I mentioned some of the most common questions I am asked by Russians a while back. Well, after this winter, which was one of the coldest winters Tyumen had experienced in years, “How do you like our frost?” is definitely one to be added to the list.
Russians have a great way to describe their harsh winters. They call it “the frost”. It is definitely a more than an appropriate word, seeing as the whole of Russia (well, parts of it) literally becomes frozen. This happens not because it snows so much (it doesn't), but because the snow that does fall doesn't melt.
Winter, by Russian standards, officially begins on December 1st and continues until March 1st. Winter temperatures in Russia, according to my standards (aka the averages in NJ/PA), began as early as September and subsided in April. Winter in Tyumen was quite frigid, although not as cold as in other parts of the vast Siberia. Still, the temperatures in Tyumen plummeted well below zero and remained below freezing for the entire duration of winter. We had stretches of days where the temperatures hovered around -30F. While it might be tough to fathom what that is like, believe it or not so long as you dress for it, it is bearable in short bursts. It feels really cold, but after a certain point you don't notice the cold, just other sensations. For example, I noticed my eyelashes would freeze as soon as I stepped outside and that it was more difficult to breathe.
In addition to becoming familiar with the new sensations associated with this cold, I also became familiar with different lifestyle changes. For one, Tyumen morphed into a winter wonderland complete with beautiful ice sculptures and skating in the city center and great sledding and skiing nearby. The ice did bring hazardous conditions for walking and driving! I didn't really understand how either walking or driving (or living) would be possible. Obvioulsy they are, but just a bit more challenging. Cars have special winter tires, but the roads don't get salted nor do they appear to be plowed much, accidents are more frequent - and they take HOURS to fix - this is true even when the weather is fine, and sometimes cars take forever to start/they don't start.
Tyumen residents did all seem to have these awesome remote car starters, so you won't freeze while waiting for the heat to kick in. Walking is definitely a challenge. I had made it my goal to not have to go to a hospital while I'm here, but winter put this goal to the test. With my lack of skill at walking on ice in combination with my lack of coordination and lack of patience to walk slowly, I managed to have some serious "winter wipeouts". My final wipeout count was 18. Luckily, although my body endured some abuse, bruises were the worst of my injuries.
Along with a lengthy winter came much shorter days than those back home. The sun would rise as late as 9am and set as early as 3:30pm. It was interesting to experience such short days. I actually noticed the impact that less daylight had on me. For example, I found myself getting a lot more sleep in the winter because without realizing it, I started going to bed earlier. The short days were more fascinating than anything, and while I missed sunshine and warmth, I knew that long days and summer "white nights", which are absolutely incredible, would arrive soon enough.
Another observation about winter in Russia is that EVERYONE wears fur here. While I knew this, it was just a little bit surprising to see it for myself. While all the fur here might not fly in the US, it's most definitely a necessity here. People definitely dress appropriately for the winter, which is something I had to learn how to do. I felt ridiculous in my big coat, but I fit right in, and it was sufficiently warm. In addition to wearing my big winter coat, I never left the house without my winter boots aka lined with fur (fall boots, on the other hand if you're wondering, are boots without fur), thick wool socks, wool tights underneath my pants, a big warm scarf wrapped around my face, two hats, and super warm wool mittens called "vareshki". It would take me about 10 minutes to put this all on in the morning and the same amount of time to take it all off. Once I had all my layers on, the temps were bearable for short periods of time, but I did experience weird sensations like my eyelashes and the inside of my nose freezing, difficulty breathing, and rapid freezingness.
Enduring a “Siberian winter” was for some reason one of the biggest sources of anxiety for me. I realize this is absolutely ridiculous, but I pictured myself getting locked out or lost and getting frost-bite or hypothermia. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had worried myself that it might be. Although this "frost" is totally survivable and didn't prevent me from going about my daily routine, I am glad winter is over! I know there are many Russians who would agree!
Russians have a great way to describe their harsh winters. They call it “the frost”. It is definitely a more than an appropriate word, seeing as the whole of Russia (well, parts of it) literally becomes frozen. This happens not because it snows so much (it doesn't), but because the snow that does fall doesn't melt.
Winter, by Russian standards, officially begins on December 1st and continues until March 1st. Winter temperatures in Russia, according to my standards (aka the averages in NJ/PA), began as early as September and subsided in April. Winter in Tyumen was quite frigid, although not as cold as in other parts of the vast Siberia. Still, the temperatures in Tyumen plummeted well below zero and remained below freezing for the entire duration of winter. We had stretches of days where the temperatures hovered around -30F. While it might be tough to fathom what that is like, believe it or not so long as you dress for it, it is bearable in short bursts. It feels really cold, but after a certain point you don't notice the cold, just other sensations. For example, I noticed my eyelashes would freeze as soon as I stepped outside and that it was more difficult to breathe.
In addition to becoming familiar with the new sensations associated with this cold, I also became familiar with different lifestyle changes. For one, Tyumen morphed into a winter wonderland complete with beautiful ice sculptures and skating in the city center and great sledding and skiing nearby. The ice did bring hazardous conditions for walking and driving! I didn't really understand how either walking or driving (or living) would be possible. Obvioulsy they are, but just a bit more challenging. Cars have special winter tires, but the roads don't get salted nor do they appear to be plowed much, accidents are more frequent - and they take HOURS to fix - this is true even when the weather is fine, and sometimes cars take forever to start/they don't start.
Tyumen residents did all seem to have these awesome remote car starters, so you won't freeze while waiting for the heat to kick in. Walking is definitely a challenge. I had made it my goal to not have to go to a hospital while I'm here, but winter put this goal to the test. With my lack of skill at walking on ice in combination with my lack of coordination and lack of patience to walk slowly, I managed to have some serious "winter wipeouts". My final wipeout count was 18. Luckily, although my body endured some abuse, bruises were the worst of my injuries.
Along with a lengthy winter came much shorter days than those back home. The sun would rise as late as 9am and set as early as 3:30pm. It was interesting to experience such short days. I actually noticed the impact that less daylight had on me. For example, I found myself getting a lot more sleep in the winter because without realizing it, I started going to bed earlier. The short days were more fascinating than anything, and while I missed sunshine and warmth, I knew that long days and summer "white nights", which are absolutely incredible, would arrive soon enough.
Another observation about winter in Russia is that EVERYONE wears fur here. While I knew this, it was just a little bit surprising to see it for myself. While all the fur here might not fly in the US, it's most definitely a necessity here. People definitely dress appropriately for the winter, which is something I had to learn how to do. I felt ridiculous in my big coat, but I fit right in, and it was sufficiently warm. In addition to wearing my big winter coat, I never left the house without my winter boots aka lined with fur (fall boots, on the other hand if you're wondering, are boots without fur), thick wool socks, wool tights underneath my pants, a big warm scarf wrapped around my face, two hats, and super warm wool mittens called "vareshki". It would take me about 10 minutes to put this all on in the morning and the same amount of time to take it all off. Once I had all my layers on, the temps were bearable for short periods of time, but I did experience weird sensations like my eyelashes and the inside of my nose freezing, difficulty breathing, and rapid freezingness.
Enduring a “Siberian winter” was for some reason one of the biggest sources of anxiety for me. I realize this is absolutely ridiculous, but I pictured myself getting locked out or lost and getting frost-bite or hypothermia. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had worried myself that it might be. Although this "frost" is totally survivable and didn't prevent me from going about my daily routine, I am glad winter is over! I know there are many Russians who would agree!
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