Swimming Despite of Extreme Cold

YAKUTSK. Despite of outrageous frost, the residents of Yakutsk are going to swim in the river of Lena. On January 18 the Orthodox Church will bless its water.

Water blessing is the old Orthodox ceremony. On the Day of Epiphany people is used to experience so-called affusion, dipping in ice-hole.

On the surface of the frozen river, special tents have already been installed for those who are eager to swim in blessed waters. Tents with special heating are connected by wood passages. Ice-hole is made in the form of cross inside a tent.

Today the ceremony of blessing will occur at 01.00 pm. Next day at 09.00 am a shuttle will start delivering swimmers hourly from the Preobrazhensky Cathedral to the place of affusion.

Emercom as well as Cossacks will provide security. These measures seem really reasonable, because right now Yakutsk is totally overwhelmed by extreme cold. Weather forecasters promise that by that time thermometer will show minus 49 degrees Celsius.

Translation: YakutiaToday.Com
Resource (in Russian): Yakutia-Sakha News Agency