At the end of January was suddenly warm. The stem of thermometer rose to minus 26 degrees. The children went to ski, and carried on the walk hour. So warmly was not for a long time.
The main feature of Central Siberia — no surprises. Strong wind here, most often the sun is shining and the frost is weakening. For several months, the usual figure was a frost of minus 40 degrees, the temperature fell to minus 50.
As there is a strong frost?
Not so much. However, to protect your face, wear a Balaclava, through which it is easier to breathe.
However, in 40-degree frost can and much sweat. I noticed it when went on a ski trip in too warm gear.
The bitter cold, the walk is not a hindrance. Our neighbor, an avid sports fan, skiing at minus 50 degrees. In Yakutsk you can meet fans of winter Cycling. Here are addicted to and swim in the hole — however, usually under a canopy.
Man is a tropical species, it survives in Siberia, dressed in the skins of wild beasts. Evens sleep at night in the snow with warm sleeping bags from the wool of bighorn sheep on a mattress stuffed with reindeer hair.
Here in Yakutia, traditionally shoes in boots made of reindeer skin with a thick felt sole. The city’s women prefer models embroidered with beads.
Women and men of the tundra using a two-layer boots. Such is the me. Inside these shoes also have a layer of fur, and laid between layers of hay. The only bad side of these CNT dangerously slippery sole.
Children to buy expensive boots we decided not to, as their limbs continue to grow.
Instead, they wear boots, warm sheepskin.
In the fall we almost broke the family scandal, when I received the gift of the warmest mittens in the world. My wife threatened to spray them with spray because they are made from her favorite predator, Wolverine. In Russia, hunting of Wolverine is not prohibited.
Long haired Wolverine think it’s terrific material for gloves: fur you can easily shake off the moisture. Mittens-sided, inside − the rabbit fur.
I chose not fur jacket and fluffy, the Russian company BASK, variant of Yakutia edition. It is, as promised, seem to cope with 55 degrees.
Siberians does not increased immunity to cold. Here have many sore joints, and older people often walk with a cane.
In the North of Yakutia, I met 25-year-old herder Spartacus Sleptsov, who walks on two prostheses. Last winter, in 40-degree cold he fell on a snowmobile through the ice of a river and wet feet. The strong young man was able to walk, and in the end — to belly-crawl 20 miles to the abandoned cabin. To discover that there is no wood for a fire. He was found only a day later. The guy had his legs blown off, but the power of the spirit is not lost.
After walking in the extreme conditions of the local prefer to relax inside a warm home.
In our village houses are heated with gas. We have a hut in the Siberian winter is warmer than in our wooden house in Helsinki. In kindergarten stoked so much that the kids run around in t-shirts.
To drive a car in winter is problematic. We had to rent a warm garage. For example local residents in the winter we put on car window for more glass. The trunk is insulated in the garage with a protective material.
When we travel to Yakutsk, the machine need to keep opened all day. With Parking in the city it would be easy to steal a car.
Snowmobiles are also not to be trusted. The Russian snowmobile engines can be warmed in winter by the fire, but have imported models, they say, so many plastic parts that it is not the best option.
The most reliable means of transportation remain the same as thousands years ago: deer and horses. The shepherds of our village go to work in any weather. Therefore, in the winter in the village often travel on the sleigh pulled by horses, not by car.
Much depends on frost. In Siberia tens of thousands of kilometers of winter roads. In rural areas lack water, the water in the winter make ice. In the winter we ordered a pile of ice, and defrost the pieces to get the water.
A separate freezer is not particularly needed when such frosts are seven months of the year. Canopy our homes are full of fish and meat.
However, there is still no: stroganina. It is considered to be in Siberia the best treat. Frozen fresh fish, meat or liver, which is planed into thin slices. Its name comes from the method of slicing.
To prepare this dish is very easy, because all at once it is easy to freeze.
Perhaps Siberia will learn to love the steak too.
