In Novosibirsk, the unofficial capital of Siberia, thermometers were reading minus 33C (-27.4F) yesterday and kindergartens and schools remained open, although children were not required to go out at playtime.
Outdoor market traders and street sellers were at their posts as usual, undaunted by temperatures well below those found in a domestic deep freezer. Felt boots and fur hats, seen as the wisest protection against the cold, were on sale, although many locals also rely on vodka to heat them despite medical advice against drinking alcohol in such extreme temperatures. Skinny dipping is also advised against, but for many plunging into the River Yenisey is bracing.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6...
Да, а я-то и не знала, что все у нас согреваются либо водкой, либо купанием в Енисее (до которого от нас надо ехать 12 часов на поезде, к слову).