The coldest town in the world

If you think that in Spain we spend cold winters, you have to know Oymyakon, the coldest town on the planet. And it is that in this inhabited place they have come to register tremendously low temperatures. The minimum took place in 1926, when the thermometers read -71.2º C. Incredible, don't you think?

Of course, there are corners on Earth colder than this place. However, Oymyakon holds the record for the most permanently occupied place cold of the world. And is that the average temperature in January is -50º C. Do you want to know more information about this cold place? Well, do not miss anything we tell you below!

Located between mountains

Located about 7,000 kilometers from Moscow, specifically in the Republic of Yakutia, the coldest inhabited town on the planet is home to around 500 inhabitants who are able to resist extreme temperatures. Of course, it should be noted that Oymyakon is located in a valley between huge mountains, which protect the place from the wind, so the low temperatures become relatively bearable. In fact, in summer temperatures of up to 35ºC can be reached.

The development of the Oymyakon

The town was born between 1920 and 1930, when a group of reindeer herders settled on the site after finding some hot springs. This is precisely where the name of the town comes from, which means "water that does not freeze." During the heyday of the Soviet regime it became quite a city delicious thanks to the gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals found in the mountains. Today, however, it is a town that lives thanks to local resources, mostly livestock, hunting and fishing, in addition to tourism, of course.

Problems in everyday life

As you can imagine, the cold causes different problems that make everyday life difficult, such as the freezing of the glasses or the ink of the pen, or the loss of strength of the batteries of the mobile phones ... In addition, in winter the vehicles are completely covered by the snow and in summer the road becomes a place almost impassable because of the mud. Also keep in mind that cars must have a double pane and must keep the engine running throughout the day so that the gasoline does not freeze, something that happens at 46º C.

As if they were few problems, it should not be forgotten that when temperatures are below -52º C, schools close. It is even difficult to bury the deceased, since the soil freezes and is very difficult to dig. On the other hand, it must be taken into account that the houses do not have pipes. For this reason, the toilets are located outside the houses, which are made of wood and are very well insulated from the outside. Also, curiously the milk is sold solid. Yes! Yes! As you are reading it!

Nine months of winter

On the other hand, keep in mind that the day does not always last the same. In fact, while in summer they can reach 21 hours, in December we can find days only three hours. The same happens with winter, which lasts no more and no less than 9 months.

Would you dare to travel to this place? Well, more and more people are doing it! We leave you with our Gallery, where you can discover more images of this whopping Russian city. Do not miss it!

Visiting the coldest town in the world - Chilling Out | 60 Minutes Australia (April 2024)