In this work, the issue of reliability assessment of masonry of existing building structures is covered. Attention is paid to the specificity of diagnostics and calculation of the reliability of these types of objects. Methods of determining the compressive strength of masonry in existing building structures are presented, taking into account the theory of reliability. Practical solutions are provided for determining the design strength of the masonry, which can be used in assessing the safety of massive brick walls and pillars, which are important structural elements of the existing brickwork. Stone houses have been the main building type in cities for centuries and many of them have survived to the present day. However, during the reconstruction and repair of such buildings, it is necessary to carry out calculations and tests to ensure their safe operation. The safety and reliability of a structure depends on many factors, such as the load applied to it and its bearing capacity. Given an acceptable probability of failure, reliability theory takes into account probabilistic approaches and methods for assessing and managing structural failure risks. Building codes and regulations provide requirements for load-bearing capacity, deformation and fire resistance of the structure, taking into account the social, economic and environmental consequences of failure. Characteristic damages of stone walls under the combined action of vertical and horizontal loads are analyzed. Considered possible patterns of masonry destruction. Diagonal shift is singled out as a typical case of wall failure under seismic effects. Emphasis is placed on the closeness of the loading conditions of load-bearing walls under the action of seismic force to those that occur in the frame when it is skewed. The results of experimental studies of stone samples on skew as models of the work of walls under seismic influences are considered. The nature of destruction, the determining factors affecting the load-bearing capacity of stone walls are analyzed: masonry material, strength of stone and mortar, internal and external reinforcement of masonry. On the basis of the analysis of experiments, suggestions are provided regarding kinematically possible schemes for the destruction of stone blocks, which are proposed as the basis for calculation. The problem of wall strength was solved by the variational method in the theory of plasticity, developed at the National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic". The influence on the strength of the dimensions of the element and the platform of load application is considered.