Siberia’s “ice beach” in Yakutia is one of Russia’s coolest attractions. It's also known as Buluus glacier. A fluke of geography and permafrost keeps the area frozen all year, attracting the heat-weary locals of Yakutia and tourists from farther away throughout the summer months.
Yakutia's 'Ice Beach' A Refuge From The Heat In Russia's Coldest Region
- By RFE/RL
![A woman walks on the surface of the glacier, which covers over 1,000 hectares. Thanks to dozens of meters of permafrost underneath, the ice doesn’t melt, even during exceptionally hot summers.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e78cca85-f25b-48d0-8672-7d003a6d6b65_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A woman walks on the surface of the glacier, which covers over 1,000 hectares. Thanks to dozens of meters of permafrost underneath, the ice doesn’t melt, even during exceptionally hot summers.
![A view from above the Buluus glacier. It lies in a deep valley, some 100 kilometers from Yakutsk, surrounded by pristine pine forests and green meadows.](https://gdb.rferl.org/17d00364-ebad-470d-9dfd-210c0b4a1c15_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A view from above the Buluus glacier. It lies in a deep valley, some 100 kilometers from Yakutsk, surrounded by pristine pine forests and green meadows.
![The Lake Buluus glacier is a tourist attraction for the region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3a0454e9-3487-4509-b729-5ea22e4b32d3_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The Lake Buluus glacier is a tourist attraction for the region.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/7e070939-4fb4-4d20-8942-74d9eb83156a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The glacier and the springs underneath are a unique source of water for the area.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e2e03e8e-8964-44fb-82ff-c4140aa4e4f7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The glacier and the springs underneath are a unique source of water for the area.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/2332ae39-2325-41af-acd1-c90a2f5f201d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/81ffcfdf-202d-43a4-b6fb-3161fcf3a1b0_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/ba5a7383-c682-41eb-a803-29d883731f87_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The view from underneath the frozen water](https://gdb.rferl.org/a17ffa7a-f184-48a5-97dd-2aa28a322427_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The view from underneath the frozen water
![An aerial view](https://gdb.rferl.org/76fbf9ff-8cc2-4d70-8f14-e83fdd09a8f8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An aerial view
![Although it does not disappear, the glacier melts all summer and spring water gushes out of the ground all year.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a79ed38e-9e1b-4692-b7ab-24fad087409f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Although it does not disappear, the glacier melts all summer and spring water gushes out of the ground all year.
![When the ice melts, the glacier can form interesting shapes. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/7a6c3371-c94f-49f4-ae24-1e51a0d61580_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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When the ice melts, the glacier can form interesting shapes.
![Tourists descend on the Buluus glacier.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fd70b5ca-1bd7-4f85-b3b5-7b5108bb8313_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Tourists descend on the Buluus glacier.
![A boy walking on the Buluus glacier.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8e047f27-f07a-4780-9777-700e63c6881a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A boy walking on the Buluus glacier.