sputnik / Alexander Grashchenkov

Why do I hate the cold so much?

When they say “an earthquake wiped the city off the face of the earth,” this is about Spitak. Ruins, reinforcement, people black with grief, coffins in the streets, in courtyards, in the stadium, everywhere. It was very cold. There was a sweetish, cloying smell in the frosty air. It's on the streets former city Molasses spilled almost ankle-deep from the tanks of the collapsed factory.

Builders, military men, and simply those who survived the meat grinder warmed themselves around the fires around the clock. The commandant of the site gave us two-person summer tents, supplied us with allowances, and divided us into teams. A place for the camp was found in the courtyard of a destroyed kindergarten. Toys, furniture, and mattresses from children's cribs were scattered around. We lined the floors of the tents with them. The four of us slept without undressing, it was warmer that way, turning from side to side synchronously. Everyone woke up silvery from the frost. Maybe after this I don’t like cold, winter and everything connected with it.

Igor Mikhalev

There were no problems with food and tools - at every crossroads, or rather where they were before December 7, 1988, there were field kitchens, canned food, boxes of butter, and bread. About a week later, not far from us, a canteen appeared. Well, like a dining room - there were tables and benches hastily knocked together from a picket fence. open air. There is a mountain of bowls, mugs, spoons on the tables. Nearby there is a huge cauldron and the smell of pilaf. An elderly Uzbek was fussing around him with a ladle. I asked who he was and how he got here. What he answered me very accurately reflected the essence of relations between people a quarter of a century ago.

You know, I was a kid when the same tragedy happened in Tashkent. I remember well how the entire Union restored our capital. And when it happened here, I thought that now it was my turn. I have a cauldron, a wife and children, so I took them all with me on the train and came to Spitak. The military gives us food and we feed everyone who is hungry. I couldn't do anything differently, you know?

last hope

The first facility where our team worked was a garment factory. All the living, wounded and dead who could be quickly found were taken out on the first day. We had to go through the rubble again in search of the missing bodies. It is clear that there could no longer be living people there, in such frost. We had nothing but our hands, crowbars and shovels. Therefore, “untie” those woven into knots by the elements reinforced concrete structures factories were impossible. Nevertheless, hour after hour we sorted out bales of fabric, accessories, and mangled sewing machines.

© Sputnik / Alexander Makarov

Builders from the Baltic states, crane operators from Ukraine, and paratroopers from Ryazan worked nearby. And rescuers from Poland. Then we didn’t have any Ministry of Emergency Situations yet, special equipment, thermal imagers and other equipment with the SPECIAL prefix, which could quickly help find and save people. But the Poles had it. Grinders, jacks, and some other devices. And dogs. They were the ones who pointed out exactly where to look for people under the rubble. He will come up, sniff and sit down. So, you need to look exactly here.

We were dismantling the mine that day freight elevator. In the morning the Poles came, three rescuers and a dog. The dog spun around and sat down. For the whole day, in an area three by three meters, we were only able to walk about one and a half to two meters deep. By dusk we arrived and removed a piece of the ceiling of the mangled elevator. The body of a dead young girl was also found there. An old woman, all in black, came to the identification parade. Crying out eyes. On the day of the earthquake, her entire extended family went to work. And in the evening none of them returned home. And this girl was her granddaughter. And the last hope that at least someone survived...

© Sputnik / Igor Mikhalev

On December 1, 2016, the premiere of a new film based on real events. The 1988 earthquake in Armenia lasted only 30 seconds, but caused severe destruction throughout almost the entire country. At the epicenter - Spitak - its power reached 10 on the Richter scale.

“Ten Hiroshimas”

Specialists investigating the disaster found that during the Spitak earthquake of 1988, in the area of ​​the rupture of the earth's crust, energy was released equal to the explosion of 10 (!) atomic bombs simultaneously. Echoes of the disaster spread throughout the planet: scientists recorded the wave in laboratories in Asia, Europe, America and even Australia.

In just half a minute, the prosperous republic of the USSR turned into ruins - 40% of the country's industrial potential was destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless.

How it was

It is impossible to listen to the stories of eyewitnesses of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia without shuddering. It all happened on Monday, the first day working week. The first shock occurred on December 7 at 11:41. Survivors of the terrible disaster say that in the first moment, from the strong movement, high-rise buildings literally jumped into the air, and then collapsed like a house of cards, burying everyone who was inside under their rubble.

Those who were caught on the street by the earthquake were a little luckier, but it was almost impossible to stand. People fled in panic to the nearest squares and parks in the hope of not getting caught in the rubble.

After a long 30 seconds, the roar gave way to deafening silence, and a huge cloud of dust hung over the ruins. But the worst thing was just beginning...

Waiting for help

Although most often the USSR government kept silent about disasters, in 1988 the earthquake in Armenia was discussed all over the news. Rumors spread quickly - and this is not surprising, because at one moment half of the republic was destroyed.

Mobile phones and the Internet did not exist. The victims tried to recover. Some people rushed home to save loved ones, but it was almost impossible to pull survivors out from under the rubble without professional rescuers.

Unfortunately, help did not come immediately. Everything needed to be prepared. In addition, the infrastructure was practically destroyed. And when the earthquake was reported on television, thousands of people rushed to Armenia to help. Many rescuers simply could not get there, as all the roads were clogged.

Those who were trapped under rubble during the 1988 earthquake suffered the worst. own home. The whole world knows the story of Emma Hakobyan and her daughter Mariam. The woman miraculously survived. She and her baby spent 7 whole days under the rubble of the building. At first she breastfed the child, and when the milk ran out, she pricked her finger and gave her own blood. It took rescuers a full 6 hours to rescue Emma and Mariam. However, most stories ended much more tragically - most people never received help.

Rescue work

Units were sent to the scene of the incident Armed Forces USSR and KGB Border Troops. A team of 98 highly qualified doctors and field surgeons was urgently formed in Moscow and sent by air. The Minister of Health himself, Evgeniy Chazov, took part in the operation.

Having learned about the earthquake in Armenia, he interrupted his official visit to the United States and flew to the scene of the tragedy to personally monitor the progress of rescue work.

Tent cities and field kitchens were built throughout the republic, where victims could find warmth and food.

Rescuers had to work in conditions of terrible cold and human panic. During these terrible days, people were ready to fight for cranes in order to lift heavy slabs and save their loved ones. Mountains of bodies accumulated near the ruins of high-rise buildings, and the smell of decay was felt.

More than 100 countries from all continents sent humanitarian aid to Armenia. To revive the infrastructure, more than 45 thousand builders were called from all over the USSR. True, after the collapse of the Union, work stopped.

One grief for all

Almost every resident of the country in those difficult weeks considered it their duty to at least somehow help Armenia. Without any orders from above, students lined up to donate blood. People emptied their pantries and basements to donate canned goods, cereals and other rainy day items to victims of the 1988 earthquake, even though store shelves were empty.

The scale of the disaster

Spitak, the city that became the epicenter of the terrible earthquake of 1988, was almost instantly destroyed, along with 350 thousand inhabitants. Enormous destruction befell Leninakan (now Gyumri - Ed.), Kirovakan and Stepanavan. In total, 21 cities and 350 villages were affected by the disaster. According to official data alone, the disaster claimed the lives of more than 25,000 people.

“Blank spots” in the history of the 1988 earthquake

For modern scientists, the main question remains: why were there so many victims during the earthquake in Armenia on December 7, 1988? After all, a year later, an earthquake occurred in California, almost identical in strength, but 65 people died in the United States - the difference is enormous.

The main reason is that during construction and design the seismic hazard of the region as a whole was underestimated. Long-term violation building codes and savings on materials and technologies only “added” fuel to the fire.

However, there are still adherents alternative versions- for example, some argue that the 1988 earthquake did not occur naturally, but as a result of a secret underground test hydrogen bombs by the authorities. How it really happened is anyone's guess. One can only offer sincere condolences to those whose lives of parents and loved ones were claimed by one of the largest disasters of the 20th century.

More than twenty-six ago (December 7, 1988), Armenia was shocked by a powerful earthquake in the city of Spitak, which was completely destroyed in half an hour, and along with it 58 surrounding villages. Were injured settlements Gyumri, Vanadzor, Stepanavan. Minor destruction affected 20 cities and over 200 villages located at some distance from the epicenter.

Earthquake strength

Earthquakes have occurred at the same place before - in 1679, 1840 and 1931, but they did not reach even 4 points. And in 1988, already in the summer, seismographs recorded vibrations in the area of ​​​​Spitak and its environs of 3.5 points on the Richter scale.

The earthquake itself in Spitak, which occurred on December 7, had a magnitude of 10 points at the epicenter (the highest level was 12 points). Most of the republic was subject to tremors with a power of up to 6 points. The echoes of the tremors were felt in Yerevan and Tbilisi.

Experts who assessed the scale of the disaster report that the amount of energy released from the earth's crust is equal to ten atomic bombs, dropped on Hiroshima. It is noteworthy that the blast wave that circled the Earth was recorded on several continents. Data in the report "Earthquake. Spitak, 1988." They report that the total surface rupture was equal to 37 kilometers, and its displacement amplitudes were almost up to 170 cm. The rupture occurred at the site of the split of tectonic plates, which were not classified as seismically dangerous at that time.

The scale of the disaster

What are the official data characterizing this earthquake? Spitak 1988 meant almost 30 thousand dead and more than 140 thousand disabled people. The destruction affecting industry and infrastructure is equally disappointing. These include 600 km of highways, 230 industrial enterprises, 410 medical institutions. Work was stopped

The earthquake in Spitak caused enormous damage. World financiers valued it at almost 15 billion dollars, and the number of victims exceeded all the world averages for victims of natural disasters. The Armenian authorities at this time were unable to independently eliminate the consequences of the tragedy, and all the republics of the USSR and many foreign states immediately got involved in the work.

Elimination of consequences: friendship of peoples and political motives

On December 7, surgeons who could work in military conditions and rescuers from Russia flew to the scene of the disaster. In addition to them, doctors from the USA, Great Britain, Switzerland and France worked at the scene of the disaster. Donor blood and medicines were supplied by China, Japan and Italy, and came from more than 100 countries.

On December 10, the head of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, flew to the site of the tragedy (now it was ruins instead of a prosperous city). In order to help people and monitor the rescue process, he interrupted his visit to the United States.

Two days before Gorbachev's arrival, humanitarian aid arrived from Sochi. The helicopter carried everything necessary to save the lives of the victims and... coffins. The latter were not enough.

The stadiums of Spitak schools became heliports, hospitals, evacuation points and morgues at the same time.

Causes of the tragedy and ways out

The reasons that led to large-scale destruction due to such a phenomenon as the earthquake in Spitak, experts call the untimeliness and incompleteness of the assessment of seismic vibrations in the region, shortcomings in compiling regulatory documents and bad quality construction work and medical services.

What is noteworthy is that the Union threw all its efforts, monetary and labor, to help those affected by the disaster in Spitak: more than 45 thousand volunteers came from the republics alone. Tens of thousands of parcels from all over Soviet Union arrived in the city and surrounding settlements as humanitarian aid.

But even more interesting is the fact that in 1987-1988, from the Armenian lands literally at gunpoint firearms Azerbaijanis, Russians and Muslims were expelled. People had their heads cut off, they were crushed by cars, they were beaten to death and walled up in chimneys, without sparing either women or children. In the book of the writer Sanubar Saralla “Stolen History. Genocide" contains stories of eyewitnesses of those events. The writer says that the Armenians themselves call the tragedy in Spitak God's punishment for their misdeeds.

Residents of Azerbaijan also participated in eliminating the consequences of the disaster, supplying Spitak and surrounding towns gasoline, equipment and medicines. However, Armenia refused their help.

Spitak, the earthquake in which became an indicator of international relations of that time, in fact confirmed the fraternal USSR.

View after 1988

The earthquake in Spitak gave the first impetus to the creation of an organization for forecasting, prevention and elimination of natural origin. So, twelve months later, in 1989, the start of the work of a state-scale Commission on emergency situations, known since 1991 as the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.

Spitak after the earthquake is a contradictory and at the same time painful phenomenon for the country. Almost 27 years have passed since the tragedy, but even decades later, Armenia is still recovering. In 2005, there were almost 9 thousand families who lived in barracks without amenities.

In memory of the dead

The date December 7 is the Day of Mourning for those killed in the disaster, declared by the government. This is a dark day for Armenia. In December 1989, the Union Mint issued a three-ruble coin in memory of the Spitak earthquake. 20 years later, in 2008, a monument erected by the public was unveiled in the small town of Gyumri. It was called “To innocent victims, merciful hearts” and was dedicated to all the victims who suffered in Spitak on 12/07/1988.