Vyomorozka: One Of The Hardest Job In The World (image-pixabay)
The process of ‘Vyomorozka’ is roughly translated as ‘freezing out’ is a work in Russia that involves chipping away at the ice encasing the ships to look for areas in need of repair. Workers in Russia’s Far East endure subzero temperatures to maintain ships during the bitter Siberian winter.
It is one of the backbreaking and tedious work that may even take weeks to be completed in some of the world’s harshest conditions, with temperatures dropping to minus 50 degrees Celsius.
The workers not only require stamina and strength but also extreme precision to complete this chore. And the labourers should be extra careful not to cut the ice too quickly and break through the water below. The vessels are usually docked in the harbor of Yakutsk on the banks of the Lena River, Siberia’s economic lifeblood in summer, during the winter months.
Locals in Yakutia, Russia call ‘vyomorozka’ as one of the hardest jobs in the world. But they stated that it is just a matter of perspective. If you dress the right way and that’s it, one of them said. “When you come (to a heated building) and get undressed, it’s like a sauna, steam rises from you,” 48-year-old Mikhail Klus said to Reuters.
He further added that it is not the hardest job and just probably one of the hardest jobs. “One needs to try to understand, needs to love the cold and working in it,” Mikhail said.
While doing the chore, the labourers must be careful while cutting the ice too quickly and breaking through to the water below. If they do, the carved dug-out can get submerged and the work will be lost.
Contrary to the usual thought, the colder the weather, the better the ice freezes and the smoother the job.
However, the workers sometimes find it difficult to work in extreme cold. “Sometimes, when you freeze, you feel negative emotions from it,” 22-year-old Artyom said from under a thick layer of coats.
He further added that in this cold condition, one may feel to go home, to eat and relax but you have to get a grip on yourself.
