A former food locker turned science lab
The Permafrost Kingdom is a complex of tunnels bored into the Chochur-Muran mountain near Yakutsk, a city built entirely on permafrost that extends up to 450 meters deep. Originally excavated in the Soviet era as a massive cellar for food storage, the tunnels maintain a stable temperature year-round, ranging from -7°C in summer to -20°C in winter. This natural refrigeration made it an ideal food locker.
In 2005, a portion of this subterranean network was repurposed into a tourist complex and scientific outreach center. It operates in conjunction with the nearby Melnikov Permafrost Institute, the world's premier research center dedicated to the study of frozen ground. The institute's own underground laboratory, established in 1967, consists of a two-layer tunnel system located at depths of five and twelve meters. While the Permafrost Kingdom is the public-facing attraction, the institute's private labs are used for long-term experiments in the constant sub-zero environment.
The walls of the tunnels are the main exhibit: exposed permafrost, a mixture of soil and ice crystals that have been frozen for millennia. In some sections, the walls are covered in frost crystals that glitter under colored lights installed for visitors.
A freezer for prehistoric life
The stable, frigid conditions of the permafrost tunnels make them a perfect storage facility for cryopreservation. The Melnikov Permafrost Institute uses its underground chambers to store sensitive scientific samples, including ice cores and ancient biological material that requires constant sub-freezing temperatures to prevent decay.
This natural freezer has housed some remarkable finds from the Siberian tundra. Following its discovery in 1977, the carcass of a baby mammoth named Dima was temporarily stored here. A plaster cast of Dima is now on display for visitors. The well-preserved head of the "Yukaghir" mammoth, found in 2003, was also briefly kept in the facility. The tunnels also contain bones from other extinct prehistoric animals and even ancient trees preserved in the ice. Researchers at the institute study these remains, extracting DNA and analyzing the microorganisms found within the permafrost to understand past ecosystems and the effects of climate change.
The complex is about the past and looks to the future. The consistently cold and isolated environment is a analogue for extraterrestrial conditions, and equipment for missions to Mars has been tested within the tunnels.