Guest Author - Marianne Gibson

In the hot summer it cleans you through from dust and sweat. In the winter it warms you through and brings life to winter skin. It can strengthen your health, lighten your mood, improve your metabolism. But more than that it’s a place to talk, drink, sing and grow closer to your close ones. Whether as entertainment, social arena, health treatment or simple necessity of personal hygiene, the Russian banya is a living tradition from deep Slavic history.

A banya is similar to a sauna, Turkish bath or steam room in that it’s a means of cleansing the body through heat and water. There are public banyas in towns, villages, resorts and hotels which you can visit for a large or small fee, and enjoy/suffer various conditions therein. But far more interesting to the seeker of culture is the banya which sits in the yard of a family house, the one which cleans family and entertains friends. Banyas of this sort underwent decline during the Soviet move towards urban tower-block living, but all the same were preserved in the village and the dacha. In the current building boom surging through the Russian Federation, the family banya has not been forgotten, and is enjoying new popularity.

A Typical Home Banya
A brick oven, heated by wood or modern methods, topped by stones, is open to the hot room, smoke carried away up the chimney. Sit or lie on a wooden bench choosing upper or lower. Heat is greatest on the higher levels, thus on first entering keep low and acclimatize. Once you have warmed up, it’s time to ‘steam’. Water from a wooden bucket is thrown upon the hot stones, causing steam to rise and heat the air further. Wet, leafy bunches of birch or oak twigs, specially prepared, are held over the stones. Now your companions will steam you! Lying face down, you are lightly hit and stroked up and down with the branches, releasing steam and natural components to open the pores and cleanse the skin. Muscles and tissues relax at the same time. It’s a great experience!

After a few minutes in the heat, wash off sweat and cool down outside or in the wash room. This is done quickly, closing the pores. The simplest solution is a barrel of cold water and a bucket to pour over and douse yourself with. Sometimes there’s a shower or plunge pool. If you’re lucky and the banya is next to a river, jump in! In winter time, people run out naked and roll in the fresh snow. Life is for living!

Now is the time to sit and relax in the warm ante-room. This allows the body to return to normal temperature. Drink tea from the samovar, or juice or beer, eat fruit and light snacks.

The hot room can be visited 3 or 4 times, steaming with branches once or twice. It’s advisable to keep your hair dry, so in the banya a simple felt hat protects the head. Essential oils such as mint or sage are often released onto the hot stones, creating a wonderful atmosphere, clearing the lungs. On the final visit to the hot room, one variant is to smear yourself liberally in honey, to soften and feed the skin.

S legkiym parom! (“With light steam!” – greeting given to one after the banya)