For most people, roaming the streets in search for a good picture in -40°C weather would be unheard of. But if you’re Alexey Vasyliev, a photographer living in Yakutia — one of the coldest regions of Russia — it’s just something to do on a normal winter day.

It was boredom that got Vasyliev started on photography. While he initially found his city uninspired and not as photogenic as the images circulating on Instagram, it soon became his niche. His documentary images sparked intrigue and curiosity around the Web on how Yakutsk citizens adapted and coped to its harsh living conditions, and Vasyliev gained a massive amount of followers … deservedly so. Under freezing conditions and weak winter light, his portraits and landscapes display his understanding for the technical aspects of photography, as well as the emotional: his images speak volumes in a single shot. He continues to document his hometown through the change of seasons on Instagram.

Vasyliev’s work has earned him awards and nominations in worldwide competitions including Young Photographers of Russia, Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest 2018 and LensCulture’s Emerging Talent Awards.

Images © Alexey Vasyliev / with permission