The Ultimate Guide to the Russian Banya
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It’s difficult to underestimate the importance of the Banya in Russian life and culture. Over the course of the country’s history, while the rest of Europe wallowed in squalor and disease, Banyas were credited with keeping Russia healthy and “in a higher state of cleanliness”. During communism, when many lived in communal flats with barely a shared sink, the Banya was often the only hygiene option. Even today, residents of shower-less Kommunalkas must resort to regular trips to the banya.
One of the earliest historical Banya mentions comes courtesy of the Apostle Andrew, as related in the Chronicle of 1113: “I saw the land of the Slavs, and while I was among them, I noticed their wooden bathhouses,” Andrew noted, “They warm them to extreme heat, then undress, and after anointing themselves with tallow, they take young reeds and lash their bodies. They actually lash themselves so violently that they barely escape alive.”
In Russian literature, the Banya is ubiquitous, making numerous appearances in Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and most notably Сhekhov, whose short story, In the Banya, serves up some delicious observations of Banya denizens: “A scrawny man with jutting out protuberances of bone was seated and was beating himself about the stomach with birch twigs. He seemed to be made only out of ribs and skin.”
Inevitably, the Banya itself has nurtured its own specific customs and etiquette, which may at first seem daunting to novices or foreigners.
In addition to the sado-masochistic practice of flogging, Russians will also wear a variety of silly felt hats, which look like floppy helmets. This is supposedly to protect the head and ears from the heat, but really, we suspect, as an alternative steam-room fashion statement. Otherwise, Bathers will generally go naked, protecting their modesty while in transit to and from the steam with a sheet or towel.
Even Veniki come in a dizzying range of varieties: the most popular being Birch, to ease muscle ache and joint strain; but also Oak to dry oily skin; Lime to relieve headaches; Alder to cure colds; Fir to increase blood circulation; and Eucalyptus for sore throats, and many others. Some — particularly women — will cover themselves entirely in honey before flogging.
While rural banyas like the one in Omyakon are often just a wooden hut, public baths in cities are labyrinthine affairs. Most will also offer more than one level or Klass — “Narodny” or “People’s” is usually the most basic, with “Kupalny” or “Bathers’ Klass” being the next step up, all the way to Pol Lux or Lux (Half- and Full-Luxury). It’s also important to note that there will either be separate Men and Women’s Klasses too, or designated days — ring ahead to find out, or you may find yourself excluded! Except for a small select amount of mixed establishments — discovered only through word of mouth — segregation of the sexes is strictly enforced in the world of the Russian Banya.
While some of the more expensive Klasses may offer massage rooms, flat-screens, full-service restaurants, the main elements are always the same. First is the changing room, usually divided into booths, often with social “chill-out” areas. Then there is ante-chamber known as the Prebannik with showers and lounging areas — but most importantly, this is the hallowed place where the Venniki are steeped, first in cold water then hot, to achieve precisely the requisite level of suppleness. In the Prebannik, you may also notice a random guy, sweeping, cleaning, tending to the leaves. This is actually the Bannshik or “High Priest” of the Banya, who keeps all of the processes running smoothly.
At the very epicentre of it all, the veritable altar in the Cathedral of Steam, is the “Parilka” or “Steam Room.” It will generally consist of a central boiler, with rows of benches or seating and flogging. Turbocharging the heat is the same as in a regular sauna — opening a hatch hurling in a ladle of water — but the Banya is distinguishable by the fact that the heat is more intense, dryer and without the Scandinavian pine-cone aroma.
After sessions in the blistering steam — lasting 5−10 minutes, depending on stamina — bathers emerge to hurl themselves gleefully into icy plunge pools. These are also located in the Prebannik, some barely bigger than a barrell, others approaching the size of swimming pools. Bathers may also opt for “Ushati” or basins for cold water dousing. In less expensive banyas, these are usually plastic, but in classier joints, they come in rough-hewn wood, or are sometimes fixed to the wall, tipping their icy contents at the yank of a chain.
The overall aim: to give the cardiovascular system a thorough workout and, of course, to indulge the instinctive Russian love of extremes. Some rural banyas are built beside lakes so that, in winter, bathers can leap from the steam and immediately dunk their naked bodies through a hole in the ice into the zero degree water beneath. This is considered the Banya equivalent of the Holy Grail.
Just as important as the steam in any banya, is the social experience. In between sizzling and dousing sessions, bathers will sit around in the changing area — drinking, eating, gossiping. Even in the oppressive heat, there is often a genial atmosphere. And every session begins and ends with the hearty cry of “S legkim parom” or “With Light Steam” meaning: Enjoy your Bath!
The mother of all banyas — the Sandunovskie — is in Moscow. This was the favourite of Pushkin and Tolstoy and retains today its palatial grandeur. It boasts a large pool lined with pillars, stuccoed ante-chambers, ornate chandeliers, a huge multi-level Parilka, a variety of different plunge-pools and is located in a bright yellow neoclassical building that wouldn’t look out of place bordering the Neva. Back in the 90s, it was populated by mafiosi and would-be Oligarchs all sealing deals in the steam or over krevetki (shrimp) and champagne in the common area. These days, while Moscow’s new middle class have reclaimed the Sanduny, as it’s affectionately known, this is undoubtedly still a place where deals are brokered.
Although banyas have been around for centuries, their health benefits only became a focus towards the end of the 18th Century. “One of Catherine the Great’s medical advisers declared that visiting a banya was more beneficial than going to the doctor, and even said that the ritual could replace medicine in two-thirds of cases,” Pollock said.
It was once customary for families to wash weekly on Saturdays, usually in the second half of the day in preparation for church on Sunday. Modern-day banya attendees, however, might enjoy a banya weekly (whether commercial or at home) due to work commitments, or because of the time associated with preparing and maintaining a home banya.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200803-russias-beloved-healing-ritual
