MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Muscovites witnessed one of the darkest months in history in December 2017 when they saw sunlight for just six or seven minutes, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Roman Vilfand said on Tuesday.

"According to Moscow State University’s observatory, Moscow saw only six or seven minutes of direct sunlight in December. Once learning about this, many people comprehend why they were suffering from depression," Vilfand told a news conference.

By mid-January, the sun began shining on Moscow longer than in November and December.