As Moscow battles the unprecedented heat wave (this weekend is expected to the hottest ever here with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius / 104 F), it finds itself completely unprepared for such extreme weather, making it yet harder for Muscovites.

A month into the record breaking heat, the Russian capital exhausted its supply of air conditioners, ice cream, AC repair crews, cold water, masks and pretty much everything else needed to stay cool. After heavy smog from the fires covered the city, ACs, elevators, and even cars started to malfunction, turning this summer into the “Survivor” episode.

The situation is even worse outside of Moscow, where the fires destroyed tens of thousands of miles or forests and villages. The temperatures are likely to stay well above normal until mid-August.

Following is the photo essay by Maksim Mishenko, who went to document a village in Ryazan region, 100 kilometers south of Moscow. The village just survived a fire.

More photos at Maksim Mishenko's Blog on LiveJournal