annex: transportation&supplies

In such a remote place, one may wonder how we get any food, supplies or material. Well, we are lucky enough to have the Indigirka river, as it acts as an highway. In the winter, the ice can be up to 1,50 meters thick, which allows trucks and jetskis to circulate on it. From Yakutsk, on a good day, it takes a bit more than a day to come to Oymyakon. On a bad day, if there is a snow storm for example, then it can take up to several days. Oust-Nera is closer but it still takes almost a day to get there on a good day. Three different trucks relay each other to bring the mail, food, alcohol, construction wood, concrete, tools or vehicle parts, among other things. Of course, because it takes so much effort and time to bring anything to Oymyakon, most things sold in the general or hardware store are rather expensive, so most people prefer to use the things they get themselves such as reindeer meat or fur, and wood they've chopped themselves. The internet connection is rather bad, and don't even think about getting anything delivered. Life in Oymyakon and its surroundings is scarce and frugal.

Most people own both a jetski and a car, and some also have a boat. The same people that drive the trucks in the winter sail the boats to Oust-Nera and it is possible to hitch a ride with one of them if needed. It takes about half a day to get there on a good day. Since there is no road to Yakutsk, there is no regular link with the city, and if you want to go, you'll have to do it on your own, with an off-road vehicle.

Even though there is electricity and running water in the village, most houses that are outside of Oymyakon,
in the tundra or forest, aren't linked to the general network. They may or may not have generators for electricity, and some of them might not even have running water, let alone an internet or telephone connection. Some don't even have heating and in those ones, people keep themselves warm by burning wood and making sure their house is properly insulated before the winter comes.