A girl for all seasons - spectacular contrast between winter and summer in Yakutia

The ice has all gone but now Anastasia’s face is covered in dozens of mosquitoes. 

In winter, at her regional capital in Yakutsk, temperatures  can plunge to around minus 60C - but in summer they can hit the 30C or higher, bringing the insect peril.

‘The picture was made in seconds,’  said Anastasia from a village called Solnechny, which means ‘sunny'.

‘After taking it, I just jumped on the bicycle and rushed away. In fact, you do not feel them so much on your face. More sensitive are the legs, arms and back. 

‘So for a few seconds, I can endure this. Mind you, I have a sudden thought: can they bite me to death?'

Her republic Yakutia, also known as Sakha republic and world famous for diamonds, has larger temperatures ranges than anywhere on Earth. 

For example, Verkhoyansk thermometers have yo-yoed as much as 105øC or 188øF between seasons, namely  -68øC (-90øF) to 37øC (98øF).

The winter picture of the wedding shop worker won admirers the world over.  

‘My family make jokes about it time to time, saying something like 'you're a star now’,’ she said.

'Of course I didn't expect anything like that to happen.’ 

Her home village is called Solnechny (which means 'sunny') in Ust-Maysky district.

Going out in the summer sun has it’s problems too, as she shows. 

From May until September mosquitoes can be a real headache for locals.

Anastasia went out into the fields and found 61 of these insects buzzing her.