Time in Oymyakon. The village of Oymyakon is the coldest settlement in the world

The Pole of Cold is a place on planet Earth where air temperatures drop to record lows. In other words, it is the coldest place on the globe.

On the territory of Russia, the pole of cold is located in the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia near the village of Oymyakon. The lowest temperature officially recorded here in February 1933 is -67.7 °C. According to other sources, the minimum recorded temperature on Oymyakon was -77.8 °C in 1938, although this information is disputed.

Why is Oymyakon called the pole of cold of the northern hemisphere?

Since 1926, two settlements have been competing for the title of “Pole of Cold” in the Northern Hemisphere - the village of Oymyakon, and more specifically the village of Tomtor, 30 kilometers to the southeast, and the city of Verkhoyansk, where the absolute minimum of the Northern Hemisphere -67.8 °C was recorded in January 1885. After that, a meteorological station and the Pole of Cold local history museum were organized here.

The Russian Pole of Cold - the story of its discovery.

If geologist Sergei Obruchev had not started conducting research on the Indigirka River, it is likely that Verkhoyansk would have remained the only contender for the role of the coldest city in the Northern Hemisphere. During the expedition, the scientist noticed strange noise, which turned out to be his own breath. According to him, this noise resembled the sound of grain spilling or snow falling from tree branches. This unusual sound appears when the air temperature drops below -50°C, local residents call it the “whisper of the stars.” Hearing this “whisper,” Obruchev began to think that because of his geographical location this area can break Verkhoyansk records. The Yakut village of Oymyakon is located in a depression, surrounded on all sides by mountains, its geographical position quite interesting. In fact, Oymyakon is located higher above sea level than its competing city, but due to the mountains surrounding it, it is located in a pit, because of this cold air Here it lingers longer and heats up more slowly. Based on all this, Obruchev concluded that this is where temperature records should be expected.

The question is which locality After all, it will rightfully be called the pole of cold; it is still considered open. Supporters of Oymyakon and supporters of Verkhoyansk continue their disputes on this issue. The absolute minimum temperature of -68°C at Oymyakon in Verkhoyansk was included in SNiP 23-01-99 “Building Climatology” from January 1, 2003.

Weather in Oymyakon, Yakutia.

Interestingly, the village has a somewhat ironic name. The word "oymyakon" translated into Russian means "unfrozen water", although perhaps this name was given in honor of the hot spring located nearby. Local residents are used to the harsh Oymyakon climate, for them -50°C is considered warming, since the average temperature for these places is -65°C.

In 2012, the population of Oymyakon was 512 people; today this number has not changed much. Terrible frosts of these areas do not particularly attract tourists. Most of the people who come here are either scientists or journalists. Only a few extreme and amateurs unusual sensations choose these places for recreation. Oymyakon residents heat their houses with wood or coal; there are practically no amenities here, but the entire territory of the village is covered Wi-Fi network, and here mobile communications at the Pole of Cold in Oymyakon, Unfortunately no.

Oymyakon climate and day length.

The length of the day in Oymyakon varies depending on the time of year; in summer it is almost 21 hours, and in December no more than 3. Summer in this harsh pole of cold is beautiful with its white nights, when the sun shines throughout the day. In addition to differences in day length, the largest fluctuations in air temperature per year for Eurasia are also observed here - over 100 degrees, that is, from -67.7°C in winter and up to +45°C in summer.

Surprising in Oymyakon is not only the climate, but also the local fauna. Unusual horses are bred here, whose body is covered with thick hair 8-15 cm long. Thanks to this, the Yakut breed of horses is incredibly frost-resistant, even in winter they continue to live on fresh air, no matter how much the temperature drops.

There is almost no wildlife in these areas; you need to be an experienced hunter to know where and who to look for, otherwise you can freeze to death trying to track down any game. Also, practically nothing grows here, so people eat the meat of deer and horses. At the Pole of Cold in Oymyakon, there is only one store open, and local residents work as fishermen, shepherds or hunters.

The Pole of Cold is a place on planet Earth where the air temperature drops to record lows, i.e. this is the coldest place on the globe.

On the territory of Russia, the pole of cold is located in the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia near the village of Oymyakon. The lowest temperature officially recorded here in February 1933 is -67.7 °C.

Oymyakon is located in a depression and is protected on all sides by mountains that block the escape of heavy cold air. These same mountains prevent the penetration of moist air masses coming from the oceans. The average monthly temperature in January in Oymyakon is -61°C, but can reach -68°C. According to unofficial data, in the winter of 1916 the temperature in the village dropped to -82°C.

Oymyakon means “unfrozen spring” in the local language. In this area there are indeed streams and sections of rivers that do not freeze in such severe frost. Oymyakon means “non-freezing water”. The nature surrounding the streams amazes with its unreality.

Since 1926, two settlements have been competing for the title of “Pole of Cold” in the Northern Hemisphere - the village of Oymyakon, and more specifically the village of Tomtor, 30 kilometers to the southeast, and the city of Verkhoyansk, where the absolute minimum of the Northern Hemisphere -67.8 °C was recorded in January 1885. After that, a meteorological station and the Pole of Cold local history museum were organized here.

If geologist Sergei Obruchev had not started conducting research on the Indigirka River, it is likely that Verkhoyansk would have remained the only contender for the role of the coldest city in the Northern Hemisphere. During the expedition, the scientist noticed a strange noise, which turned out to be his own breathing. According to him, this noise resembled the sound of grain spilling or snow falling from tree branches. This unusual sound appears when the air temperature drops below -50°C, local residents call it the “whisper of the stars.” Hearing this “whisper,” Obruchev began to think that, due to its geographical location, this area could break Verkhoyansk’s records. The Yakut village of Oymyakon is located in a depression, surrounded on all sides by mountains, its geographical location is quite interesting. In fact, Oymyakon is located higher above sea level than its competing city, but due to the mountains surrounding it, it is located in a pit, which is why cold air lingers here longer and heats up more slowly. Based on all this, Obruchev concluded that this is where temperature records should be expected.

The length of the day in Oymyakon varies depending on the time of year; in summer it is almost 21 hours, and in December no more than 3. Summer in this harsh pole of cold is beautiful with its white nights, when the sun shines throughout the day. In addition to differences in day length, the largest fluctuations in air temperature per year for Eurasia are also observed here - almost 100 degrees, that is, from -67.7°C in winter and up to +35°C in summer.

The population of the village of Oymyakon according to 2010 data is 462 people; currently the number of residents has not changed significantly. Residents of Oymyakon do not wear clothes made of synthetic fabrics, because they fall apart in the cold; in winter, even cows are dressed here so that their udders do not freeze. Not in Oymyakon colds, because viruses freeze, exhaled air freezes. There are many centenarians in this region.

Surprising in Oymyakon is not only the climate, but also the local fauna. Unusual horses are bred here, whose body is covered with thick hair 8-15 cm long. Thanks to this, the Yakut breed of horses is incredibly frost-resistant, even in winter they continue to live in the fresh air, no matter how much the temperature drops. Also, the Yakut horse finds the opportunity to search for vegetation that is under deep snow cover.

Almost nothing grows here, so people eat deer and horse meat. At the Pole of Cold in Oymyakon, there is only one store open, and local residents work as fishermen, shepherds or hunters.

For many years, the cold held back the flow of tourists to the region of permafrost. But in Lately It was the cold that contributed to the development of a new concept of tourism and became a new brand in the tourism infrastructure of the region.

Those who want to test their strength and see what real winter looks like go to Yakutia, the region of permafrost. It is exceptionally cold here, but the region is very friendly. Routes have been created for tourists that will allow them to explore local life, gastronomic preferences, see the algys ritual, the workdays of reindeer herders, take part in horseback riding routes, sport fishing, hunting, sightseeing, and attend the Pole of Cold festival.

The village of Oymyakon in Yakutia (Russia) is the Northern Pole of Cold of Russia and the earth, where a record low air temperature was recorded in 1933: −67.7°C. Oymyakon means “non-freezing spring” in the local language. In this area there are indeed streams and sections of rivers that do not freeze in such severe frost. For example, the non-freezing stream “Razluka”, to which, according to legend, prisoners secretly came on dates in the 30s.

In the village of Oymyakon, there are 521 local residents. A harsh region, where a winter day lasts 3 hours, a summer day lasts 21 hours, and temperature fluctuations throughout the year are 100 degrees, is unattractive for permanent residence. Here, severe frosts form a way of life, habits, activities. In Oymyakon, they don’t even close the school - it’s 60C, the police don’t carry batons, because they fall apart from the frost, they don’t turn off the car here, because after two hours of sitting, it will never start. Residents of Oymyakon do not wear clothes made of synthetic fabrics, because they fall apart in the cold; in winter, even cows are dressed here so that their udders do not freeze. There are no colds in Oymyakon, because viruses freeze, exhaled air and alcohol freeze.

Oymyakon on the map:

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For many years, the cold held back the flow of tourists to the region of permafrost. But recently, it was the cold that contributed to the development of a new concept of tourism and became a new brand in the tourism infrastructure of the region.

And now, those who want to test their strength, to see what real winter looks like, go to Yakutia, the land of permafrost. It is exceptionally cold here, but very friendly. Routes have been created for tourists that will allow them to explore local life, gastronomic preferences, see the algys ritual, the workdays of reindeer herders, take part in horseback riding routes, sport fishing, hunting, sightseeing, and attend the Pole of Cold festival.

Expedition to the Pole of Cold:

During the festival, public festivities include dog sledding with Yakut Laikas. If you are lucky, you will be able to taste the incredibly tasty meat of the Chubuku bighorn sheep, which is extremely difficult to obtain by hunting.

The Indigirka River flowing in Oymyakon is known not only for gold mines and antimony mining, but also big amount various types fish. The river is used for fishing for vendace, nelma, omul, whitefish, whitefish, and muksun. Tourists can take part in ice fishing: in the clear water of Indigirka, fish can be seen even at a depth of four meters.

There is a small ethno-museum in the tourist complex “Chochur-Muran”. Its exhibition consists of antique items. IN winter time An ice sculpture park is being created on the territory of the complex by the hands of Yakut craftsmen. This type of art is very popular in Yakutia. The main attraction is the “Kingdom of Permafrost” set up inside the mountain. In the cave, tourists are greeted by the Yakut frost carved from ice - Chyskhaan. In the room of the Master of the North you can see ice furniture and dishes. The next room is intended for rituals of purification and reverence. Here the newlyweds are honored, and they sincerely wish that their union would be as eternal as the surrounding permafrost. The Permafrost Museum has an ice slide, the Ice Bar. For your visit to the unusual Museum, you can receive a personalized certificate from the Archivist.

Yakutia is a republic eternal ice, known mainly by . The Lena River is one of the longest rivers on earth, stretching from the southern tundra to the northern taiga and, ultimately, flowing into the Arctic Ocean. On the Lena River there are unique rock formations with views of extraordinary beauty. But in this article we will talk about another attraction of Yakutia - the Pole of Cold.

As the Yakuts like to say: we have nine months of winter and three months of real winter. But it's not entirely that bad. There are also short summer weeks with fairly warm days.

There is some competition for the title of coldest place in the Northern Hemisphere. Since 1926, the village of Oymyakon, or more precisely the village of Tomtor, located 30 km southeast, has been arguing with Verkhoyansk for the right to be called the “Pole of Cold”.

Despite the fact that lower temperatures are recorded in Antarctica than in Oymyakon, the comparison of these readings is not considered fully correct. The Vostok station is located at an altitude of 3488 m above sea level, while Oymyakon is at an altitude of 741 m. To compare the results, it is necessary to bring both values ​​to sea level. In the Northern Hemisphere, the right to be called the “Pole of Cold” is disputed by two settlements in Yakutia: the city of Verkhoyansk and the village of Oymyakon, where a temperature of -77.8°C was recorded.

Oymyakon is located in a depression and is protected on all sides by mountains that block the escape of heavy cold air. These same mountains prevent the penetration of moist air masses coming from the oceans. The Oymyakon depression is located higher above sea level than Verkhoyansk, therefore, extreme conditions can be expected here. low temperatures air. Tomtor is home to the famous Oymyakon meteorological station, where a temperature of -77.8°C was recorded in 1938. On this basis, Oymyakon can be considered the coldest place on Earth. The average monthly temperature in January in Oymyakon is -61°C, but can reach -68°C. According to unofficial data, in the winter of 1916 the temperature in the village dropped to -82°C.

Oymyakon means “unfrozen spring” in the local language. In this area there are indeed streams and sections of rivers that do not freeze in such severe frost. Oymyakon means “non-freezing water”. The nature surrounding the streams amazes with its unreality.

The cold has held back the flow of tourists to the permafrost region for many years. But recently, it was the cold that contributed to the development of a new concept of tourism and became a new brand in the tourism infrastructure of the region. Those who want to test their strength and see what real winter looks like go to Yakutia, the region of permafrost. It is exceptionally cold here, but the region is very friendly. Routes have been created for tourists that will allow them to explore local life, gastronomic preferences, see the algys ritual, the workdays of reindeer herders, take part in horseback riding routes, sport fishing, hunting, sightseeing, and attend the Pole of Cold festival.

Residents of Oymyakon do not wear clothes made of synthetic fabrics, because they fall apart in the cold; in winter, even cows are dressed here so that their udders do not freeze. There are no colds in Oymyakon, because viruses freeze and exhaled air freezes. There are many centenarians in this region. In Oymyakon you can hear the “whisper of the stars”. In the cold, human breath instantly freezes and you can hear its quiet rustle. The name "whisper of the stars" for this amazing phenomenon given by the Yakuts. Local residents breed the Yakut horse, which is known for its adaptation to the climate and finds the opportunity to search for vegetation that is under deep snow cover.

• see people's lives in extreme conditions;
• ride along the Yakutsk-Magadan highway;
• find some fragments of the Airacobra, a plane that crashed while ferrying planes to Patriotic War;
• visit Vostochnaya weather station;
• visit a gold mine, and ethnographic complex "Bakaldyn";
• magnificent scenery: majestic mountains and fast rivers;
• see huge reindeer pastures;
• to feel "in one's own skin" extreme frost and its impact on everything around;
• taste foal meat and stroganin prepared according to local recipes;
• in sunny weather, you can observe a halo - when the sun above the horizon turns into three almost identical ones.

You can buy a ticket to Yakutsk using the service

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Yakutsk and back

There are two museums in the village - local history and literary local history. In the first one, all the exhibits, even the carbine of the 18th century, can be touched with your hands (I still recommend not to abuse it). The second is located in the school building and is dedicated to the repressed Russian writers and the history of the Gulag in the territory of the region as a whole, for which it is called the "Gulag Museum".

Also, history buffs will be interested in this area as the site of the Gulag system camps and the very Kolyma highway, built at the cost of thousands of lives of political prisoners.

In Tomtor, the obelisk "Pole of Cold" is installed, where the temperature record, noted by the geologist Obruchev, is immortalized. This obelisk is also a local landmark. Every year in Tomtor at the beginning of April the Pole of Cold festival is held, which attracts numerous tourists. The main event of the holiday is the Yakutsk-Oymyakon auto tour, 1270 km of snow-covered tracks. At this time, competitions are held among Santa Clauses on snowmobiles, reindeer, and also for local girls: “Miss Pole of Cold” and “Mistress of the Plague”, exhibition national clothes, applied arts and national cuisine of the peoples of the North, reindeer racing, ice fishing. During the festival, public festivities include dog sledding with Yakut Laikas. If you are lucky, you will be able to taste the incredibly tasty meat of the Chubuku bighorn sheep, which is extremely difficult to obtain by hunting.

Santa Claus from Lapland and Father Frost from Veliky Ustyug are regular guests of the festival. Why is a festival with this name held here in April, and not, for example, in January? They say, at the request of the heat-loving Santa Claus.

You can get from Yakutsk to Oymyakon (Tomtor) in one day. federal highway“Kolyma” has been significantly expanded in the last two years, and areas that were dangerous just a few years ago have been strengthened. The best season to travel to the Pole of Cold is from early December to April.

The Indigirka River flowing in Oymyakon is known not only for gold mines and antimony mining, but also for a large number of different types of fish. The river is used for fishing for vendace, nelma, omul, whitefish, whitefish, and muksun. Tourists can take part in ice fishing: in the clear water of Indigirka, fish can be seen even at a depth of four meters.

There is a small ethnographic museum in the tourist complex “Chochur-Muran”. Its exhibition consists of antique items. In winter, an ice sculpture park is created on the territory of the complex by the hands of Yakut craftsmen. This type of art is very popular in Yakutia. The main attraction is the “Kingdom of Permafrost” set up inside the mountain. In the cave, tourists are greeted by the Yakut frost carved from ice - Chyskhaan. In the room of the Master of the North you can see ice furniture and dishes. The next room is intended for rituals of purification and reverence. Here the newlyweds are honored, and they sincerely wish that their union would be as eternal as the surrounding permafrost. The Permafrost Museum has an ice slide, the Ice Bar. For your visit to the unusual Museum, you can receive a personalized certificate from the Archivist.

What do we need North Pole when we have ours. Do you think Siberian frosts are minus 20...minus 30. Residents of Oymyakon will laugh at you for a long time. For them it's "a little cool." “Cold” for local residents starts from minus 50, and even then, this is not a reason to stay at home.

Oymyakon is recognized as the coldest place in the northern hemisphere. It is called the “Pole of Cold”. Although Verkhoyansk, 650 kilometers to the northwest, is officially called the pole of cold. The difference in average annual temperature in these settlements is usually no more than 3 degrees. But in this case, we will still consider Oymyakon to be the pole of cold (scientists, by the way, are still arguing about which of the two contenders should be given the palm).
By and large, Oymyakon is usually called not only the village itself, but also its vast surroundings. The village of Tomtor is considered the center of the Oymyakon district.

Oymyakon on the map

• Geographic coordinates 63.459807, 142.781696
• Distance from the capital of Russia Moscow is about 5300 km
• The distance to the nearest airport in Yakutsk is approximately 680 km (although there is a local airfield in Oymyakon, but it falls short of the title of airport, and it is located 40 km from the village itself, and 2 km from the village of Tomtor)

Oymyakon is small village in the Oymyakonsky ulus (analogous to the region we are used to) of Yakutia on the left bank of the Indigirka River. It is characteristic that this settlement is located south of the Arctic Circle in the Oymyakon Valley and far from the ocean, so the climate here is sharply continental. All conditions have been created for cold air to flow here from the surrounding mountains, the height of which reaches 2 km.

Oymyakon in numbers

• Minimum recorded air temperature -71.2 degrees
• Height above sea level 745 meters
• Population for 2010: 462 people
• Day length from 4h.36m. until 20:28
• Maximum recorded temperature +34.6 degrees

It would seem that a person has forgotten here? Living conditions here can hardly be called favorable. But, nevertheless, people settled here a long time ago. And the reason is that in these places it grazes (no matter how paradoxical it may sound) special kind horses. The Yakut horse is squat and rather shaggy, capable of finding food for itself by picking the frozen ground with its hoof in search of grass. In addition, gold veins were found in these places, and now more than 5 tons of gold are mined here per year. Antimony is also mined.

Living here is difficult. Winter occupies two thirds of the year. Summer is short and cold, but there are exceptions, and instead of 10-15 degrees the air warms up to +35 (recorded in 2010, but this rather an exception than the rule).

Exceptionally virgin nature surrounds Oymyakon. In winter, the landscape is filled with various shades. white. All the trees are covered with snow from head to toe. The surrounding views are simply unrealistic beauty.

• Oymyakon means non-freezing water in Evenk language. It is here at minus 50 and 60 degrees that you can find non-freezing rivers. This is explained by the presence of warm springs, beating from the bowels of the Earth. Extreme lovers can even swim
• According to unofficial data, the air temperature in the winter of 1938 dropped to minus 77.8 degrees. And in 1916 to minus 82 degrees. But reliable information there is no information about this
• Schoolchildren do not attend classes if it is below -58 degrees outside
• Locals seem older than their years due to the climate
• At temperatures below 50 degrees, you can hear, as locals say, “the whisper of the stars.” This is an unusual sound, similar to a mixture of wind and spilling grain. That's how a person's breath freezes
• Fuel consumption when driving a car in winter approximately doubles. Local residents do not travel unnecessarily if the temperature is below -55 degrees
• Car tires become very tanned in the cold and may even crack.
• Local car enthusiasts insulate their car windows with additional glass (sometimes they are glued directly to the tape)