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Classes cancelled at the world’s coldest school as temperature in Oymyakon plunges to -60C

By Anna Liesowska

03 December 2021

The coldest permanently inhabited place with about 500 residents in northeastern Yakutia has the harshest rules on when pupils can miss winter lessons.

Elsewhere in Yakutia schools stay open until it reaches -50C while primary age pupils can skip classes at -45C. Picture: Spiridon Sleptsov

Unlike the rest of Yakutia, the senior pupils in Oymyakon are expected to attend unless the air temperature goes below -55C.

The youngest students, aged from seven to eleven, are allowed to stay home only when the weather goes to bone-freezing -53C. Any milder than this, and there’s no excuse for missing classes.

This week saw all 107 pupils of Oymakon secondary school named after Nikolay Krivoshapkin miss school on Wednesday and Thursday.

The wooden school was built in 1932; it serves Oymyakon and two nearby villages - Khara Tumul and Bereg Yurde.

Classes cancelled at the world’s coldest school as temperature in Oymyakon plunges to -60C

Classes cancelled at the world’s coldest school as temperature in Oymyakon plunges to -60C
Secondary school at Oymyakon, the world's coldest permanently inhabited place in Yakutia, and the outdoor views of Oymyakon. Pictures: Semen Sivtsev, The Siberian Times

Lessons start 9am when it’s still dark, as December sun rises only by 10am, and finish 5pm when it is already dark.

Pupils walk to school with their parents and often with dogs, too; students from the neighbouring villages take a bus. The ride takes approximately fifteen minutes.

We at The Siberian Times had a special greeting from two of the school seniors students, Vera Shpneva and Sayaana Vinokurova, who made a short break between their Zoom lessons to arrange a hot water ‘fireworks’ display in the -60C cold.

‘The temperature today is -60C, it’s very cold and we are not at school, though lessons continue by Zoom.

‘We would like to run out quickly to shoot a short video for you, with hot water fireworks as a special greeting from -60C at Oymyakon!’, Sayaana said.

-60C hot water firework from Vera (right) and Sayaana, left, two senior school pupils at Oymyakon secondary school Classes cancelled at the world’s coldest school as temperature in Oymyakon plunges to -60C

The hot water firework recipe from Sayaana and Vera (it might require a visit to Yakutia!): 'Take a cup of hot water, make sure the outside air temperature is below -35C, and carefully (!) throw the hot water in the air to create a stunning ‘firework’ over your head’.

Elsewhere in Yakutia schools stay open until it reaches -50C while primary age pupils can skip classes at -45C.