Swimmers race in frozen lake to welcome winter in Siberia

Siberian ice swimmers celebrating winter’s arrival took their first freezing dip of the season on Sunday 3 December.

A large group of locals who call themselves ‘walruses’ gather at the bank of the Irtysh River in Omsk to take the cold plunge and participate in an amateur race.

“It feels good after the water, really good. The skin turns red, circulation improves, mood improves, life improves,” said Marina, one of the club’s swimmers.

The club’s youngest member, 19-year-old Viktor, set a personal record of five minutes in the water. The average temperature for December in Omsk is -20C.