In the Republic of Sakha, in northeast Russia, Reuters photographer Maxim Shemetov spent two weeks outside, documenting the punishingly cold winter weather. The coldest-ever temperatures in the northern hemisphere have been recorded in the Oymyakon Valley, known as the northern "Pole of Cold," where, according to the United Kingdom Met Office, a temperature of -67.8 degrees Celsius (-90 degrees Fahrenheit) was registered in 1933. Collected here are a few images from the frigid Siberian territory, where the average high temperature for this month was -40 degrees (same in both F and C). [31 photos]
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A man walks through a tunnel formed by ice crystals from surrounding permafrost, outside the village of Tomtor in the Oymyakon valley in northeast Russia, on January 28, 2013. The coldest temperatures in the northern hemisphere since the beginning of the 20th century were recorded in the Oymyakon valley, known as the northern "Pole of Cold", reaching a temperature of -67.8 degrees Celsius (-90 degrees Fahrenheit) in 1933. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
A man walks through a tunnel formed by ice crystals from surrounding permafrost, outside the village of Tomtor in the Oymyakon valley in northeast Russia, on January 28, 2013. The coldest temperatures in the northern hemisphere since the beginning of the 20th century were recorded in the Oymyakon valley, known as the northern "Pole of Cold", reaching a temperature of -67.8 degrees Celsius (-90 degrees Fahrenheit) in 1933. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
A minibus drives along an ice road across the Lena river, outside Yakutsk in the Republic of Sakha, northeast Russia, on January 19, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A thermometer shows a temperature around -55 degrees Celsius in the village of Tomtorin, in northeast Russia, on January 22, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
Smoke rises above houses in the village of Maralayi, in the Republic of Sakha, on January 19, 2013. Despite the harsh climate, many people live in the Oymyakon valley, and the area is equipped with schools, a post office, a bank, and even an airport runway -- open only in the summer. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
Ice sculptures on the Lena river, constructed for the celebration of Orthodox Epiphany outside Yakutsk, on January 17, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
Lumberjacks Alexey Egorov, 45, and Semion Vinokurov, 53, cut down a tree in the forest outside the village of Tomtor, on January 29, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A car drives through the snow at night near Vostochnaya meteorological station, some 500 km northeast of Yakutsk in the Republic of Sakha, on January 20, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
Igor Vinokurov, 35, knocks snow and ice off a frozen piece of laundry in the village of Oymyakon, in the Republic of Sakha, on January 26, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A man passes a sign saying "Oymyakon 'Pole of Cold'" on the site of a former meteorological station in the village of Oymyakon, on January 26, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
Alexander Gubin, 43, prepares to dive into a hole cut into frozen Labynkyr Lake, 100 km south of Oymyakon, on February 1, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A woman passes a board on a building, displaying the local time, temperature, humidity and air pressure in Yakutsk, on January 17, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A woman waits before crossing a street near traffic lights and signs covered with hoarfrost, with the air temperature at about minus 46 degrees Celsius (minus 50.8 degrees Fahrenheit), in the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk, on January 16, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
A wispy cloud hovers above the frigid landscape near Vostochnaya meteorological station, in the Republic of Sakha, northeast Russia, on January 20, 2013. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov) #
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