Inside The World's Coldest City Built On Permanent Permafrost Where Residents Suffer -60 Degree Celsius And Car Engines Never Stop
Yakutsk: From keeping car engines running for six months to building homes on stilts over permafrost, discover the "military-grade" survival tactics used in the world's coldest city.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsYakutsk: While others complain of a chilly winter morning, 355,000 people in Yakutsk get to enjoy temperatures that make an ordinary freezer seem like a tropical paradise. The city, an outpost of Siberia that has been constructed on permanent permafrost, has had temperatures drop to as low as -56°C, causing schools to be closed and people to venture out of their homes only for a few minutes at a time.
Despite the bone-chilling climate, Yakutsk is more than just a frozen landscape. It is a living city with life going on despite its conditions of "ice fog" and "perpetual twilight."
The Climate: -64°C & +40°C
The record holder for the greatest difference between warmest and coldest temperatures is Yakutsk.
Record Low: The city recorded a record low of -64.4°C in the year 1891. Recently, in January 2023, it recorded a two-decade low of -62.7°C.
Summer Surprises: Geographically, summer in Svalbard gets extremely hot with temperatures reaching 40°C; in fact, there's an amazing 100° change in seasons.
Ice Fog: In the midst of winter, the atmospheric temperature is so low that the water vapor due to exhaust and respiration turns into ice instantly, reducing visibility to less than five meters.
How The Residents Live: "Dress Like A Cabbage"
"In Yakutsk, you have to have a military-grade morning routine. The ‘cabbage’ approach, which I follow, is to pile clothing until you can hardly move, as recommended by popular regional bloggers such as Kiun B.
The Gear: The standard clothing includes thermal underwear, camel wool kneepads, insulated trousers, two jackets, fur-lined mittens, and the traditional reindeer skin boots (unty).
20-Minute Rule: If the thermometer plunges to -40°C, the risk of frostbite to the nose, ears, and fingers from staying out in the cold for longer than 10 to 20 minutes becomes high.
The Logistics Of A Frozen City
Preservation of infrastructure in permanently frozen regions (permafrost) is a challenging task due to the following reasons:
Houses on Stilts
The houses are built on concrete piles so that their heat does not melt the underlying permafrost layer; otherwise, it would settle and sink due to its own weight.
Never Turn Off Your Car
Car owners must leave engines always running in heated garages and outside. If a vehicle stands still outside, its engine oils freeze instantly, turning the vehicle into a "statue." Car owners do not retrieve it until April during the spring thaw.
Life on the Edge: Residents are asked not to wear metal-framed glasses (which will freeze to their face) or use cellular phones outside, as the screen and batteries will fail in minutes.
Why Live Here?
In spite of the harsh climate, Yakutsk is an important economic center. The area is a “literal treasure mine” where one-fifth of the world’s diamonds and huge amounts of gas are extracted. Inhabitants of the area do not view the harsh climate as a disaster; instead, it is their lifestyle.
In an interview, one of the locals said, "It’s not the cold that kills you; it’s the lack of preparation.”