The Sound of Moscow’s Winter

A soundscape of tick-tocks, rattles and crashing shards

It’s not necessary to have any typically noisy weather conditions to be reminded of the world beyond the walls of your flat in Moscow. The city has over ten million inhabitants, but less than fifteen. Nobody knows exactly how many. Whether ten or fifteen, it’s still a noisy metropolis with a 24/7 mentality, which never seems to quiet down.

Except in winter, when temperatures frequently dip below -15 to -20 degrees Celsius. Then the evenings get more quiet, the drunks move from the streets into the underpasses and metro entrances, and the snow absorbs much of the sounds caused by traffic.

But then there’s the ice.

As soon as temperatures tip melting point, a symphony of falling ice rattles the city. I’ve grown quite used to waking up from the sound of blocks of ice sliding down the old metal drainpipes. Not to mention the falling icicles setting off car alarms. Not only does the ice provide a nice soundscape of tick-tocks, rattles and crashing shards, it also makes the daily walk to work more adventurous: every year hundreds of people get injured and deaths are also not uncommon.

Good reason to stay inside, and listen to the Russian winter’s symphony.