Oymyakon, Russia, faces extreme temperatures as low as -71°C

Oymyakon, a village in Russia’s Sakha Republic, is one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth, with temperatures having historically reached as low as -71.2°C. The region experiences an intense winter lasting approximately nine months, from late September to mid-April, during which residents may see as little as three hours of natural sunlight per day.

Living in such extreme conditions requires significant lifestyle adaptations. Residents must wear multiple layers of clothing and specialized footwear, such as reindeer or moose skin boots. To prevent engines from freezing, vehicles often must remain running constantly unless kept in heated garages. Daily tasks are heavily impacted; for instance, schools close when temperatures drop below -52°C.

Due to the frozen terrain, agriculture is not possible, leading a diet primarily based on meat and fish. Fishing through ice is a vital economic and nutritional activity. While winters are brutal, the region also experiences extreme seasonal shifts, with summer temperatures occasionally reaching near 34°C.