Yakutian woman amidst the fog of city center – created by cars, people, and steam from factories, the fog is thick and heavy through the coldest weeks of winter. (Amos Chapple) Source: Smithsonian
As New England braces for what many have called a “historic snowstorm”, one city in particular has it even worse, and just about every single day. People in Oymyakon, Russia face frigid temperatures like no other place on Earth. Located just a few hundred miles from the Arctic Circle, Oymyakon is the world’s coldest permanently settled area, nestled deep in the Russian tundra.
New Zealand photographer Amos Chapple recently made an expedition to the region to document the daily life of its inhabitants. Chapple found that the residents of Yakutsk, the nearest city in the region, were surprisingly wealthy and described the city as cosmopolitan. The affluence comes from the plentiful resources around Yakutsk including oil, gas, and diamonds. But is it worth it?
The photos below document the obstacles of life in such bitter conditions (the average January temperature is a bitter -34 °Fahrenheit) as well as the strength and determination of the people who live there.
Source: Smithsonian
Working two weeks on and two weeks off, employees of isolated regional 24-hour gas stations are vital to ensure that the economy can keep running in spite of inclement conditions.
Source: Smithsonian
Statues of soldiers stand frozen in a park dedicated to the fallen of World War II.
Source: Smithsonian
It isn’t only people who have to deal with the dangerous conditions; a dog curls up to sleep and keep warm in the carpark outside of Café Cuba.
Source: Smithsonian
Constructed by gulagged prison workers and known as the “Road of Bones”, Russia’s Kolyma Highway is the only major land route into or out of Yakutsk.
Source: Smithsonian
A dog hesitantly makes its way onto the street near an icy bus stop in Yakutsk.
Source: Smithsonian
One of the first governors of Yakutia, this bust of Ivan Kraft stands covered in ice for the majority of the year.
Source: Smithsonian
Someone’s summer shoes hanging inside a shed in the Yakutsk suburbs, waiting out the long and frigid winter.
Source: Smithsonian
A swirl of steam and freezing mist surrounds a woman as she enters Preobrazhensky Cathedral, the largest in Yakutsk.
Source: Smithsonian
On a day of -63 °F, a woman covers her face with her mitten to protect it from the dangerous cold. In the background a statue of former Vladimir Lenin can be seen.
Source: Smithsonian
Ice-covered houses like the one shown here are common sights in the middle of Yakutsk.
Source: Smithsonian
There is no need for refrigeration at the public market; the frigid air ensures that the fish as well as the rabbit stay frozen and fresh until they can be sold.
The post You Probably Couldn’t Survive In Oymyakon, The World’s Coldest City appeared first on All That Is Interesting.