One Day in the Coldest Village on Earth

7 a.m. Kirill Petrov the man of the house. The first thing that he does every morning is to heat the house with a wood-burning stove to keep his family warm on the ice-cold morning in Yakutia. Because of the severe climate, Kirill needs a lot of wood to heat the house for nine months non-stop. Just like a dessert, drinking water in Yakut village is precious. There are no water treatment facilities because the pipes freeze during the long winter, so ice is the main source of water. Kirill and the villagers harvested the ice from the river in the middle of November, when the temperature was favorable to harvest the ice. Meanwhile, Kirill's wife Lyubov is making delicious and traditional breakfast, kerchakh, whipped cream with a strawberry jam, which was harvested during the summer. In Yakutia, due to the harsh climate, it's almost impossible to grow fruits and vegetables, so most of the Yakut desserts consist of daily food. It's 7.40 a.m. and it's time for Arianne, the youngest son, to wake up. Arianne is nine years old and attends the local primary school. The children in Yakutia will go to school when it's warmer than minus 54 degrees, but when the temperature drops below minus 55 degrees, it's too dangerous to go to school. Today is relatively warm in Yakutia, only minus 40 degrees, which means Arianne must go to school. Like most people around the world, he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Arianne uses the ice-cold water that his dad prepared earlier. Breakfast. Fatty pancakes and whipped cream are high-energy food that warms you up during cold winters. Arianne's older sisters are living and studying in a university far away from the village. His parents wish for him to study well so he can live his life as he wants. In Yakutia, locals understand the importance of learning the right clothing to survive in such extreme winters. It's an absolute must to wear several layers of clothing and wear insulated pants because the knees are particularly prone to freezing. Arianne's mom always makes sure that Arianne wears enough clothes because without proper dressing, the cold will reach deep inside your bones, threatening your life. She also makes sure that his face is fully covered, otherwise the exposed part can get frostbite. The temperature outside is so cold, so the moisture immediately forms little icicles on his eyelashes. Ten minutes in the fresh air can be enough to cause fatigue, stinging pain in the face and long-lasting aches in the fingers and toes. But little Hardy Yakuts knows how to fight the cold. But after a few minutes, the icy weather begins to assert itself forcefully. Arianne has been on his way for 10 minutes already and now the 9-year-old Arianne is freezing. Luckily, the last few meters are left and Arianne is finally at school. Arianne arrives in time and there are already many children who have also arrived by foot. Arianne is studying in the 3rd grade of primary school. The primary school lasts 4 years and in Yakutia, education lasts 11 years before going to university. There are about 8 students in the class today and 5 hours of daily studying begins. Today they have math, literature, art, geography, history and languages. Yakut people study three languages at school, Russian, English and Sakha. Sakha is the mother tongue which belonged to the Turkic group and is totally different from the Russian language. For daily life, studying and working, knowing the Russian language is essential. After the first two lessons, it's time for second breakfast. Today menu is apple and eggs. Eating regularly is essential to increase energy in the cold winters for little Yakut. After breakfast, they play indoors. The temperature is too cold to play outside and after all, it takes too long to dress up again. Usually, the classes end at 2 pm but today Arianne finished a little earlier. Now he is on his way back home with his friend and like kids all around the world, they can't ignore the local snack shop. Everyone likes ice cream and Arianne and his friends are no exception. They love sweet and creamy frozen ice cream despite the extreme cold. Arianne and his friends on their way home are playing little games and having fun. Parents are not worried about their children. It's a close-knit community, all the locals know each other and there are about 800 people in the whole village. Almost all the houses are made of wood. Each resident burns more than 60 cubic meters on average every winter. For the house to keep warm and to protect the house from the freezing air, they make sure to fill every gap with oakum or snow but still, the cold finds a way to come through. Wild Yakutian horses are also neighbors in this icy land. They have thick skin and heavy hair coat and are able to effectively forage in the snow for vegetation to eat. The Yakutian horses can cope with temperatures down to minus 70 degrees. Arianne is back home and ready to help his father. Most men in the village are engaged in the cattle breeding, hunting or crafts, same as Arianne's father. Kirill Petrov is a well-known craftsman in Yakutia. Kirill makes traditional Yakut knives. For many centuries, knives have played an important role in the lives and culture of Yakut people. Yakut knives are well known around the world for their strength and beauty. Arianne's father is teaching him these traditional crafts that have been passed through the generations. The blade is traditionally forged from the locally sourced iron ore. The knife handle is made from birch wood, which is extremely strong. Another of Arianne's daily duties is to chop the firewood. Arianne knows from early age that daily work is necessary to survive in such extreme cold. Now it's time for lunch and Arianne is always here to help his mom. They are preparing a Christian carp fish, which his dad caught in the river. People love eating fish and meat in a frozen, boiled or fried state. After the work is done, Arianne rushes to the toilet outside. In Yakutia, there are no indoors toilets because the pipes freeze easily. Everything happens outside is done very efficiently and no one spends more time than necessary out in the cold. This fish is Arianne's favorite. It's so tasty and the most delicious fat and nutrition part is the fish roe eggs. Fish roe. Fishing and hunting are important sources of food in Yakutia. From early spring until the autumn cold, the Yakuts are eating fish. Arianne loves fishing with his father. At the beginning of March, it's the perfect time for kuyur, which is traditional ice fishing. Using their rods and nets, they start fishing. Arianne loves spending time with his father in nature. They are fishing, hunting and working hard to survive in this extremely cold but beautiful land, Yakutia. After a few hours, finally, Arianne has caught the fish. You don't need to worry about wonking the fish because in just a few seconds it's shock frozen. Life in Yakutia can be difficult, unpleasant and dangerous. But we have learned how to live in harmony with mother nature and we appreciate the nature, treasures and gifts that surround us. We can always find a beauty even in this extremely cold climate. After all, there is no such thing as a bad weather, there is just weather and your attitude towards it.