A glam 'mermaid' has slammed trolls and said that swimming in frozen lakes has cured all her health problems.
Anastasia Slobodchikova, a 36-year-old nurse from Vladivostok, Russia, has been seen smashing holes in frozen lakes and taking an icy plunge.
She does this all while sporting a makeshift mermaid's tail.
She posted footage of her latest chilly outing online, captioning the post: “This is me chopping the ice to swim due to the fact that summer ended in Vladivostok the day before yesterday…”
Anastasia has now said that she gets "a lot of hate, especially in winter" for her bizarre hobby, but insists that she is doing "everything right".
She told Vesti.Primorye: “Many warn about pneumonia, cystitis, and other illnesses, not knowing that in fact winter swimming strengthens the immune system.
“There is a lot of hate, especially in winter.
“For those who first saw me and are worried about my health – cystitis, meningitis, pneumonia, kidney problems or other organ failure, please do not worry – I’m in my fourth season.
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“I do this for pleasure and health.”
The swimmer went on to claim: “For your information: I used to often catch colds and get sick.
“Now there is no such problem.
“Conclusion: I'm doing everything right.”
At other times of the year, Anastasia ventures to Russia's Pacific coast to axes holes into the frozen sea there.
Elsewhere in Russia people in Oymyakon, the world’s coldest permanently inhabited settlement, have been taking dips in even colder waters.
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Temperatures there were -57C as locals dipped in the perishing Siberian waters recently. A freezing film crew watching on politely refused to join them.
The brave swimmers there also claim that taking dips in the ice cold Russian waters is good for their health.
Oymyakon is located some 3,500 miles east of Moscow and was so cold for two days last week that all pupils were ordered home from the village school in case they froze.
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The mercury dipped below -60C twice last week.
The coldest-ever temperature in Britain was minus 27.2C, recorded in Scotland both in January 1982 and December 1995, in Braemar and Altnaharra respectively.
The lowest officially recorded temperature in Oymyakon was minus 67.7C in 1933, but locals say an earlier reading was minus 71.2C in January 1924.
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