Photographers Travel To World’s Coldest Inhabited Village Where Eyelashes Freeze And Even Thermometer Breaks

Thermometer Breaks

The official weather station in Oymyakon once announced that the temperature went down to -74°F! That’s what they reported but the electric thermometer that was installed in the village a year later showed the temperature as -79°F! This was the last temperature that this thermometer showed…

Stopped

The thermometer stopped right after showing the temperature at -79°F. Even the thermometer couldn’t take it anymore. Well, this is not the lowest recorded temperature of Oymyakon as the village has seen far colder days.

Lowest Temperature Ever Reported

In 1933, Oymyakon’s temperature reached -89°F! So far, it has been the coldest recorded temperature throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It was a few years before Oymyakon became a permanent settlement. The village’s cold amuses the world while the villagers’ spirit to keep living is breath-taking.

Snow Days Are Rare

Amos Chapple reached at the village after completing a seven-hour flight and then traveling some 3,300 miles by road. “After the first couple of days I was physically wrecked just from strolling around the streets for a few hours,” he recalled.

Polar Opposite

The temperature of this village increases and goes as high as 86°F from June to August. The daylight time increases to 21 hours each day in summer. Even during summer, it’s not that easy to make the trip.

A Horrible Tale To Tell

You can only reach Oymyakon by the R504 Kolyma Highway that goes far to the Russian Far East. This highway was constructed by forcing labors to work. While the highway was still on its way to development, many labors lost their lives due to the weather.  That’s how it was named as “Road of Bones.” Also, reaching Oymyakon is still easy but it’s hard to leave.