More than 63,000 Muscovites are expected to take a bone-numbing plunge as the annual ice-water bathing festival starts Friday night, according to Moscow city authorities.

Moscow mayor's office said a total of 45 places for bathing had been prepared in the capital city alone, and 3,700 policemen and 350 emergency workers would guarantee the safety of the bathers.

Ice-water bathing week, which lasts until Jan. 19, is a centuries-long Russian tradition in which hundreds of thousands of people across the country swim in ice-cold water to "clear themselves from sins."

This is the way for faithful Orthodox Russians to celebrate the Epiphany Holiday, one of the principal religious holidays. Regardless of the religious affiliation, medical experts believe the practice can improve people's health.

This year, meteorologists predict relatively warm weather during the bathing week, with the temperatures hovering around freezing point in central Russia.

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