What did the Muscovites, when last weekend the temperature dropped to its lowest level over the past 120 years?
All who could, went outside to have fun. In Russia, the week between New year and Orthodox Christmas, proshedshimi this year on Saturday, is considered unhealthy. On Friday, the temperature began to drop and by Saturday had dropped to a record for this date of minus 22 degrees (Fahrenheit, that is, to minus 30 Celsius — approx. transl.), however, scheduled for the weekend festivities went exactly as planned.
People who miss street fun after a week of feasts and communication with relatives in cramped apartments and country cottages, cold weekend brought a rare for Moscow winter sun.
The center of Moscow turned into a brightly lit winter carnival, street fair, rides, and songs on the red square and high ice slide almost under the very walls of the Kremlin. Although the authorities have asked the organizers scheduled for the Sunday “parade” to cancel the event due to frost, it still took place and was attended by over 500 people. According to officials, warmly clad cyclists of all ages passed in Moscow without serious incidents.
However, for some the cold was fatal. As reported by news Agency “Interfax” with reference to Deputy Director of the Center for emergency medicine, Sergey Gumenyuk, two people froze to death. He also added that for the period of the New year on January 9 with the frostbite was hospitalized dozens of people, many of them in the frosty weekend.
The cold also led to some of the transport chaos. Weekend in Moscow could be heard the plaintive strikeline not winding engines and “Twitter” appeared a lot of pictures of stranded cars. In Moscow airports were cancelled or postponed about 40 flights.
Fortunately, the majority of Muscovites warmly dressed, and restricted held in the cold time, which helped them to enjoy the fresh air without unpleasant consequences.
Since this is Russia, there were those who dared to strip down to their underwear and dive into the icy water. News site 360tv.ru published photos of the bathers of the suburban Klimovsk, punching holes in the thick ice that covers the a — not mentioned in the article — water, hole size with a Jacuzzi.
“The hardest swim in the fall and spring, when the difference of temperature (water and air) no, — quotes the website of the bather Alexander Antonov. — And in the winter there the temperature difference between the water is warm”.
Speaking of heat: by Monday evening in Moscow warmed up to a pleasant temperature in 1 degrees (minus 17 Celsius — approx. transl.).
