Russian Bath "Banya"
If you have never experienced a "Banya" you are in for the experience of your life. Period. Ready to start experiencing life?
Russians adopted banyas or saunas from the Finns. The Western Russian Banya and the Finnish sauna are mostly indistinguishable.
In Russian culture, it is a need to have a "Banya". Everyone has gone to one. usually many would have their own Banya. It would be out of town, in some little village, where the family owns some land. Usually for growing some vegetables, but there's always a cabin on that land for living in, and usually another one for banya. It is a tradition, that Russian people take very seriously, since it has been known to be well for health. In Russian banyas, there are usually two rooms: the entrance room, which is also the dressing room and the stove room which is also combined with the washing room. Unless the Russian family is rich, that is how it usually is, but if they are then the two latter rooms are separate. Once you undress in the dressing room, you go to the washing room and pour water on the hot rocks. The fire is usually started with birch wood as the wood for burning. Some people might add herb water or even beer, for the scent. After the room is steamed up, and is quite hot, you lay down on one of the benches in the room. This is the time when another person uses "Venik" on your body. Its a bunch of tree branches usually made from birch tree branches. They are fresh during summer, and dried in winter. Venik has been found to be one of the major things in the use of Banya that improves blood circulation in a human body. The person laying on the bench is then "beat" with the Venik. It might sound like it would hurt, but its like getting a massage. Later on everybody takes a rest in the dressing room, you pour cold water on your body with a ladle to rinse the sweat off. You rest up till your breathing and heart slow down. Then you go back in and repeat the process as many times as you want. If you are done with the steaming process you can start washing. Using the Russian Banya is often alternated with cold showers and swimming in the river or a lake, also you can jump in the snow. Many Russian Banyas are built near a lake or a river. If you are planning on visiting Russia, don't go to the commercial "cold" bathhouse, visit a traditional Russian Banya. You will feel great, its good for your health and is quite an experience.
There are banyas that are heated in the "black" style and banyas that are heated in the "white" style. In the first case, the smoke is let out through a hole in the ceiling. They are characterized by boulder stones, clay balls, and cauldrons for the hot water. The firewood is usually birch. The smoke from the wood darkens the inside of the banya. For white banyas, there are different constructions, but all have stone stoves with a tank to heat the water. For this reason, white banyas use larger branches as firewood.
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