First weekend of ‘official’ winter in Yakutsk sees ice-glazed eye lashes in world’s coldest region

The globe’s coldest city got seasonal celebrations underway as the first New Year tree was illuminated in Yakutsk’s Lenin Square. 

Not only that, locals went on a 10 kilometre run in the biting temperatures - with more than 50 participants. 

The temperature sank to -45C, cold enough for eye lashes to get a natural white glaze, but not too icy for children to dance. 

The local icon of winter here is the magnificent blue-coated Chyskhaan, aka the King of the Cold. 

He was here at the ‘Winter starts in Yakutia’ festival to pass over a special ornament of cold to Grandfather Frost - the Russian Father Christmas.

Every year, in late September and early October, Chyskhaan makes his way south from the Arctic Ocean passing through this diamond-rich region also known as  Sakha Republic.

‘With his every step comes cold,' tells local Olga Stepanova.

He has two horns, by legend one from a bull, the other from a woolly mammoth. 

Grandfather Frost - or Ded Moroz  - also white bearded and dressed in red - will hand over presents to children, not late on Christmas Eve as in many Western countries but around midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Increasingly tourists are coming to this region - the largest in Russia - to feel ultimate cold for themselves. 

Our videos show how Japanese tourists stripping off to bathe in temperatures as low s -60C.

The region includes Oymyakon, widely recognised as the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. 

A new hotel has just opened here to assist the tourist flow.