Verkhoyansk: Siberia’s Pole of Cold

In the remote Yakutia region of Siberia, more than a hundred kilometers inside the Arctic Circle, lies the small town of Verkhoyansk. Winter temperature here regularly drops to minus fifty degree Celsius. It’s so cold that “no one can stay outside for more than 15 minutes”. The only way to protect oneself from the bitter cold is to wrap themselves up in skins and furs of animals, and keep moving. Verkhoyansk was founded by the Cossacks back in 1638. Its location on the upper reaches of the Yana River is what gave the town its name —“Verkhoyansky” roughly translates from Russian to “the town on the Upper Yana”. During the Soviet era, Verkhoyansk served as a place where political prisoners were sent to exile. Today, their descendants, as well as a few Yakut hunters, make up of the town’s entire population of 1,300. A concrete monument resembling a wooly mammoth head commemorates Verkhoyansk as the site of the Arctic Cold Pole. Photo credit: Becker0804/Wikimedia Verkhoyansk is one of the most isolated towns in this region. There are no roads leading to this place. In winter, when the entire region has iced over, Verkhoyansk can be reached by following the course of the frozen Yana River, driving over the frozen marshes. In the summer, when the river has melted and the marshes has thawed, the only way to reach Verkhoyansk is by a helicopter. Residents spend the winter pretty much in hibernation, avoiding going outdoors as much as possible. Homes are heated by wood fire and hot water pumped from the central heating plant that runs round the clock, all throughout the winter. Those forced to go outside warm themselves with wood fires in roadside huts and by keeping car engines running. Schools remain closed, but only when the temperatures drop below minus 55 degrees Celsius.