Oymyakon, Russia

Oymyakon is one of the most thinly populated and isolated places in the world. The reason covers in its climate. The temperature goes lower 60 degrees below zero Celsius in winter. Its population is about 500 people, notwithstanding the severe living conditions, locals don’t want to leave their houses. Every single day they have to struggle against difficulties of the subpolar region.

The main problem of the region is the uninterruptible power supply. All lines of communication depend on this. If the colony will stay without water for more than a week, all lines of communication include pipelines will freeze. Drivers in Oymyakon have to keep a number of important rules on the roads. In winter they never cut the engine.

If they cut the engine even for two hours, all systems will freeze and the driver can use the car only in spring. When the car stays without a movement more than four hours with a working engine, its wheels turn into round stones that can crumble on the road. Mostly groups of researchers come to Oymyakon and a little number of colony guests are simple tourists. Despite the severe climate, the region is quite interesting from the ecological point of view. There you can meet rare animals. Their home is in these polar latitudes. Next - Kerguelen Islands