Russia's 'frozen' region key to future?

Russia's vast Yakutia region, which straddles the Arctic Circle, is one of the coldest places on earth, but home to some of the country's richest resources.

Diamonds are one of the biggest sources of wealth, with gem sales making up 30% of local government income. Other natural resources include gold, other precious metals and oil and gas.

This cavern with its ice sculptures is part of the Ice Kingdom, the region's biggest tourist attraction. Winter temperatures in Yakutia can fall to minus 70 degrees Celsius.

In the region's capital city, Yakutsk, temperatures are below freezing for seven months of the year. The city sits on a layer of permanently frozen soil, but is also frozen in another way, trapped in a lost Soviet age.

Founded in 1632 as a fortress, the city expanded during the Soviet era. Lenin still towers over the main square.

Rooftop slogans and murals encourage "friendship through sport" and celebrate "the glory of war veterans".

Yakutia's main city has an abandoned feel, with wooden houses and modern tower blocks set among marshy swamps and scrub land.

Evidence of extreme temperatures is visible everywhere. Newer buildings sit on concrete stilts supported by the permafrost, raising fears that climate change could damage their foundations.

There is no railway and the River Lena is the main transport link, used by ships or snow scooters depending on the season.

The wealth of untapped resources that lies beneath Yakutia's beautiful cliffs is as yet unknown, but may hold the key to Russia's future as a major player on the world stage.