Welcome to Oymyakon, the COLDEST City in the WORLD!

Oymyakon is situated in Siberia, Russia. The settlement was started in the 1920s by reindeer herders who watered their reindeer in the thermal spring, which gives the town its name Oymyakon, or water that doesn't freeze. No before you go! Around 500 people are living in Oymyakon, but to be honest, it's more about surviving than living. The average temperature in the colder months is minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. There are only three warmer months, with temperatures averaging 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the record low was recorded in 1923 when temperatures dropped to minus 96. The houses don't have plumbing because the water would freeze in the pipes, so toilets are simple pits with a roof and door over them. The village has its own heating plant that burns coal non-stop to heat water, which is then pumped through the village pipework. When outside, they have to keep their car's engine running all the time, even when refilling at the gas station. If not, the fuel would freeze in seconds, making it impossible to start again. They have a school to which the kids have to go every day unless temperatures drop below minus 58 Fahrenheit. Their diet is mainly meat because the ground is permanently frozen, so no vegetables can be grown. This permafrost also makes grave digging a lengthy experience. First, they light a bonfire to defrost the ground, then dig down until they hit permafrost again, and then repeat. The process of digging a grave can take days. There is no cell phone coverage, but that's mainly because no one has made a cell phone that can work in such a cold climate. Even though it's the coldest town in the world, and probably the hardest to live in, it is possibly the most beautiful landscape on the planet.