During January, the Russian village of Oymyakon has an average temperature of minus 60° Fahrenheit and only three hours of daylight, although that is downright pleasant compared to the town's record low of -90°F. Known as the coldest permanently inhabited place on earth, the subarctic village is home to about 500 people, one general store, and a sign that reads "Omyakon, The Pole Of Cold." New Zealand-based photographer Amos Chapple recently spent two days in Omyakon, and came away with incredible shots of the town's iced-over architecture (once he could get his camera's zoom lens to stop freezing in place). Unsurprisingly, this is a very challenging environment to reside in: the ground in Omyakon is frozen for seven months of the year, making it impossible to build indoor plumbing. Most villagers rely on very chilly wooden outhouses (above), and cars will stop running unless they are left in heated garages.
· Amos Chapple Photo [official site]
· Photographer Travels From Yakutsk To Oymyakon, The Coldest Village On Earth [Bored Panda]
· All Served Over Ice posts [Curbed National]
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