Imagine your eyelashes freezing into tiny needles the second you step outside. It sounds like a horror movie premise, but for the roughly 500 residents of Oymyakon, it’s just Tuesday. This tiny settlement in the Sakha Republic of Russia isn't just cold; it is the "Pole of Cold." We’re talking about a place where the ground is permanently frozen (permafrost) and the official record low hit a bone-shattering $-67.7^{\circ}\text{C}$ ($-89.9^{\circ}\text{F}$) back in 1933. Some locals even claim it dropped to $-71.2^{\circ}\text{C}$ in 1924, though that's debated by meteorologists.
Honestly, it’s hard to wrap your head around that kind of temperature. At $-50^{\circ}\text{C}$, the air is so dry and cold it actually hurts to breathe. You have to wrap a scarf around your face just to filter the air so it doesn't sear your lungs.
What life is really like in Oymyakon
You might wonder why anyone stays. Most people assume Oymyakon is some ancient, mystical site, but it actually started as a stopover for reindeer herders in the 1920s and 30s. The name itself ironically means "unfrozen water," referring to a nearby thermal spring that allows herders to water their livestock even in the depths of winter.
Life here is a series of constant, high-stakes logistics.
Take plumbing, for example. You can’t really have it. If you bury pipes in permafrost, they’ll freeze and burst, so most people still use outdoor outhouses. Imagine trekking through a $-55^{\circ}\text{C}$ blizzard just to use the bathroom. It’s brutal.
Cars are another nightmare. If you don't have a heated garage, you basically have to leave the engine running all day and night. If the engine stops, the battery dies, the fluids congeal, and the vehicle becomes a multi-ton paperweight until spring arrives in May. Even the tires can get so cold they literally shatter or develop flat spots that don't go away.
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The diet of the Pole of Cold
You won't find a local farmers' market selling fresh kale here. Nothing grows in the frozen earth. Instead, the diet is heavily focused on meat and fish. People eat stroganina—long, thin curls of raw, frozen fish (usually whitefish like omul or nelma) shaved off with a sharp knife. You dip it in a mix of salt and pepper, and it melts on your tongue.
They also eat frozen raw horse liver and reindeer meat. It’s high-protein, high-fat fuel. It has to be. Your body burns through calories just trying to maintain a core temperature.
School isn't cancelled easily
In most parts of the world, a few inches of snow shuts down the city. In Oymyakon, kids are built different. The local school typically only closes when the temperature drops below $-52^{\circ}\text{C}$ ($-61.6^{\circ}\text{F}$). If it’s $-50^{\circ}\text{C}$? Pack your bag, kid. You're going to class.
The logistics of death and burial
This is one of those "dark" facts people rarely talk about. When someone passes away in Oymyakon, burying them is a Herculean task. Because the ground is frozen rock-solid, you can't just dig a grave.
The process takes days.
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First, a large bonfire is lit to thaw the surface. After a few hours, the hot coals are pushed aside, and a few inches of dirt are scraped away. Then, another fire is lit. This repeats for days until the hole is deep enough. It’s a grueling, smoky, and somber process that highlights just how much the environment dictates every stage of human existence.
Why the cold is getting weirder
Climate change is hitting the Arctic and sub-Arctic zones twice as fast as the rest of the planet. While Oymyakon still sees terrifyingly low temperatures, the permafrost is starting to soften in some areas. This creates "drunk trees" that lean at odd angles as the ground shifts beneath them.
It’s a strange paradox. The world’s coldest village is actually warming up, which sounds like good news until you realize the entire infrastructure—houses, roads, and even the airstrip—is built on the assumption that the ground stays frozen forever. If it thaws, the village literally sinks.
Getting there (if you’re brave enough)
If you’re a traveler looking to visit, you usually fly into Yakutsk—the coldest city in the world—and then drive the remaining 900 kilometers. This road is known as the "Road of Bones," built by gulag prisoners during the Stalin era.
It’s a two-day drive through some of the most desolate, hauntingly beautiful landscapes on Earth.
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Pro tip: Never travel alone. If your car breaks down on the Road of Bones and you don't have a satellite phone or a second vehicle, you are in immediate, life-threatening danger. Most locals travel in convoys for this exact reason.
Practical advice for the extreme cold
If you ever find yourself in the Sakha Republic, or any extreme sub-zero environment, keep these rules in mind:
- Layering is a science: Use a moisture-wicking base layer. Sweat is your enemy; if you get damp and then stop moving, that moisture turns to ice and siphons away your body heat.
- No metal glasses: If you wear metal frames, they will freeze to your face and peel the skin off when you try to remove them. Switch to plastic or use contacts.
- Battery management: Phone batteries die in minutes at $-40^{\circ}\text{C}$. Keep your tech in an inside pocket against your body heat, and use a power bank that stays warm.
- The "Alcohol Myth": Drinking vodka might make you feel warm because it dilates blood vessels, but it actually causes your core temperature to drop faster. Save the spirits for when you're safely inside by the wood stove.
Next steps for the curious
If you want to experience Oymyakon without the frostbite, look up the photography of Amos Chapple. He spent weeks there capturing the "blue hour" and the way the mist hangs over the village. It’s the best visual record of a place that feels like another planet.
For those actually planning a trip, contact specialized Arctic expedition groups rather than trying to DIY the journey. You need a Russian-speaking guide, a modified 4x4 vehicle, and a deep respect for a climate that does not offer second chances.
Check the current weather station data via the Roshydromet (Russia's federal service for hydrometeorology) to see just how low the mercury is dipping this week. It'll make your local winter feel like a tropical vacation.