00:00It's 7 a.m. in Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth.
00:12Leonel is 11 years old and is a student at a local primary school.
00:16It's Monday morning and he's getting ready for another day of school.
00:21Today is a bit warmer than usual, around minus 47 degrees Celsius.
00:27Going to school in ice-cold temperatures is normal for the children in Yakutsk.
00:40Leonel knows the importance of wearing proper clothes to reach school safely.
00:44He puts on padded trousers and boots to keep his legs warm and a warm jacket to make sure that the cold air does not reach his skin.
00:57Leonel lives quite far from his school.
01:03It takes about 40 minutes to get there.
01:05He uses the public transport system since there are no school buses in the city.
01:16Luckily, there are lots of bus stops located about 200 meters apart, ensuring that locals don't have to walk too far in the cold.
01:23Leonel waits for the bus out in the cold, hoping it arrives fast.
01:30He can only wait for a few minutes and sometimes when the bus is too late, he must quickly return home to avoid getting frostbite.
01:37Luckily, the bus arrives on time today and he gets on the bus on his way to school.
01:50In Yakutsk, the buses generally have heating system to keep passengers warm during the extreme cold weather.
02:09Now, Leonel can finally feel comfortable and warm on his journey to school.
02:24Leonel has classes from 8 am to 1 pm six days a week from Monday to Sunday.
02:30In Yakutsk, the school year runs from September to June like in many other parts of the world.
02:36However, when temperatures drop below minus 50 degrees Celsius, all the schools will close to help keep the students safe.
02:43But when the temperature drop to minus 49 degrees or minus 47 degrees like today, students still need to go to school.
02:52Leonel arrives on time.
03:13His first class of the day is a literature class, which is his favorite.
03:17At school, they learned three languages – Yakutsk, Russian and English.
03:25The Yakut language, also known as Saha, is a Turkic language and is a native language of Yakut people.
03:32Next year, Leonel will move on to middle school.
03:36In Yakutia, primary school lasts for 4 years and students study a total of 11 years before going to university.
03:42Gaining admissions to university can be very competitive, so students in Yakutia begin preparing for the crucial unified state exam as early as middle school.
03:53Now we are talking about applying to university and we would like to share some very special and that's its global admissions.
04:01I am very excited to introduce global admissions because they helped me to apply to study abroad in China.
04:06Studying abroad totally changed my life and was a big reason why I started this YouTube channel.
04:12Global admissions is an online platform for applying to universities all around the world.
04:17It's actually very hard to find clear information about courses abroad and how to apply.
04:22Global admissions has huge choice, fast support and it's also funded by universities, so applying to many universities can actually be free using the platform.
04:30If you are also considering studying abroad, whether it's Bachelor, Master, PhD, online or short term programs, you can check out globaladmissions.com and viewers of this video can book a free call with the global admissions team using the link in the description.
04:46Thank you Global Admissions for all your invaluable support of changing my life and so many other people.
04:51It's break time, students have to stay indoors because it's too cold outside.
05:02Even though Lionel can't play outdoors, he takes every chance to improve his football skills.
05:08As you might have noticed, Lionel is not a local name, he was actually named after the legendary footballer.
05:13Lionel is passionate about playing football and aspires to become a professional football player one day just like his idol Lionel Messi.
05:28Teachers are also trying to keep children active by holding indoor activities like dance classes.
05:34This way students can have fun and stay healthy even when the weather outside is harsh.
05:38Outside is harsh.
05:39!
06:08This cool day has come to end and Lionel is waiting for his father as they have planned
06:23to go to the local food market.
06:25Lionel is the middle child of three siblings and his father Prokopi is a football coach
06:33at a nearby club.
06:35They share a deep passion for the sport, often training and watching matches together.
06:39Lionel's enthusiasm for football has only grown stronger, thanks to his father's unwavering
06:45support and guidance.
07:05They arrive at the local open air market to get some fresh meat and fish for their dinner.
07:16The meat and fish remain naturally frozen as the outdoor temperatures are even colder than
07:22those in the freezer.
07:28This market is very popular and it does not matter how cold it gets, it's always open.
07:36Local people rely heavily on meat, fish and dairy during the harsh winters.
07:40Fall meat is particularly popular and very nutritious.
07:43As a lean and low-fat option, it has been an essential part of Yakutian cuisine for centuries.
07:50It can be very hard to get and grow fresh vegetables here because the ground is too cold for its
07:55grow.
07:56The price of fresh fruits and vegetables now is very expensive, making them more of a luxury
08:02item.
08:12After a long day, Lionel and Prokopi return home.
08:15The evenings are the favorite time for the family as they can finally spend time together
08:20and relax after a long day.
08:34Despite the cold, the family takes every chance to go outdoors, not wanting to be confined indoors
08:39for 9 months of the year.
08:41As you can see, we have learned to adapt and embrace the extreme climate, making the most
08:58of each day.
08:59For the Yakut people, wintertime is not actually as difficult as you might imagine.
09:05Living in the coldest city, it can be enjoyable with the warmth, love and unity from a loving
09:10family.
09:11In the end, the most important thing is not necessarily where you live, but with who you
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