Guest Author - Marianne Gibson

Russia differs from nations such as Britain in that the industrial revolution and subsequent political and economic changes did not break people so completely from their traditional knowledge of nature. Folk medicine and preventative remedies were widely used throughout the Soviet Era. The collapse of communism has not made conventional medicines easier to afford, and many prefer a natural solution for minor ailments.


Common problems, common solutions
During the changing temperatures of Autumn and the winter months, vitamins can be lacking, lowering resistance. Most people prepare for this in summer by preparing jar upon jar of ‘varenie’ (boilings) – a very liquid jam made from any type of berry. These are eaten by the spoonful with a cup of tea, added to porridge, or diluted and boiled to make compote – a fruit drink. Blackcurrant, cloudberry and strawberry are all popular. The one most recommended to ward off colds is raspberry, and many people take a spoonful of this a day at breakfast. Rosehips are a common tonic, made into syrup or drunk as tea. Pickled cabbage also provides vitamins and minerals.

If you come down with a cold, a spoonful of honey in warm water should be drunk before you lie down to rest. Hot tea is a must, and cold drinks must not be taken. Keeping warm is extremely important.

Sore throats can be tackled the hunter’s way - by gargling hot salt water with a splash of iodine – or by taking hot milk with a tablespoon of butter mixed in.

A trip to the sauna/banya is recommended for coughs, using essential oils such as pine to clear the lungs. One Moscow clinician I consulted also swears by putting your feet in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes every evening, to strengthen the lungs. It seemed to work! Again, no cold drinks allowed at this time. A tot of vodka mixed with hot red pepper and microwaved makes an interesting modern-traditional treatment also!

A traditional Russian hangover cure is to drink the vinegar from a jar of pickled gherkins (presumably the same gherkins you ate with the vodka the night before!). I haven’t been brave enough to try this, but am told it works.

Skin complaints such as eczema, problems like warts, and parasites on pets are often countered with the common wayside herb celandine, which is called chistotel (clean body) in Russian. One lady told how as a child she was distraught by the warts on her hands until her grandmother advised her to rub them with the fresh leaves every day. She has been grateful to the plant ever since.

Alternative medicine and the state health system
The divide between ‘conventional’ and ‘alternative’ treatments is not so distinct in Russian medical practice as in the West. A friend from Kaluga with medical training showed me an electro-acupuncture device and assured me that similar had been used by her uncle to treat soldiers during the Afghanistan conflict, for example. This willingness to experiment with different systems of knowledge may partly be seen as an economic measure, but with western practitioners under increasing pressure to examine the effectiveness of alternative therapies, many countries may soon be moving in this direction.