The extreme conditions in which the inhabitants of Oymyakón They make us see this place, of which little is said, as a cradle of super humans. Why will it be? Just imagine what it is like to live day to day with a temperature of -60 degrees ºC … it's a challenge. Meet with us this village located northeast of the republic of Sakha, east of Siberia, with one of the most challenging temperatures on Earth.
How do they live in Oymyakón?
If, with the simple assumption of what it would be like to inhabit one of the most icy places on the planet, it will freeze up to our pupils, we would not really want to see how it really is to live in Oymyakón.
Oymyakón has a population of perhaps a little over 450 inhabitants who are reluctant to flee, despite the fact that winter in this place is one of the most severe in the world, especially during the first months of the year. have come to register very low temperatures of up to -70 degrees ºC .
Landscape of Oymyakón, captured by photographer Amos Chapple
Performing activities as simple as going to the bathroom is an epic for the villagers. The extreme weather causes the pipes to explode in Oymyakón, for this reason the families have built exterior bathrooms that are basically latrines dug in the snow, covered with wooden walls in which the cold enters with ease.
The streets are usually desolate , only occasionally can people be seen walking on the thick layers of ice, exhibiting the typical frozen eyelashes of Siberia. Their bodies have already adapted perfectly to the climate, however they prefer to shelter most of the time in their homes, warming themselves in front of the fireplace or ingesting drinks known for their properties to calm the cold (yes, we are talking about vodka). The reality is that they hate casualties temperatures of Oymyakón.
Inhabitant of Oymyakón, by Amos Chapple
Count on just about 28 sunny days It is not exactly liked by the people of the town, or anyone. More if the special climatic conditions of Oymyakón force the inhabitants of the the most icy place in the world to do things in a completely different way from the rest of humans, all the time. How to have a diet based on frozen meat , for example, because cultivating in these lands is impossible.
Photography by Amos Chapple
Traveling by car is another inconvenience of inhabiting a place like Oymyakón, as the batteries of vehicles stop working when temperatures are below -45 degrees C . So, although most have a car with which they could save a long walk in this gigantic freezer, cars are kept protected with heating until the weather conditions become a little more favorable to be able to get them to circulation without risking to be injured halfway.
No doubt a brutal place where it is hard to believe that you can survive. Would you dare to visit Oymyakón?