Afterquake Report on Kamchatka

Meeting with Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov

The epicenter of the quake is just Southeast of the finger of land pointing in that direction and the white splotch down about 35Km into the subduction zone, which is the main reason there wasn’t a massive tsunami generated. I live next to a similar subduction zone off the coast of Oregon, and experienced several tsunami warnings while I lived in Hawaii. And as I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in very seismically active Californi and lived very close to the San Andreas fault for about 20 years. All that and more contributed to my becoming a “closet geologist” which I also tutored while attending college. This Wikipedia item has very good info on what was the sixth most powerful quake—8.8—registered by Richter scales. Surprisingly, there’s very litte photographic or video evidence of the quake and its impact. This small image is all I found online:

That lack of visual evidence makes the report given to Putin by Kamchatka Krai Governor Vladimir Solodov all the more important:

V. Putin: Vladimir Viktorovich, good afternoon.

V. Solodov: Good afternoon.

V. Putin: Please.

How are you?

V. Solodov: Everything is fine. Thank you for your special attention to the Kamchatka Territory.

Of course, the main challenge for us was the severe earthquake that occurred a month ago. Allow me to briefly report on the progress of the aftermath.

V. Putin: Nevertheless, the decisions we once made to strengthen buildings and adopt new construction standards...

V. Solodov: They were the ones who achieved the main result, because there were no casualties. And we see that, compared to the earthquakes that have occurred in Afghanistan, which are significantly weaker, there are a huge number of casualties – 1,400. Not a single person has died in our country. Only a few have suffered minor injuries, mostly from quickly leaving the building.

I would like to report that the entire system of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and our rescuers worked together in a coordinated manner. Of course, this was a frightening and stressful experience for the people. The tremors continued for three and a half minutes. This had a significant psychological impact. Approximately 180 people were accommodated in temporary shelters for two and a half weeks. They were afraid to return to their apartments.

Although there were no serious damages, buildings were generally damaged. We are currently conducting a thorough inspection. Approximately 1,400 buildings have been damaged in some way. This represents half of the residential buildings in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

V. Putin: It's decent.

V. Solodov: Yes. But I would like to emphasize that the load-bearing structures are not damaged, and there is currently no threat to the safety of citizens. We are currently conducting inspections of each building and creating a digital model. I would like to express my gratitude to the Research and Development Center for Construction, which was assigned by the Ministry of Construction on behalf of Irek Envarovich Fayzullin. They immediately flew to our location and are currently engaged in this work.

As a result, we will already know the amount of work that needs to be done. This includes the overhaul of common [property] and housing. I would like to make a proposal, if you support it, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to provide some assistance to people whose apartments have been severely damaged, even if the situation does not qualify as a federal emergency.

And here, I may be getting ahead of myself, but I also wanted to make a proposal that we make changes to the classification so that if the tremors are stronger than eight units and are felt stronger than six points in a populated area, they can be classified as a federal emergency and appropriate measures can be taken to provide support to the residents. Because, of course, I believe that we cannot leave people without help or stand on the sidelines.

And separately, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I will address the issue of social institutions. One of our kindergartens is beyond repair. The children's polyclinic has been severely damaged, and it will require significant reconstruction. Additionally, three to four schools will require extensive repairs.

V. Putin: I must say that kindergartens and schools in general need to be renovated.

V. Solodov: That's true. I want to thank you here. The capital repairs program is actually having a good effect. Now, when you come to school after the capital repairs, sometimes it feels like a new school. I was in the Commander Islands where we carried out the capital repairs of the hospital. At first, I didn't recognize it. I thought, "Is this a new hospital? We didn't build it here." It's really good. Overhauling is taking place, and it's actually having a good effect.

I would also like to emphasize that teachers and the parent community are involved in this process. We have our own unique approach and invention. We use murals on the school walls to depict historical themes related to Kamchatka. These murals include images of ships, submarines, and battles that have taken place, ensuring that children learn about the region's rich history and traditions as they navigate the school's corridors.

Therefore, continuing, I would like to make a basic request, that due to the fact that the consequences are so multifaceted, if you support it, that the Presidential Decree be issued, and thus we coordinate the work of the Government, all the bodies that should be involved now, because even the earthquake monitoring and tracking system itself requires updating. It was established in 1993. Even the names of all the authorities have changed, and it has not been updated during this time. Yes, such events are rare, but they are significant for regions like Kamchatka Krai. That's why I asked you to support me here.

V. Putin: Okay.

For my part, I would like to draw your attention to the FAPs and the availability of medical personnel. This requires special attention on your part.

V. Solodov: First of all, I would like to thank you for the primary healthcare modernization program. We have successfully updated the material components in almost all villages, even the most remote ones. Ayanka is located on the border with Chukotka, Slautnoye is in the central part, and Yelizovsky District is in the far north. We have already updated the facilities in almost all of these areas. In some cases, we have purchased premises in apartment buildings that are under construction, while in others, we have built modular structures. Modular structures have proven to be effective.

But you are absolutely right that the issue of staffing has not been fully resolved. To be honest, this is a long-standing problem for the healthcare system in Kamchatka. I am optimistic about the new hospital. You opened it yesterday. In fact, the building is very impressive. The contractor, the Crocus Group of Companies, has done a good job. They have been selected as the sole contractor for the second phase. The Government and I are currently working on the main issue, which is to slightly shift the funds to an earlier date. They have been in place since 2024, but it is very important that Crocus start operating without relocating equipment. The government is currently dealing with this, and if there is an opportunity, [I ask] to speed up the decision. Because the actual relocation of equipment and people will cost about 700-800 million additional costs, because Kamchatka is far away. This is simply unwise.

But returning to your task, I believe that the very fact of building a hospital will attract young, qualified doctors, because they will understand that they are working with the best equipment and in decent conditions. In addition, the targeted training program is working well. It was initiated by Irina Anatolyevna Yarovaya, our State Duma deputy. We are currently returning 70 of our students from medical universities each year. This is a significant number for Kamchatka.

V. Putin: Are they returning?

V. Solodov: Yes. This is the first year. This year, a new, updated program has started working. In fact, people are returning and working, including in the north. There are also incentives, such as the "Zemsky Doctor" and "Zemsky Paramedic" programs. Your additional payments for medical professionals working in rural areas have a significant impact.

There are certain proposals that we are currently working on to improve the situation. For example, we want to reduce the frequency of changes within the region, as some people may move from a village to a larger town and then to a city. This program is currently allowed, but it is inconvenient for the healthcare system and has an impact on the overall quality of care. However, you are absolutely right about the importance of staffing.

And here, too, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to thank you for the rental housing program. DOM.RF is implementing it throughout the Far East, with 10,000 apartments. We are currently building 887 apartments in Kamchatka. This is a significant number.

V. Putin: All right.

V. Solodov: Of these, 170 are for participants in the special military operation, in a targeted manner. By the way, this particular program has the biggest positive response. This is because it is a new building, furnished, even with basic appliances, and, in general, at an affordable price, since we compensate two-thirds of it from the budget.

Yesterday, we discussed with the Ministry of Defense and Anna Evgenievna Tsivileva the possibility of increasing the number of apartments for participants in the special military operation and veterans. It is clear that we cannot allocate all the apartments to this category, as we also need to provide housing for other specialists. However, the demand is high.

Therefore, if the possibility of expanding this program is considered, following the example of the Kamchatka Territory, we could easily increase the number of apartments by another 50 percent in two years, and this would have a positive effect.

I would like to thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for your support. Last time, I asked about the high cost of tickets from Petropavlovsk to Vladivostok. The issue was resolved. The Ministry of Transport worked on it. Now, the ticket costs 9,000 rubles. Previously, the ticket price was 40,000 to 45,000 rubles for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka to Vladivostok.

V. Putin: There is a difference.

V. Solodov: Yes. There aren't many of them yet, but the fact that they exist is very serious. Therefore, I would like to thank you for your support. This decision is very significant for the people of Kamchatka. [My Emphasis]

Koryaksky volcano with Petropavlosk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka’s largest city, in the foreground. Kamchatka is bigger than California—464,275 sq km to 423,970 sq km but has only .05% the amount of people. Of its 400 volcanoes, 10% are active, and as the earthquake and cover photo show, it’s in a very active seismic region. I’d say it’s Russia’s frontier just as it’s been for hundreds of years but with modern buildings and amenities.

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