You’ve probably seen the videos. Boiling water tossed into the air turning into instant snow. People with eyelashes caked in thick white frost. It looks like a sci-fi movie set on a frozen moon, but for hundreds of thousands of people, this is just Tuesday.
Honestly, when we talk about the coldest cities on earth, most people think of places like Chicago or maybe Oslo. Those are cute. But they aren't even in the same league as the real heavyweights. We are talking about places where the air literally hurts your teeth if you breathe too fast through your mouth.
Why Yakutsk is the undisputed heavyweight champion
If you want to find the absolute coldest major city, you have to go to Siberia. Specifically, Yakutsk. It’s the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia.
The numbers are kinda terrifying. In January, the average temperature hangs around -40°C (-40°F). It’s the point where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales actually meet, which is a poetic way of saying "stay inside."
Yakutsk has a population of over 350,000 people. That's a lot of humans living on top of continuous permafrost. Because the ground is permanently frozen, you can't just dig a normal foundation. Every building is perched on massive concrete stilts. If the heat from the building melts the ice in the soil, the whole thing sinks.
There's no underground plumbing in the traditional sense either. Pipes are built above ground, wrapped in thick insulation, snaking through the city like giant industrial veins.
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The car situation is a nightmare
You can't just "park" a car in Yakutsk. If you leave your engine off for more than ten minutes without a heated garage, the oil turns into jelly. The battery dies. The tires get flat spots from the weight of the car pressing down on frozen rubber.
Most people leave their cars running all day. All. Day. If they go to the grocery store, the engine stays on. If they go to work, it stays on. It’s a constant, low-level hum that defines the city's winter soundscape. Those who can't afford the gas use "Natasha"—which is basically a giant, heavy-duty insulated blanket they wrap around the entire car to trap the engine's residual heat.
Oymyakon: The village that makes Yakutsk look tropical
While Yakutsk is the coldest city, the title for the coldest permanently inhabited place goes to Oymyakon. It's a small village about a two-day drive from Yakutsk.
They recorded a temperature of -71.2°C (-96.2°F) back in 1924.
Think about that for a second.
At those temperatures, metal can become brittle enough to snap like glass. If you wear glasses, the frames will freeze to your face. Pen ink freezes. Batteries lose their charge in seconds.
There are only about 500 residents in Oymyakon. Most of them still use outhouses because indoor plumbing is basically impossible with the permafrost. Can you imagine running to an outdoor toilet when it's -50°C? It’s a level of grit most of us can’t even fathom.
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The capital cities that will freeze your soul
It isn't just Russia that holds the monopoly on the deep freeze. If we look at national capitals, the list changes a bit.
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: This is the coldest national capital on the planet. It sits at a high altitude and is hit by the Siberian High, a massive system of cold, dry air. January averages are around -24.6°C (-12.2°F).
- Astana, Kazakhstan: This city is famous for its futuristic architecture and its brutal winds. It’s the second coldest capital. The wind chill here is what really gets you; it’s a wide-open steppe where the wind has nothing to stop it.
- Ottawa, Canada: Coming in much further down the list, but still notable. Canada's capital is the seventh coldest capital in the world. It’s a different kind of cold—damp and heavy, unlike the bone-dry air of Siberia.
The survival diet: Why they eat raw frozen fish
You can't grow a garden in Yakutia. The "growing season" is a blink-and-you-miss-it window in the summer.
Instead, the diet is heavily focused on meat and fish. One of the local delicacies is stroganina. It’s basically thin ribbons of raw, frozen fish (usually broad whitefish or sturgeon) served with a side of salt and pepper.
You eat it while it's still frozen. It melts on your tongue.
It sounds strange to outsiders, but it’s packed with vitamins and fats that the body needs to burn for fuel just to keep its core temperature up. People also eat horse meat and reindeer meat regularly. In these environments, being a vegetarian isn't just a lifestyle choice; it's an extreme logistical challenge.
The strange joy of the "Deep Freeze"
Surprisingly, people who live in the coldest cities on earth aren't miserable. There is a weird sense of pride that comes with surviving it.
Kids in Yakutsk still go to school until it hits -45°C. Once it drops below that, they get a "cold day" off. But do they stay inside? Often, no. You’ll see teenagers hanging out at the mall or even playing a quick game of football in the snow before their breath turns into too much ice.
There’s a unique social bond that forms when the environment is trying to kill you. People are more likely to stop and help a stranger with a stalled car. You don't leave someone standing at a bus stop for too long. It’s survival of the friendliest.
Practical survival for the extreme cold
If you ever find yourself visiting one of these frozen hubs, your North Face jacket from the suburban mall isn't going to cut it.
- Layering is a science: You need a moisture-wicking base layer. If you sweat and that sweat stays on your skin, you will get hypothermia.
- The Fur Factor: While controversial in the West, real fur is still the gold standard in Siberia. Reindeer hide boots (called unty) and fox or sable hats are the only things that truly stop the wind.
- Eye protection: If it's windy, you need goggles. Eyelashes can freeze together, and the cornea of your eye can actually suffer frostbite.
Thinking of visiting?
Most people visit Yakutsk in the summer (when it can actually get surprisingly hot, reaching 30°C). But if you want the "true" experience, you go in January.
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The "Road of Bones" is the main route to Oymyakon. It was built during the Stalin era by gulag prisoners. It’s a haunting, beautiful drive through the taiga, where the trees are so heavy with frost they look like white ghosts.
Just make sure your rental car has a "Natasha" and you never, ever turn off the engine.
Next steps for the curious traveler:
If you're planning a trip to the Sakha Republic, start by researching specialized "Pole of Cold" tour operators. Most travelers fly into Yakutsk (YKS) and hire a local driver for the 20-hour trek to Oymyakon. Check your travel insurance carefully; many standard policies don't cover "extreme" environments or travel to certain parts of Siberia. Also, invest in a mechanical watch—smartwatches and smartphones usually die within 15 minutes of being exposed to the air.