Living in the coldest city in the world is not so easy. But the people of Omyakon are accustomed to that cold and live in the coldest village in the world. What is their experience of living at temperatures as low as -64°C?
Location
Oymyakon is a rural area in the Oymyakonsky District of the Saka Republic of Russia, 30 km northwest of Tomter on the Kolima Expressway, in the Yana-Oymyakon Mountains along the Indigirka River. This is the coldest village on earth permanently inhabited by humans. This village is located in Russia’s northern Siberia. Surrounded by mountains, this village is a very difficult village. The population of Omiacon has declined significantly over the past few decades. The village had a population of approximately 2,500, but by 2018 that number had dwindled to less than 900. By 2021, the number of people in this village have dropped to 450. It is located at an altitude of 750 m above sea level.
Weather
The coldest village on record was 1933. It was – 67.7°C. This is the coldest officially recorded temperature in the Northern Hemisphere. Ice turns to water at 0 degrees Celsius. Then you can imagine how cold this village is. There are two main valleys near Oymyakon. The valley captures the wind and creates a cool climate in the city. The temperature here is very cold for most of the year and it snows frequently in spring and autumn. Temperatures in June, July and August never dropped below −14°C. The hottest month on record in the village was July 2010 with an average temperature of 18.7°C. On July 28, 2010, Oymyakon recorded a record high of 34.6°C, giving a temperature range of 105.8 C.
Lifestyle
From December, the daylight hours are only three hours. But in June, the village also gets a twenty-one hour daylight. The villagers eat venison, fish, horse meat and dairy. People here can’t use electronics. It is also not possible to use batteries due to the cold. People do not even stop the engine of their vehicle. Even the ink on the pens freezes in the cold of this village. Almost every home has a large number of heaters. So the people of this village are accustomed to this difficult life and have been living here since a long time ago.
