At first, the causes of the formation and types of earthquake are studied, as well as seismic waves and their dispersion, and the attenuation of the strong ground motion. Then, the probabilistic and deterministic assessment of seismic hazard, the formation of liquefaction and the methods of seismic microz?nation depending on the level of the study of the influence of local soil and geology, as well as the uniform hazard spectra, are thoroughly studied. The structural behaviour during earthquakes is analyzed based on the forced damped vibration of a system with one degree of freedom exposed to the dynamic movements of the base. Design of seismic-resistant structures is being studied, with a focus on the most important goals and requirements of seismic protection. The final emphasis is on the assessment of seismic risk by integrating the results of a probabilistic and / or deterministic assessment of seismic hazard on the one hand and the results of the assessing seismic hazards on the other, as well as on the measures to reduce seismic risk.