The city of Yakutsk, in Russia, is nicknamed the coldest city in the world due to its extreme winter temperatures, often reaching -40 to -50 degrees Celsius. Located in eastern Siberia, it is at the heart of the hyperboreal continental climate where winter dominates almost all year round.
Yakutsk, a city in Russia, is located in Eastern Siberia. It is the capital of the Republic of Sakha (or Yakutia), a vast and sparsely populated region. Yakutsk is situated just below the Arctic Circle. This contributes to its subarctic climate, which means it experiences short and moderately warm summers, followed by extremely long and harsh winters. In winter, temperatures often drop below -40°C. While the sun is present during the summer, darkness takes over in the winter, making this period even more challenging. The climate is also characterized by significant temperature variation, meaning temperatures can change abruptly from one day to the next or between seasons. It is not a place where one takes the cold lightly!
Yakutsk is somewhat of a haven for extreme cold. In winter, temperatures easily drop below -40°C, with peaks even reaching around -50°C. These icy levels don't just last for a day or two; they stick around for several consecutive months. It's not just a brief cold snap; it's one of the longest and harshest winter periods on the globe. What makes it even more serious is that this intense cold is not tempered by milder days. The temperature range is extreme. During the summer months, the temperature can climb above 30°C. In essence, Yakutsk experiences a dramatic thermal swing; you often go from a sauna to a natural freezer in just a few months. That's why it's one of the coolest—or rather, coldest—places you can find on the planet.
Permafrost, the ground that remains frozen year-round, covers a large part of Yakutia. It makes life there quite complicated. In winter, it's like concrete, preventing plant roots from taking hold. Because of this, vegetation is sparse, mostly tundra and a few hardy trees. But when summer arrives (yes, there is a short and intense summer), the surface thaws a bit. This thaw creates muddy and chaotic terrain. Permafrost also affects infrastructure. Houses and roads must be built on stilts or using other special techniques to prevent them from collapsing. Above-ground pipelines might be surprising, but they are used to avoid damage caused by freezing and thawing. Permafrost doesn't just complicate things; it is also a natural archive. Beneath the surface, it preserves treasures such as fossils and even ancient viruses. In short, this frozen subsoil shapes everything, from landscapes to daily life, as well as natural history.
Life in Yakutsk requires a hefty dose of ingenuity to cope with the freezing climate. Houses are often built on stilts to ensure that the heat from the homes doesn't melt the permafrost, this permanently frozen ground. Winter clothing, in particular, is incredibly warm, consisting of many layers of wool, fur, and other insulating textiles. In transportation, it's not uncommon to keep engines running, even when stationary, to prevent vehicles from freezing. When it comes to food, high-calorie meals rich in proteins and fats are favored to provide the body with the necessary energy. Culture also tries to adapt to the rhythm of the seasons. In winter, social and cultural activities are often organized indoors to avoid excessive exposure to the extreme temperatures. This influences everything, even the school schedule and the daily life of the residents. In short, in Yakutsk, people live resolutely in harmony with the cold.
Yakutsk is often compared to other cities known for their extreme cold, such as Oymyakon, Norilsk, and certain locations in Alaska or Canada like Yellowknife and Fairbanks. Oymyakon, about 930 km east of Yakutsk, holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in an inhabited place, approximately -67.7 °C. Nevertheless, Yakutsk remains unique due to its dense population of about 300,000 people, making it the largest city built on continuous permafrost. Norilsk, one of the polar cities in northern Russia, also experiences extreme climatic conditions but is surrounded by industrial landscapes, which affect the thermal sensation. Canadian cities like Yellowknife and Fairbanks in the United States are known for their harsh winters but do not reach the cold records similar to those of Yakutia. In Yakutsk, people live not only with freezing temperatures but also with long winter nights, an endless-feeling winter, and extreme living conditions that are not merely for tourists. The nickname "coldest city in the world" is justified not only by the measured temperatures but also by the resilience of its population in the face of these conditions.
Yakutsk is built on permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen soil that extends over much of Siberia. This complicates the construction of buildings and infrastructure.
The Yakutsk region is also home to the famous Lenin Pillars, a unique geological formation consisting of rock pillars sculpted by erosion over millennia.
Despite the freezing winter temperatures that can reach -50°C, Yakutsk experiences relatively hot summers with temperatures reaching up to 30°C.
Yakutsk has a mammoth museum, due to the numerous woolly mammoth fossils found in the region, which have been well preserved thanks to the permafrost.
Yakutsk is known for its extremely cold winters, with temperatures dropping below -40°C. Its climate is extremely continental due to its location in Siberia, far from the moderating influences of the oceans.
The lowest recorded temperature in Yakutsk is about -64°C, making it one of the coldest permanently inhabited cities on Earth.
In Yakutsk, residents have adapted their way of life to the extreme cold by building houses on stilts to avoid direct contact with the permafrost, wearing appropriate clothing such as parkas and fur boots, and adjusting their daily activities according to the season.
Permafrost requires specialized construction techniques, such as raised or insulated foundations, to prevent soil thawing and structural damage. It also complicates construction and maintenance work.
Although Norilsk and Oymyakon are also very cold, Yakutsk is a much larger and more developed city. Oymyakon holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in a populated area, but Yakutsk has a larger population and a more extensive urban environment.
The extreme climate of Yakutsk leads to high energy needs and complicates logistics, which can increase import and construction costs. However, the region is rich in natural resources, which helps support the local economy.
The population of Yakutsk may experience slight seasonal fluctuations, mainly due to the harsh climatic conditions that make temporary stays unfavorable for certain activities, but the permanent population remains generally stable thanks to the local industry and infrastructure.
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