Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
There are many cold cities in the Siberian region and beyond the Arctic Circle, but some of them have a particularly harsh climate. Long, frosty winters lasting most of the year are considered the norm there, during which temperatures drop to phenomenal lows: 50.60 or even more degrees below zero Celsius. But even in the short summer period, such places also do not please with pleasant weather. For those who are used to living in warm and temperate climatic zones, such settlements seem unsuitable for life, but the inhabitants of northern cities have long ago successfully adapted to an aggressive habitat. In addition, these regions often boast beautiful nature and clean ecology. And one more interesting point – their inhabitants rarely get sick, since most viral infections do not survive in severe frost. Which of the Russian cities can be called the coldest in the country?
Rating of the coldest cities in Russia
| Nomination | a place | Town | Absolute minimum |
| Top 10 coldest cities in Russia | 10 | Naryan-Mar | −47.6 ° C |
| 9 | Vorkuta | −52 ° C | |
| 8 | Anadyr | −46.8 ° C | |
| 7 | Neryungri | −57.9 ° C | |
| 6 | Vilyuisk | −60.9 ° C | |
| 5 | Dudinka | −61 ° C | |
| 4 | Norilsk | −53.1 ° C | |
| 3 | Yakutsk | −64.4 ° C | |
| 2 | Pevek | −50 ° C | |
| 1 | Verkhoyansk | −67.8 ° C |
10th place – Naryan-Mar
Rating: 4.1
Naryan-Mar is the administrative center of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug; it is located just over 100 kilometers from the coast of the Barents Sea. The name is translated from the Nenets language as “Red City”. This settlement is relatively young; it has existed since the early 1930s. Its economy is based on several enterprises in the fuel industry. The almost year-round cold has not become a hindrance to the development of tourism; every year people come here who want to plunge into the pristine beauty of the wild nature of the Arctic.
The climatic conditions of Naryan-Mar are fully consistent with the title of one of the most severe places in the country. Short, cool and windy summers with temperatures no higher than 13 degrees and frosty, unpredictable winters. Cold snaps often occur up to 40 degrees and below.
9th place – Vorkuta
Rating: 4.2
Vorkuta is located on the territory of the Komi Republic. The city was founded in the 30s of the last century, after the discovery of rich coal deposits in the area. The historical heritage is represented by architectural monuments, as well as the memory of a dark period associated with Vorkutlag, one of the GULAG camps. At this time, the population of the northern industrial city is about 58 thousand people. The surroundings of Vorkuta are interesting for natural attractions such as the Upper Karsky Canyon and the Khrebtovy Nature Reserve.
The city has a subarctic climate, above zero the temperature here rises for a maximum of 70 days a year, and the rest of the time, frosts and icy winds prevail. Winter lasts from October to May. The characteristic features of Vorkuta are sharp temperature drops, sometimes from -40 degrees below zero, and high humidity levels during warm periods.
8th place – Anadyr
Rating: 4.3
The city of Anadyr was founded in 1889, initially it was called Novo-Mariinsk. It is located in the northeastern part of Russia, on the shores of the Bering Sea and is the administrative center of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The city is home to about 15 thousand people, for the most part it consists of multi-storey buildings. Most of them are painted in bright colors, some of them also have huge themed posters on the walls. Such an expressive design of the cityscape brightens up living in the gray and cold tundra.
Winter in Anadyr is long and harsh, the minimum temperature can reach 40 degrees below zero. In addition, snowstorms often occur with a wind speed of about 50 meters per second. The snow cover lasts from the end of September, it often does not melt until the second half of May, and even at the height of summer, the heat can be replaced by sudden frosts. The short summer is most often damp, foggy, and the water in the Anadyr Bay does not warm up above ten degrees Celsius.
7th place – Neryungri
Rating: 4.4
Neryungri is the second largest city in the Sakha Republic. It is quite young, it was founded only in the mid-1970s and soon, thanks to active coal mining and the construction of coal processing enterprises, it became a significant industrial center of Yakutia. The urban population reaches 58 thousand inhabitants. Despite the harsh weather conditions, Neryungri lives a full life; one of the largest indoor sports complexes in the Russian Far East was even built there.
The city stands at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, which, combined with its geographic location, has determined the type of climate. Almost all year round, the inhabitants of Neryungri have to put up with high humidity and cold. The average annual temperature is about seven degrees below zero, and in the coldest month, January, the thermometer can show from 30 to 50 degrees below zero.
6th place – Vilyuisk
Rating: 4.5
Vilyuysk was founded on the banks of the Vilyui River in the 17th century by the Yenisei Cossacks, and two centuries later it became the administrative center of the district. It is located in the Sakha Republic, 600 kilometers northwest of Yakutsk. Now the city is home to about 11 thousand people. The pride of the city residents is the museum of khomus, a traditional musical instrument of the Yakuts.
The climate of Vilyuisk is sharply continental, it is covered with snow for most of the year, and the summer is very short. In the winter months, the air temperature can exceed 40 degrees below zero.
5th place – Dudinka
Rating: 4.6
Dudinka was founded in the 17th century, now it is inhabited by about 22 thousand inhabitants. The city is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, on the banks of the Yenisei River. It is known for the location of the Taimyr ice arena, the world's only ice stadium beyond the Arctic Circle. The arena hosts the annual Arctic Curling Cup. Dudinka also boasts of the presence of tourist attractions such as the Holy Vvedenskaya Church and the Museum of the North.
The city is characterized by a cold subarctic climate with a lot of precipitation at any time of the year. On average, it snows 280 days a year, and the relatively warm weather lasts only four months. The winter period is characterized by severe frosts, often up to 50 degrees. The average annual temperature in Dudinka is about 9.5 degrees below zero.
4th place – Norilsk
Rating: 4.7
Norilsk is located beyond the Arctic Circle, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is a fairly large city with a population of over 180 thousand people. It is an important center of the metallurgical industry; most of the inhabitants are involved in this area. In addition, the tourism sector is developing, in particular, there is a ski resort nearby with paved tracks for skiers and snowboarders.
Norilsk is not only one of the coldest cities, it is also one of the ten windiest settlements on the planet. Blizzards are observed here up to 130 days a year. In winter, the temperature can drop to 50 degrees below zero, and in summer frosts often occur. A distinctive feature of the city is high humidity, up to 75%, due to which severe frosts are even harder to endure. The warm period in Norilsk lasts no more than two and a half months, however, the ground frozen half a kilometer inland never thaws. The cold season is characterized by a huge amount of snow, with about 10 tons of precipitation per inhabitant.
3rd place – Yakutsk
Rating: 4.8
The capital of the Republic of Yakutia and an important river port of Russia has existed since the beginning of the 17th century. Its population is about 300 thousand inhabitants, it is a major cultural, economic and educational center in the region. There are many educational institutions and industrial enterprises in Yakutsk; logging and diamond mining are actively carried out. In addition, the Children of Asia international sports competition is regularly held here.
A distinctive feature of the climate in Yakutsk is strong temperature fluctuations throughout the year. In summer, the thermometer often rises above thirty degrees Celsius, but in the cold season, residents have to get used to the constant forty-degree frosts. And sometimes the air temperature drops to 60 degrees Celsius. To survive such cold weather, the population is forced to wrap up in fur clothes, starting in October.
2nd place – Pevek
Rating: 4.9
The history of Pevek is less than a hundred years old; earlier there was a corrective labor colony, as well as rich tin mines. In the early 1990s, the city's mining industry began to decline, as a result of which the number of residents almost halved. Today, a little less than five thousand people live in the northernmost city of Russia. But it is often visited by tourists who are given the opportunity to observe polar days or nights, as well as visit the state nature reserve “Wrangel Island”.
The average annual temperature in Pevek is minus 9.5 degrees, if you add to this strong winds at any time of the year and frequent blizzards in winter, it becomes obvious why no one is in a hurry to settle in such a place. For the winter period, the norm is 45 degrees below zero, but at times it is even colder here.
1st place – Verkhoyansk
Rating: 5.0
Verkhoyansk rightfully has the status of the Pole of Cold for the entire northern hemisphere. The city was founded in the 17th century by the Yenisei Cossack Posnik Ivanov as a Cossack winter quarters. Then the settlement began to replenish mainly at the expense of political exiles. Now the population of the Yakut city is just over 1,100 inhabitants, they are mainly engaged in fur trade, woodworking and breeding of northern animals. You can get to Verkhoyansk only by plane, so guests rarely come here.
Harsh, one might even say cruel climate subordinates all aspects of the life of the townspeople without exception. Automotive equipment, which has to be stored in heated garages, suffers especially. Summers in Verkhoyansk are dry, but very short, with the possibility of sudden frosts. The average annual temperature is minus 14 degrees. The lowest officially recorded temperature in Verkhoyansk is 67 degrees below zero. In general, the inhabitants of the city are accustomed to this climate, and it is not something special here when the thermometer shows 50 degrees below zero.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
