Winter is here, and most people are thinking about migrating south. But if you’re one of those intrepid (some might say crazy) souls who welcomes the cold weather, I have just the destination for you: Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world.

Located in Siberia, Yakutsk grew from an icy patch of permafrost into the relatively thriving city that it is today based on two things: the quantities of precious metals and jewels hidden deep under the permafrost and Russia’s habit of sending political prisoners to labor in Siberia.

So, how cold is cold? According to the Independent, “in local parlance, temperatures in the minus 40Cs are described as “cold but not very cold.” Average “highs” in January are in this range.

Why would you visit Yakutsk, anyway? Well, first of all for the bragging rights: Can any of your friends say they’ve visited the coldest city on the planet? Second, there are actually some intriguing cryogenic museums. Where else can you see the cryogenically preserved head of an honest-to-god woolly mammoth? See Wikitravel for information on the museums.

To get there, though, you’ll need a Russian visa. The Russian visa system is known for being a bear to navigate, so it’s not recommended to leave this to the last minute. Here’s what you need to get a Russian tourist visa:

• Your passport.
• A completed visa application form
• 1 passport photo
• A copy of your airline tickets or a copy of your itinerary showing your flight number and the dates that you’ll be in Russia.
• A tourist invitation from a Russian travel agency or hotel that can serve as your visa sponsor. The hotel or travel agency must be registered with the Russian government.
• A hotel voucher from your hotel.

The best thing to do is to allow a professional visa service like RushMyTravelVisa guide you through the Russian visa system. You’ll get help with the application and a knowledgeable guide to help you avoid common mistakes that could delay your application. Plus, we’ll personally deliver your paperwork to the Russian Embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Russian visa today!

Tags: Russia, Russia visa, Russian visa

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at 11:57 am and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.