Oymyakon - the Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth
RT’s Konstantin Rozhkov takes a trip to one of the coldest places on our planet – the rural town of Oymyakon and documents all the remarkable discoveries he makes on the way. They meet people so tough that they go ice-swimming when it's minus 50 degrees Celsius or minus 58 Fahrenheit. It’s so cold here; batteries die almost instantly, smartphones get covered in frost even inside your pocket, a carrot freezes so hard you can hammer in nails with it. Yet, one of the world’s coldest places is quickly becoming a hot spot for international travellers.
The journey starts in Yakutsk, the capital of a vast Russian region in Siberia called Yakutia. When it’s this cold, nothing works the way you’re used to. Farming is also problematic in this climate, which makes hunting and fishing the primary food source for locals. The low temperatures come in handy as there is no need for special equipment to refrigerate the food.
The next point on the map is the Road of Bones, the route from Yakutsk to Oymyakon. Though the views are breathtaking, the road’s name gives the chills. This highway connected Gulag prison camps in the Soviet Union around the 1930s. Drivers are always on the alert here. Even when they go into a roadside diner, they leave their cars running, so the engine doesn’t freeze. They would also never miss a gas station, even if their fuel tank is full. Running out of gas on this road would mean a death sentence.
What other surprises did RT's crew come across on their journey?
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Published: 16 February 2022 12:00
View: 350
Duration
34:29
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