Frozen Ramen Challenge

Russians are taking advantage of the cold weather. Screen Shot Image by Oleg via Twitter

Russians have, surprise surprise, embraced the return of winter by revamping the Frozen Ramen Challenge on social media.

The challenge was started by French and Italian researchers in Antarctica in 2018, when they took a viral picture of frozen pasta on a fork in mid-air. Russians quickly picked up on the challenge, as those in Siberia and Russia’s Arctic only need to step outside to find sub-zero temperatures.

Instead of using pasta noodles, however, Russians prefer to use Doshirak noodles, which is a popular brand of instant ramen from South Korea.

This year’s challenge was kicked off with a viral tweet featuring frozen ramen in midair with a similarly posed soft-boiled egg. Some participants took the challenge to the next level by having a frozen noodle picnic in between swimming sessions at minus 30º Celsius. Frozen laundry has also made an appearance.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious.

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.