Temperatures
* Average monthly temperatures range from +19.5 degrees Celsius (67.1 degree Fahrenheit) in July to -38.6 degrees Celsius (-37.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in January.
* Although winters are extremely cold and long, summers are warm and occasionally hot, with daily max temperatures exceeding +30 degrees C (86 degrees F), making the seasonal temperature difference winter and summer for the region the greatest in the world at 102 degrees C (184 degrees F).
Location
Yakutsk lies in the far-eastern part of Russia, about 450 km south of the Arctic Circle. It has a population of about 200,000, with a million people living in the rest of the region. Yakutsk is six time zones away from Moscow. The road to Yakutsk was built by former labour camp inmates and is used mainly by trucks that bring supplies to remote villages.
The Russian settlement of Yakutsk was founded in 1632 as an ostrog (fortress). The Yakuts, also known as the Sakha people, migrated to the area during the 13th and 14th centuries from other parts of Siberia. They mixed with other local nomads in the area.
Russia's Mineral Wealth
Why do people live in its harsh climate? The land is extremely fertile and is rich with natural resources. 20% of the world's diamonds come from mines in Yakutsk. Today it is a modern city with hotels, cinemas, a university and even an opera house.
Some Interesting Aspects
* The climate is very dry.
* During winter time nobody leaves their houses if they do not have to.
* If they do go out, they wrap themselves up in warm clothes, mostly coats and boots made of rabbit, fox and reindeer fur.
* People take great efforts to ensure that their car batteries don't die from the cold.
* The people leave their covers running when they go to the store while others leave engines on the whole day when they are at work.
* Because the vehicles are constantly running, there's a constant layer of smog.
Are Locals happy?
* Do extreme environments trigger extreme emotions or behaviours in inhabitants? Not in Yakutsk, it seems.
* It's often too cold to break ground for digging of graves, too cold for airplanes to fly or crops to grow. * People cannot wear eyeglasses with metal frames because the metal can stick to their skin so that taking off the glasses might even dislodge the skin.
* Markets may not have fresh vegetables but they have very fresh, very cold fish "arranged like bunches of flowers".
My take
Imagine staying in such cold conditions. Won't survive at all!
Tailpiece.
68 years ago, my parents had got married at Guruvayur on this day! So, it's a sacred day for me and my sisters! Today also happened to be the Remembrance Day of Vilasini kunjamma as per the Malayalam calendar.
Got up a trifle after 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Saw the 'Rangoli' on television while working out. Breakfast of idlis and sambar.
Latha, the maid, had come by and went about her work and went away around a quarter to 5 in the evening.
Cleared out all worn out machinery of the Chevy, the old newspapers and empty plastic containers. Rashid and Sayeed - two enterprising guys from Nilambur - had taken the stuff in their pick up rickshaw.
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