White, snowy cold! Dam! It drops to -40 degrees Celsius. We’re taking you right to Yakutsk, Siberia. Its the coldest Christmas ever. Amidst the extremes, the locals enjoy every bit of the festive season. With unique traditions, they visit the forests to get the real forest Christmas trees home and decorate them with their families with a lot of love and joy. Shopping, buying could get cold, but they don’t fail to pack them for their loved ones. Some great decor created with snow as a base is too cool to see. Lights illuminated and paints make the snowy decors colorful. Fish Dishes are a special cuisine to try.
On 7th January, Russians celebrate the traditional Christmas that has Orthodox rituals. You need to wear winter gear specially made for the extreme weather so it can keep you warm. You will also encounter Khristan, known as the Frost Lord, instead of Santa.
Visiting the world’s coldest city during Christmas sounds like freezing fun. Our curiosity definitely rises to know what they do during Christmas. Let us take you to Yakutsk and learn about their lives in winter. Thriving in extreme cold with furs and wools, they have central heating and warm homes. It’s also important for them to keep sipping hot drinks like tea. Their daily routine does involve adapting to transport( engine running), which makes sure that businesses and schools run smoothly. They also have some great public transport that runs despite the dropping temperatures, -40 degree celsius. It’s quite manageable and normal.
Due to harsh winters, they have a rich diet of frozen meats and fish. They rely on some preserved foods like summer berries, root veggies, raw horse liver, frozen foal meat, and fish. They also have some high-fat dishes. Some traditional drinks you can try on Kymis. The ice boxes keep the market fresh. They also involve themselves in animal husbandry.
Battling with extreme cold, they still have a cool work-life culture. Industries like mining (diamonds, gold) support their economy. Several locals are self-employed; they have businesses like transport, selling local products, etc. They do have high living costs. Traditional Siberian resilience with modern tech, like the inDrive app. They have a strong community spirit thats focussed on indoor survival and special skills to survive in a harsh environment.
Wintery,cozy coldy Christmas
Christmas is a very special time of the year in Yakutsk. They have a major winter holiday and festival. Featuring celebrations, gift-giving, and decorations. You will come across special snow made decors with lights. Christmas is smaller than their New Year’s. The New year’s Eve is their main festive event. It involves community gatherings and family get-togethers. Snow covered Chritmas tree with lights and decorations makes it delightful to see. New Year’s is a special ritual here, with writing wishes on paper and burning them. Attend Christmas services and Masses in the Church.
The locals are called Sakha (Yakut). They have their vital cultural celebrations. For them Yakutian New Year is called the Isyakh. You can participate in various events and activities during Christmas and New years eve. You can visit the Kingdom of Permafrost. It is a unique year-round tourist attraction. It’s built inside a natural glacier. It features stunning sculptures that never melt due to its temperature. Animal figures, local myths, and statues. A Chilly ice bar and ice slides. It will give you a unique artistic experience. You will definitely need to wear your warm gear and hard hats to see the neon-lit tunnels.
Mammoth Museum showcases Ice Age megafauna like manmoths, real fossils, rare preserved remains like baby mammoths -Dima and Khroma, and skeletons. The museum is in the North-Eastern Federal University. It gives you a brief insight into ancient Siberian ecosystems. Its a must-visit for enthusiasts to explore the natural history.
You can participate in the traditional Munkha cultural practise of ice fishing. How cool will it be to experience this kind of fishing in ice-cold water and snow? It will involve drilling a hole in a safe, thick ice, which should be about 4 inches or more. You need to clear the slush and use a short rod or tip up with bait worms, minnows, or lures that are jigs or spoons. This will help you catch the fish. You will definitely need a local guide to help you do this. The jigging motions of making a lift and pause to attract less active winter fish. You also need to have some safety life jackets, and test the ice thickness before getting into the fishing mode. There are local fish rivers and lakes that also stock up for months.
Reindeer Herdings and Ice fishing
You can miss the authentic winter adventure of Dog sledding. Ride through the snowy taiga and frozen Lena rivers. It’s a major winter expedition to the Pole of Cold, or where you can explore the Lena Pillars. It will drive you through the stunning frozen landscapes. You can also get some training from booked packages. How cool is it to learn to sledge in the snow with some powerful winter doggies? The sledge takes you on an experience of the place, culture, and white beauty of Siberia. You will come across some reindeer, too.
You will come across the most beautiful meteorological phenomenon, which is spectacular tiny icy crystals called the Diamond Dust. These forms are due to the extreme weather conditions in Siberia. These are more common in Siberia’s famous mines, which have massive diamond deposits. There are Siberian diamonds found in the ancient kimberlite pipes. They are world-renowned, and the region holds huge reserves and giant pits like the Mir Mines, and it’s one of the world’s largest man-made holes. You can definitely buy some diamond dust and bring it to India, but it’s crucial to declare it to the Indian Customs and understand import duties. You will also need some proper documentation, as it’s a valuable item used only industrially for jewellery purposes. For personal use, better get the legal documents in place to avoid issues.
Enjoying some Yakut culture, interacting with the locals, understanding ecology, geography, reindeer herding and indigenous traditions. Jaw Harp Music is something you can’t miss at the International Centre for Jaw Harp Music. Shop till you drop at the coldest outdoor market for some unique products to take back home, like the authentically crafted jewellery made from mammoth ivory. Pick some diamonds for your loved ones. Reindeer leather and traditional food items.
How to reach to Yakutsk,Siberia
You need to fly to Russia at the Yakutsk International Airport. It’s connected through Moscow and other major Russian hubs. Any flight from Delhi with some layovers requires advanced bookings as it has limited seats due to high demand on that route.
