The coldest city in the world might refer to a different name from the coldest place. ‘Place’ could refer to any place, whether there are inhabitants or not. Some icy spots are not inhabited or become a research stations. Meanwhile, ‘city’ refers to a place that has been built to live with permanent residents. Are you from a country with 4 seasons or have visited one? In the winter, the extreme temperature is reached. Meanwhile, in the coldest city in the world, it’s so much more than that.
Living in the Coldest City in the World
Living in a place with special conditions is also challenging and flattering. Summer and winter are two extreme seasons already. But in the lowest-temperature city, the sensation is far different.
To live, the human body has to adapt to the environment. The experts and the scientists work hard to create devices to make people comfortable and easier to adapt. Changing the weather and climate is impossible but creating a building with convenient temperature is still possible.
There are some cities as the candidate to win the lowest temperature category. However, Sakha Republic has a city with constant low temperatures with four to five hours of sunlight per day in January. It’s the capital city, Yakutsk, located on the Lena River, was first built as a wooden fort.
The year 1632 was the first development. Recently, it has become a place with a big population (342,000 in 2024). Most people there work in the diamond mine. The city planning of this freezing area is a mixture of some outstanding building designs. Wooden houses, apartments, and high-rise buildings are conspicuous examples.
Those edifices are built above permafrost with steady and frozen soil that never seems to melt. Buildings usually produce heat from electric devices and the heating system. However, it’s not enough to melt the ice, and the inhabitants have to be aware of the cold.
The Heating System in Yakutsk
The first line of defense against the cold is clothing. From head to toe, people wear fur hats, fur boots, and fur coats. For the ears, they often don’t need earmuffs because the fur hats provide wide coverage. However, proper clothing must be supported by an effective heating system.
Unlike tropical countries where heating systems are not a primary concern, in this city, they are as important as any staple. Heating is extremely vital here. In rural areas, people use wood-burning stoves to maintain a comfortable temperature, lighting the wood two to three times a day. They place brick heating stoves in the center of the house to distribute the heat evenly.
Throughout the city, people rely on coal heating systems. Many administrative buildings depend on coal heating. They place the pipes of the heating system above the ground. In harsh winter, operators must check and maintain the heat more diligently. During these hard times, operators work in shifts without respite. If they miss maintaining the heat even once, someone in the city might be in danger.
Outsiders often wonder about the coal supply that powers the system. The answer is quite fascinating. There is no need to worry about coal because this area has high-quality coal with abundant supply. It has run well for many years to warm the entire city. However, alongside traditional coal heating, modern heating solutions have been integrated to enhance efficiency and environmental sustainability. One such solution is the use of R32 heat pumps, which are highly efficient even in extremely cold conditions. These heat pumps use a more eco-friendly refrigerant, providing a reliable and sustainable source of heat.
To sum up, living in the coldest city in the world might sound tough, but as long as the heating system runs well, it will be okay. The combination of traditional methods and modern technologies, like R32 heat pumps, ensures that the citizens of Yakutsk remain healthy and happy despite the extreme cold.