World

Russia's 'Dubak' challenge creates icy works of art

  • 7 February 2019
Elena Deleske Image copyright Elena Deleske
Image caption Elena Deleske in Tobolsk, Siberia did the Dubak challenge with a sunset backdrop

Temperatures of -40C (-40F) and -50C (-58F) in parts of eastern Russia haven't stopped people getting out and having some fun in the snow and ice.

According to the state news agency TASS, current temperatures in Russia are much colder than average for the time of year.

Unsurprisingly, the trick of throwing boiling water in the air and watching it turn into ice - which was popular in North America during the polar vortex - has become a trend. People across the country have been taking part in the "Dubak" challenge, which is Russian slang for bitingly cold weather.

Olga Shklyarova Image copyright Olga Shklyarova
Image caption In Yekaterinburg, east of the Ural Mountains, Olga Shklyarova took this image of a round cloud of ice
Nastya Starodubtseva Image copyright Nastya Starodubtseva
Image caption Jumping for joy or to keep warm in the wintry weather in Chelyabinsk a city close to the Ural Mountains
Olya Kalinina Image copyright Olya Kalinina
Image caption Olya Kalinina did the Dubak challenge in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia
Rinat Minkov Image copyright Rinat Minkov
Image caption Rinat Minkov's wheel of ice water
Alexander Borozdin Image copyright Alexander Borozdin
Image caption Alexander Borozdin from Nizhnevartovsk added a touch of colour and used two vessels of water to create this angel-like effect

By Andree Massiah, BBC UGC & Social News and Damien Sharkov, BBC Monitoring

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