The Russian village of Oymyakon is generally known as the world's coldest permanently inhabited place. The average temperature there for January is -46C and the coldest temperature ever recorded there was -71.2C. That's just a few degrees warmer than dry ice.
The town has a population of around 500 people, established thanks to a nearby stream as a watering point for reindeer herders in the early 20th century.
Oymyakon translates as "place where fish spend winter". It became a permanent settlement during Soviet attempts to settle nomadic populations.
Life is brutally hard and alcoholism is a major problem in the town. As one Kiwi learned after a two-day drive through the Siberian tundra, the locals have little time for visitors.
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