Seismic Deformations in the Walls of the Church of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael (Feodosia, Crimea)

Systematic damage to building structures of the Armenian Church of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael Church in Kaffa–Feodosia (southeast Crimea) are investigated. The deformations include tilts, rotations, and drag displacements of building elements, sagging of the hinge parts of arched structures above windows and entrances, and a wide range of fissures, including continuous joints and joint assemblies in the form of “flower” structures. Sets of systematic damage were formed by four earthquakes. The epicentral area of the earliest earthquake (event A) with a local intensity I_L = VIII–IX (MSK-64) was located along the submeridional axis in the South Crimean seismogenic zone. After this event, the church was repaired: a chapel with counterforce function was built, and many windows were filled with stones for stability. The earthquake occurred in 1423 with a high probability. This dating is supported by seismogenic deformation data on 1423 earthquake in the walls of the Funa fortress. The next earthquake (event B) occurred with a high probability at the turn of the 17th–18th centuries along one of the segments of the South Azov seismogenic zone. The local seismic vibration intensity was I_L = VII–VIII (MSK-64). Earthquake C occurred in the second half of the 18th century after large restoration works, which repaired the damage of 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 was I_L = VII–VIII (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 was I_L = VII–VIII (MSK-64).