While the first day of calendar spring is just around the corner, the brutal Russian winter has yet to ease its grip. This week, abnormally cold temperatures have been recorded across the country — with Russia’s second-largest city St. Petersburg battling one of the heaviest onslaughts of snow.
Within days, Russia’s imperial capital was covered in a blanket of snow more than 40 centimeters thick, or over 87% of the city’s average February precipitation.
Despite thousands of city crew partaking in the cleanup, meters high mountains of snow have accumulated throughout the city center.
While many locals have been complaining about the slow snow removal, the city’s more avid Instagrammers took to the streets in search of unique urban landscape shots.
Some were even brave enough to climb to the top of Saint Petersburg’s snow mountains in search of the perfect selfie.
St. Petersburg’s winter wonderland can now only be seen in pictures — as the below-zero temperatures and snow were replaced by icy rain and heavy fog early on Thursday.
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