No winter can break our spirit - or we are not Siberians!

Perhaps someone flashed up the sign to cheer people up during the long cold winter on the streets of the Siberian city of Tomsk? 

'Hold on guys - summer is coming soon!', it read in the centre of city.

Photographer Nikita Rusanov, 21, took the slogan literally and organised a group of 13 revelers to pretend winter is summer. As he snapped the picture, a passing French tourist also photographed the group, possibly thinking such scenes are common in Tomsk, a city known as the most relaxed, vibrant and youthful in Siberia. 

'In fact, it was not my idea, but it came from a very good friend,' said Nikita, a student in his final year at the Radio Technical Faculty of Tomsk University. 

'Our final version was born after seeing a lot of posts about our frosty weather, then we decided to photograph friends in bikinis, summer shorts and flip-flops, all the things you think of in summer.

'Originally we planned to take the pictures on Lenin Square but then I saw the poster that says 'Hold on guys - summer is coming soon!'.

'At first I thought it was a Photoshop stunt, which is also what many people think of our picture. But then I saw the poster with my own eyes while driving and I immediately knew we had to take picture with this as the background. Plus it shows the date and time and the temperature'.

Not that it was initially easy persuading the volunteers. 

'At first everyone I spoke to was very reluctant. They were afraid that they will freeze, but in the end, I gathered some crazy people, as a result we had positive good fun and no one caught a cold!

'We came in four cars and all the participants sat and warmed up there. Many people asked 'How much alcohol did you drink?' But no, we didn't drink. 

'It was our positive attitude and good mood that kept us warm. Then after the photo session we went to a cafe dressed the same way and had some tea'.

Another sign over their heads says 'Stop' - but luckily they ignored it. Also making an impromptu appearance in the picture is a 'stoned fox' which became an internet sensation in Russia thanks to British artist Adele Morse who stuffed it and sold it on eBay.