Scientists from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences propose returning to low-rise construction in earthquake-prone regions after the earthquake in Kamchatka

Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Yuri Kulchin, announced the proposal of scientists from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences to return to the practice of low-rise construction in earthquake-prone regions.

Low-rise construction is proposed as an alternative to high-rise construction, which requires an expensive monitoring system to mitigate earthquakes.

VLADIVOSTOK, October 1 – RIA Novosti. Scientists from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, after the powerful earthquake of 2025 in Kamchatka, prepared a proposal to return to the practice of low-rise construction in earthquake-prone regions, Academician Yuri Kulchin, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

On July 30, 2025, the strongest earthquake since 1952 occurred in Kamchatka with a magnitude of 8.9; in populated areas of the peninsula it was felt with a force of up to eight points. A number of buildings were damaged. There were no casualties or injuries.

Kulchin noted that Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergei Fedotov, who headed the Institute of Volcanology in Kamchatka for more than 30 years, put a lot of effort into developing a program for systematic strengthening of houses.

“He managed to do this, the houses began to be strengthened. And as a result of the fairly powerful earthquake of 2025, there were no casualties. We are now coming up with a proposal that it is better to build low-rise buildings in Kamchatka, because business seems to need to build “high,” said the agency’s interlocutor.

He noted that multi-story construction is possible if under each house there is an expensive monitoring system that dampens tremors.

“If we don’t want to create such expensive systems to absorb earthquakes, we need to move on to low-rise construction. The President of our country is very attentive to this issue. We have prepared a corresponding proposal,” the academician said.