Ben Williams
In a remote corner of Siberia, where winter temperatures can plummet to a bone-cracking -64°C, one family has turned survival into an everyday art form.
The Pavlovs, from Yakutsk (officially the world’s coldest city), live a life most of us couldn’t imagine. Frost covers their windows for months, cars freeze solid overnight, and collecting ice just to make drinking water is part of the morning routine.
But behind the frosty landscapes and snow-clad rooftops lies a story of warmth, love, and serious logistical challenges. Aleksandr and Oksana Pavlov are the parents of 22 children, 18 of whom are adopted, and together they’ve built a household that runs on teamwork, structure, and a whole lot of patience. Their 3,800-square-foot home sits on the outskirts of Yakutsk, where central heating and running water aren’t a given.
Compared to other couples with 22 kids, this one hasn’t been taken to court our a $70k Disneyland vacation just yet.
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The family’s story on YouTube stands out not only because of the freezing temperatures, but also due to the sheer coordination it takes to keep everyone fed, warm, and on time. And among all the chaos, they’ve opened up about three major struggles that come with raising such a huge family in the planet’s coldest inhabited city.
First up: the bathroom queue. With 14 kids still living at home, mornings are a race against the clock. As the YouTuber Kiun B puts it: “Despite having a big house, the Pavlov family still faces the daily challenge of a bathroom queue each morning.”
Between school, nursery, and university prep, getting everyone through that door before 8 am is no small victory.
Then there’s the dinner dilemma. The Pavlovs have just one kitchen, and with so many mouths to feed, space is limited.
To keep things running smoothly, they have to implement a certain system on a daily. In the full video below, Kiun B explained: “They are eating in a two-row, with the youngest children eating together first, followed by the eldest.”
It’s a small glimpse into how order is maintained in a home bursting with life.
And finally, the daily trek to school in temperatures that could literally freeze exposed skin. While most schools stay open until it’s below -45°C, nurseries keep running even at -55°C.
The kids bundle up in insulated trousers and heavy parkas before venturing out. Older siblings look after the little ones, making sure they ‘arrive [at] school safely’ before the cold becomes unbearable.
Still, the Pavlovs wouldn’t trade their life for anything.
Oksana, a former teacher, says: “We feel blessed to have such a large and loving family.”
And even as the cold bites harder each winter, Aleksandr believes it’s what keeps them strong, later adding: “I believe the cold weather makes us resilient and hardworking.”