A club of swimmers in Siberia are addicted to plunging their bodies into freezing cold water
9-year-old Nastya Usachyova warms up with her mother before swimming in the Yenisei River in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. "I feel cold at first but I overcome it," Usachyova said to Reuters.
Chairman Sashko celebrated his 68th birthday with a cold-water plunge with other members of the Cryophile club.
On Sashko's birthday the air temperature was about negative 16 degrees Fahrenheit.
Two sisters play in the snow before bathing in the Yenisei River. Their entire family belongs to the Cryophile club, claiming the cold water does wonders for your immune system and overall health.
16-year-old Yulia Klimenkova has been a club member since she was four. While her friends commend her bravery, she knows they would never dive in with her.
No beach volleyball here — just a snowball fight.
Members greet each other as they get ready for a swim on the banks of the Yenisei River.
The clubhouse sits on the banks of the river.
Inside the clubhouse, members are able to chat and relax between swims.
On Polar Bear Day, members held a flashmod at the Royev Ruchey Zoo — dumping ice-cold water on members' heads. Here, a father pours water on his daughter.
Sashko bathed in cold water to celebrate Polar Bear Day as other members and regular patrons watched.
Nikolai Bocharov, 77, discovered his love for cold water swimming while serving the military in Germany. "My wife doesn't understand me and doesn't share this hobby of mine," he said.
Here, Bocharov sits in a snowdrift, rubbing himself with snow. "When I leave the water I feel a prickling sensation all over my body, it feels like I am ready to fly," he told Reuters.
Many friends and family of those in the Cryophile club do not understand the reasoning behind their loved one's urge to swim in freezing temperatures.
Vladimir Khokhlov, 71, told Reuters: "I can't live without bathing daily in cold water, it’s like a drug."
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