Oymyakon: Adventures In The Coldest Place On Earth

Can tourists visit Oymyakon?

Adventure tours to Oymyakon, Russia’s Siberia, will be done from the end of November till early April. The coldest period in the midst and end of December, January, and the first half of February. Round travel distance: ~2000 km with all short rides within settlements. Tour type: soft adventure, road trip.

What is special about Oymyakon?

Deep in Siberia, the village of Oymyakon holds the distinction of being the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth.

What do people in Oymyakon do for a living?

The local economy is mostly fur trading and ice fishing.

What do people eat in Oymyakon?

Due to the frozen ground, crops cannot be grown in Oymyakon. The population survives on mostly meats. “Yakutians love the cold food, the frozen raw Arctic fish, white salmon, whitefish, frozen raw horse liver, but they are considered to be delicacy,” local Bolot Bochkarev told weather.com.

How do people shower in Yakutia?

People in this city do not have pipelines because water gets frozen in them. For this reason, people collect ice to heat water before bathing. First of all, he cuts the previously stored wood, brings it home, and lights the fire. When the fire burns well, it first goes out and then brings the snow.

Do cars work in Oymyakon?

Extremely low temperatures are bad for every component of a vehicle, so the automobiles used in Oymyakon go through the worst conditions possible. Another popular solution is to place a cover over a car to help maintain its temperature.

How much is a taxi from Yakutsk to Oymyakon?

The cheapest way to get from Yakutsk to Oymyakon is to drive which costs $75 – $120 and takes 28h 27m. What is the fastest way to get from Yakutsk to Oymyakon? The fastest way to get from Yakutsk to Oymyakon is to fly and taxi which takes 16h 6m and costs $140 – $450. How far is it from Yakutsk to Oymyakon?

What is the closest city to Oymyakon?

Yakutsk is the nearest city to Oymyakon, and flights are available to reach there. Local transportation in Oymyakon is limited, and it’s recommended to hire a guide or rent a car. The “Pole of Cold” monument is a popular attraction in Oymyakon.

What jobs do people in Oymyakon do?

Some of the possible jobs you can have include: reindeer-breeding,hunting,ice fishing, you can sell reindeer-breeding, fish or whatever other animals you kill. There is also only one work shop in Oymyakon Russia and there is no farming because it is to cold for any crops to grow.

What is the world’s coldest city?

The capital city of the vast (1.2 million square miles) Siberian region known as the Sakha Republic, Yakutsk is widely identified as the world’s coldest city.

Why does Oymyakon get so cold reading?

In addition, the town sits in a valley, below the general level of the Oymyakon Plateau, which, in turn, is enclosed on all sides by mountains up to 2,000 metres in height. As the cold air sinks, it accumulates in the valley, with little wind to disturb it. Oymyakon’s average temperature in January is -50°C.

Why is it difficult to live in Oymyakon?

To cope with the harsh weather, residents of Oymyakon use outhouses as indoor plumbing tends to freeze. Cars are heated in garages or can be left running all the time, according to AccuWeather. And because the ground is too frozen for crops to grow, residents rely on a largely meat-based diet.

Is Oymyakon colder than Greenland?

Only Greenland and Antarctica recorded temperatures lower than Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk; the lowest temperature directly measured on land was -89.2°C (-128.6°C) measured at Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983.

What are some fun facts about Oymyakon?

The valley of Oymyakon in Yakutia (northeast Russia) is known as the Pole of Cold and with average January temperatures of -50C, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. The coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2C.

Does Oymyakon have electricity?

There’s a local coal mine, and I believe they have local natural gas resources as well. There’s a power plant providing electricity. But I’m not sure “sustain” is the right word. Oymyakon’s population has dropped steadily the past couple of generations, from 2500 to around 800.

How do people make a living in Oymyakon?

What do people do for a living in Oymyakon? The majority of Oymyakon’s residents engage in traditional activities such as reindeer herding, hunting, and fishing. Some also work in government offices, schools, or small businesses in their communities.

Are Yakutia people Chinese?

The Yakuts or Sakha (Yakut: саха, saxa; plural: сахалар, saxalar) are a Turkic ethnic group native to North Siberia, primarily the Republic of Sakha in the Russian Federation, with some extending to the Amur, Magadan, Sakhalin regions, and the Taymyr and Evenk Districts of the Krasnoyarsk region.

How do people make money in Yakutia?

Yakutia is also famous for construction materials and salubrious mineral waters. The most important industry is mining. The diamond, gold and tin ore mining industries are the major ones. 99 per cent of all Russian diamonds are mined in Yakutia.

Are there Christians in Yakutia?

Before 1917 there were Yakut-language parishes with Yakut priests, and some of the population had adopted Orthodoxy, giving them a pro-Russian cultural and political orientation. Nevertheless, the majority of Yakuts remained pagans or dual-believers with a very shallow Christian overlay.

What is the lifestyle in Oymyakon?

Day-to-Day Living and Traditions Even with all that cold, folks in Oymyakon lives fulfilled and colorful lives. It’s a close community, often meeting up to cheer traditional festivals and occasions. An event called the Ysyakh festival highlights the summer solstice bursting with music, dancing, and eating.

Where do people work in Oymyakon?

Unlike other countries, where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon’s solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52C. As nothing grows in that village, people eat reindeer meat and horsemeat for survival. To earn living, they work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.

Can you go to Oymyakon?

Oymyakon is a true Pole of Cold. Here you will receive a certificate for visiting the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Visit to the village with a visit to a cowshed with Yakut cows. On the way to Tomtor – visit the ice-free Kuidusun river and the airport closed in winter.

Which is colder, Oymyakon or Yakutsk?

However, while Yakutsk is the coldest city, there are other, less-populous permanently inhabited places that are even more frigid. Oymyakon, a Russian settlement of around 500 people, reached a frosty minus 96.2 F (minus 71.2 C) in 1924. Somewhat surprisingly, Yakutsk and Oymyakon aren’t that close to each other.

Does Oymyakon have an airport?

The Oymyakon Airport, that gives the village its name, was built during the Second World War as part of the ALSIB route for transferring Lend-Lease aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union. It has an unpaved runway of 1900 metres length.

How many people live in Oymyakon?

Oymyakon, which has a permanent population of about 500, is better known for thermometer-breakingly cold records. The village recorded a low of minus 89.9 degrees Fahrenheit in 1933, with an unverified record of minus 96.2 in 1926, per RT. A concrete bull statue in town honors this record, Jeopardy!

What jobs do people in Oymyakon do?

Some of the possible jobs you can have include: reindeer-breeding,hunting,ice fishing, you can sell reindeer-breeding, fish or whatever other animals you kill. There is also only one work shop in Oymyakon Russia and there is no farming because it is to cold for any crops to grow.

How do people adapt to living in Oymyakon?

Residents here use outhouses as indoor plumbing freezes most of the time. They have heated garages to keep the cars. Farming is not possible on the frozen land so folks mainly survive on a carnivorous diet. If you ever plan to visit this place, you’ll get reindeer meat and frozen fish as local delicacies.

What’s it like to live in Oymyakon?

Located in a remote corner of Siberia, the town of about 500 will endure high temperatures that struggle to surpass minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, according to AccuWeather. It’s perfectly common in the winter months for lows to range from minus 50 to minus 40 degrees.

What are the best places to visit in Oymyakon?

What to do in Oymyakon in winter?

Why should you visit Oymyakon?

What do people eat in Oymyakon?