If you think you have it bad this winter, think again.
Russian winters are legendary owing to their freezing temperatures. Napoleon and Hitler learnt this the hard way, when their troops faced Russian winter.
Russian winter- 1 Troops -0
Oymyakon, a Russian village, is the coldest village on the planet and is permanently inhabited. Known as the ‘Pole of Cold’, the average temperature here in January is -50C. However, the coldest temperature recorded in Oymyakon is -71.2C. The frosty village is home to 500 people who survive in the harsh conditions.
Most homes burn coal and wood for heat. The harsh conditions are not conducive for growth of plants so the locals mostly eat reindeer and horse-meat. Surprisingly, the locals are not malnourished as doctors say that the animals’ milk which they consume contains micronutrients.
The place in the 1920s and 1930s was used as a stopover for reindeer herders to water their flock at the thermal spring nearby.
Burying dead bodies here can take up to three days as the ground has to be thawed with hot coals first, to be able to dig graves.
Pen ink freezes, glasses get frozen to peoples’ faces and batteries lose power due to the harsh cold. Locals keep their cars running all the time since they might not be able to restart them. Phones don’t work in the frosty conditions and there is no mobile coverage available.
The truly toughest part? The toilets there are outdoors. The power station burns coal and wood but when the power stops, the village comes to a standstill within 5 hours. Even pipes freeze and crack due to the extreme temperature.
Travel companies offer tourists a chance to visit the village and experience the life there.
Guess we won’t be complaining about the chilly weather here for a while.
All images sourced from DailyMail.