Pole of Cold
The area with the most low temperature of the air beside terrestrial surface.In North hemisphere is located in Yakutia - in the most cool city of the world Verhoyansk with absolute minimum of the temperature -67,8 С, and in village Tomtor where the temperature reached -71,2 С.
An amazing natural phenomenon, the Pole of Cold, is discovered in the settlement of Tomtor of Oimyakon area in Yakutia. There are no more places in the world with permanent residents where people would live and work under such cold temperatures. January monthly average temperature comes to minus 61 Celsius (centigrade), and it can reach as low as minus 68 on the coldest days.
Tomtor settlement is situated 2000 meters above sea level at scenic Verkhoyansk mountain cavity. It was there in 1924 that an astoundingly frigid temperature of -71.2 °C (-96 °F) was said to have been measured by academician Obruchaev.
The Pole of Cold is located not far from Kolyma road (also known as the Road of Bones) which was made in the 1930-ies. The road starts off from Yakutsk and heads off up to Magadan and surmounts three major mountain ranges: Sette-Daban, Suntar-Khayata and Chersky range. All this in combination with other climatic factors create a unique climate of the area.
Here, at the latitude hardly further north than Petrozavodsk, winter temperatures considerably exceed those of other parts of the world, including temperatures registered beyond Polar Circle and at the North Pole. In January Tomtor recorded temperature of lower than minus 60 degrees Celsius can be registered virtually every year. And in August the temperature can easily drop down to minus 15 or jump as high as plus 30 degrees Celsius.
The Pole of Cold festival held in Tomtor every year is traditionally visited by Santa Claus from Lapland. In March 2004 there was a grand opening of Santa residence in Tomtor. Festival programme usually includes rally, cultural events and activities both in Tomtor and Oimyakon: National Costume Fair, Arts and Crafts Festival, National Cuisine Fete, and also Reindeer Breeder Festival at the Pole of Cold, Reindeer Harness Races, and Sledge Jumps, contests, competitions and ice fishing.
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