Surviving Siberian Cold: Strategies for Keeping Run-Down Apartments Warm

Introduction

Amid the breathtaking landscapes and challenging climates of Siberia, life in run-down apartments becomes a survival story during extreme cold, with temperatures often reaching as low as -41°C. Residents of these apartments employ a diverse range of strategies to maintain livable conditions, defying nature's frigid embrace.

Heating Systems

Central heating systems, though often outdated, remain a primary source of warmth. These systems can include radiators and baseboard heaters, providing a steady supply of hot water or steam to ensure some degree of comfort even in the coldest months.

Living with Electric Space Heaters

Electric space heaters serve as supplementary heat sources, offering a portable and flexible means to combat the chill. These heaters can be particularly effective in smaller rooms, allowing residents to warm key areas of the apartment when needed.

Improving Insulation and Sealing Gaps

Residents take additional steps to enhance insulation by using heavy curtains, sealing windows and doors with tape or weather stripping, and covering gaps with blankets or foam. These simple yet effective measures can significantly reduce heat loss and maintain a more comfortable internal temperature.

Layering Clothing

Layering clothing is another essential strategy, especially for those living in poorly insulated flats. Wearing multiple layers, including thermal wear, helps to retain body heat, ensuring that the residents stay warm even in the presence of the biting cold.

Using Stoves for Cooking and Heat

Utilizing stoves for both cooking and generating heat is a common practice. Cooking not only provides meals but also adds warmth to the living space, making use of the residual heat to keep the area livable.

Community Practices and Shared Resources

In some cases, community practices play a crucial role in maintaining warmth. Sharing heating resources or creating communal spaces that are better heated helps to foster a sense of community and provides additional heat for the benefit of all.

Families Huddling Together

Families often gather in one room to conserve heat, as it is easier to keep a single area warm than multiple rooms. This form of huddling not only provides warmth but also strengthens communal bonds. Together, they can maintain a more livable environment until the temperature outside begins to ease.

The Cost of Maintaining Comfort

Contrary to popular belief, maintaining a higher temperature, such as 30°C, is only slightly more expensive than maintaining a lower temperature, such as 24°C. This is because the difference in cost is driven by the heating required to maintain the difference in temperature. The actual heating required to maintain a 71°C difference is only 7°C more compared to a 65°C difference, making the cost difference minimal.

Impact of Dry Air

Another factor to consider is the continental cold air, which is extremely dry. This dryness contributes to a lower perceived temperature inside buildings, making it feel even colder than it is.

Low Tolerance to Cold for Those Warming Up Outside

A lesser-known fact is the lower tolerance to low temperatures for people who are used to wearing warm clothes outdoors. This means that residents might find it more challenging to acclimatize to the extreme cold, especially if they are well-insulated from the external conditions.

Central Heating and Building Standards

Issues with the central heating system are not uncommon, especially in the 1990s due to financial constraints. Pipes often burst due to wear and tear or heating stations breaking down. There were even plans to use nuclear power plants for providing hot water, although these plans were mostly limited to Chukotka, where an experimental power plant was built in the late 1960s to early 1970s.

Despite these challenges, the residents of Siberian run-down flats have developed resilient strategies to keep warm and maintain a livable environment. Their determination and resourcefulness highlight the human spirit in the face of extreme weather conditions.