Winter is the best time in a land with no other season

"The winter here is too harsh to love it. It always seemed to me too long (up to 9 months a year). The landscapes were so dull and unchanging, and the snow and frost made me feel like I was in a dark room without walls," Ayar shares her impressions.

Ayar Kuo, a Russian photographer, was born in a small settlement in Yakutia. This photo series called "The best time of year" is a reflection of her childhood memories in one of the coldest places on Earth.

Yakutsk, the capital of the Yakutia region in north-east Russia, is the coldest inhabited city of its size anywhere on Earth. Resting on the shores of the Lena River, Yakutsk endures winter temperatures that average -40°C, which create a shroud of fog that cloaks the city. The small settlements around are inhabited and the temperatures there sometimes dip even lower.

"I remember looking at the frozen stars in the dark sky and could not believe that somewhere else there were sunny days, sea, bright plants and exotic fruits. In childhood I didn’t like winter, mostly because of the darkness. It was dark when I went to school and when I came back home."

"I was walking through the streets and everything around me seemed made of glass. Everything was so tender: a group of sad cows heading for a watering place, the muddy cold sun, dense fog, brave horses covered with hoarfrost, and hot tea with milk that everyone I spoke to gave me. I relived my memories over and over again with a longing for my Yakutian childhood."

"The experience taught me to save heat. I don’t live in Yakutia now, but I always close the doors. I’m afraid that the heat can get away. My favorite drink is still the same – hot tea with milk at any weather."

"It was impossible to stay outside in the heavy frost, so as children we used to play indoors. We knew how to play all kinds of tabletop games, including traditional ones unique to Yakutia. We also learnt how to use the stove and make food on it from a very early age. Every child knew how to set a rabbit trap."

"In winter every morning we turned on the radio for the weather forecast. The sweetest moment was to hear that school was cancelled for young children because of the low temperature. It happened quite often."

"This series was shot after 4 years of being away from the Yakutian winter. I came back to my homeland in January and took the photos when it was -60 C outside."