Father Frost and Chyskhaan exchange their cold power at the ‘Winter starts in Yakutia’ festival. Picture: Yakutsk.rf
By Olga Gertcyk
Now the fun begins: tourists swimming in -60C and momentous meeting between the seasonal icons Chyskhaan and Grandfather Frost.
The globe’s coldest city got seasonal celebrations underway as the first New Year tree was illuminated in Yakutsk’s Lenin Square.
Not only that, locals went on a 10 kilometre run in the biting temperatures – with more than 50 participants.
The temperature sank to -45C, cold enough for eye lashes to get a natural white glaze, but not too icy for children to dance.
The globe’s coldest city got seasonal celebrations underway as the first New Year tree was illuminated in Yakutsk’s Lenin Square. Pictures: Yakutsk.rf
The local icon of winter here is the magnificent blue-coated Chyskhaan, aka the King of the Cold.
He was here at the ‘Winter starts in Yakutia’ festival to pass over a special ornament of cold to Grandfather Frost – the Russian Father Christmas.
Every year, in late September and early October, Chyskhaan makes his way south from the Arctic Ocean passing through this diamond-rich region also known as Sakha Republic.
