Total Darkness and -55 Degrees: Could YOU Survive Life in this City?

THIS isolated city endures the harshest and most extreme winters in the world.

Norilsk battles a harsh winter(Elena Chemyshova

You may complain about the British winter - battling the icy mornings and short, dark days.

But spare a thought for the residents of Norilsk in Siberia, who endure -55°C temperatures and two months of total darkness during their winter.

The city is situated 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

The average temperature sits at a freezing - 10C.

It experiences two whole months of 24-hour pitch black. 

As a result, citizens have been known to endure “the polar night syndrome”, which results in anxiety, nervousness, drowsiness or insomnia.

A city of extremes, Norilsk is also encased in snow for eight to nine months a year.

Children are often forced to remain inside for many months at a time, meaning large buildings have been built with running tracks and cycling so they can still enjoy typically outdoor activities.

A woman endures the bitter snow(Elena Chemyshova

Despite the harsh living conditions, the city has a population of 170,000 residents. 

Norilsk is so remote, when people head out of town, it is common to say you’re ‘going to the mainland’. Even though the city is not on an island.

The city is also considered one of the most polluted on Earth. Every year, more than two million tons of gas (mainly sulphur dioxide , but also nitrogen oxides, carbon and phenols) are expelled into the atmosphere.

Russian photographer Elena Chernyshova spent several weeks there for her project: Days Of Night- Nights Of Day. She captured what life is truly like in the harsh and punishing Norilsk.

Could YOU survive a winter there?

Children are forced to play inside(Elena Chemyshova)