(This experience gets its own blog entry.)
[First some background information on the Russian banya courtesy of Lonely Planet.
The traditions of the banya
For centuries, travellers to Russia have commented on the particular (in many people's eyes, peculiar) traditions of the banya (bathhouse). To this day, Russians make it an important part of their week and you can't say you've really been to Russia unless you've visited a banya.
The main element of the banya is the parilka (steam room). Here, rocks are heated by a furnace, with water poured onto them using a long-handled ladle. A few drops of eucalyptus or pine oils are often added to the water, creating a scent in the burst of scalding steam that's released into the room. You'll note that even though people are naked in the banya, some wear a chapka (felt hat) to protect their hair from the effects of the heat.
As they sweat it out, some bathers grab hold of a venik (a tied bundle of birch branches) and beat themselves or each other with it. Though it can be painful, the effect can also be pleasant and cleansing: the birch leaves and their secretions are supposed to help rid the skin of toxins. After the birch-branch trashing, bathers run outside and, depending on their nerve, plunge into the basseyn (ice-cold pool) or take a cooling shower. The whole process is then repeated serveral times for anything up to two hours."]
I literally just got out of the shower after my intense banya. It was the true Russian banya, almost exactly like the LP description above. At 6pm, I arrived in the front hall to discover no one else was ready for their banya experience. Anna came down second as our host Nikolai remarked in Russian with expressive body language that "No Russians are late for banya". I stepped into the cold outdoor air to run the few meters to the banya. Little did I know that the first door actually lead to three rooms. The warm waiting room didn't exactly prepare me for the heat of the steam room.
After five of us got to the waiting room, Nikolai placed felt hats on our heads, handed us some wood butt mats and ushered us through the cleaning room (not sure what the actual name is) into the steam room. The heat was almost unbearable. Steph and I only lasted a couple minutes, especially after Nikolai added more water to the stones and a fresh wave of heat blasted through the room, before we needed some fresh air. It felt like my nose was burning and every surface I touched was scorching.
Back in the waiting room, the rest of the group (sans Bruce) stood around for their turns. The second time I went in the steam room with my felt hat, it was only me and Denise. She had already gotten a bit of a beating from Nikolai with the birch branches. Forgetting to put on my own gloves, Denise began hitting me with the leaves and Nikolai came in to slap me a bit more. I vocalized a few yelps and ahhs and oh my gosh when Nikolai grabbed my legs and swung me to the side to smack the bottom of my feet. I wouldn't say it was a pleasant feeling being hit numerous times by twigs and leaves, but it is part of the experience.
After the beating, you are supposed to go outside and jump into the pool (a very small pool) of cold water. Denise was all for it and slowly lowered herself into the pool, but I hesitated and only stuck my feet in the water for a brief moment. It was just too cold outside. Kristy and Shelley were next in, and as Kristy walked outside, she didn't blink before jumping straight into the cold water. As everyone else took their turns, they practiced the typical Russian way and jumped into the pool, waited outside in the cold air for a minute and then came back to the warm waiting room. People convinced me that I should jump in the next time since it is part of the process. So, after much internal debate, I decided to go for it. Steph also concluded that she should go back into the steam room for the branch beating followed by the pool jumping.
Before I knew it, Denise and I were back in the sauna. This time we had to beat ourselves since we'd been shown how to do it. Hitting yourself with branches takes your mind off the heat for a while, but eventually I started feeling the oppressive hot air. Denise and I hit each other to get our backs and have a bit of fun. Nikolai walked in and hit us himself before adding water to the stones and telling us to continue. We must have been in there for at least 3-5 minutes, although how long it actually was I won't ever know for sure. Finally we could go out for fresh air. Denise and I decided that I would jump in the pool first and she would hand me my towel to dry my eyes. So, as I walked out the door into the cold air partially covered in birch leaves and remnants, I took the few steps to the pool and, with a small squeal, jumped into the cold water.
I came out almost as quickly as I went in. After drying my eyes, I climbed up the pool ladder as fast as I could as I started to feel the cold temperature of the water. Standing outside felt marvelous. During the day I'd been in a couple layers and felt cold, but being outside after the intense heat was invigorating. I waited a couple minutes, taking in my surroundings, before I went back into the waiting room. There was one last step in the process, the scrub down. One at a time, we entered the middle room. Denise went first so I got to hear her reactions before experiencing them on my own.
The scrubber, which looks like a very big luffa when it is covered in soap, is not like a big luffa. It is so much rougher than that and the first time I properly felt it was when Nikolai scrubbed my back and the back of my legs. Ouch! He then handed me the large sponge to wash my arms and legs, then took it back to get my neck and chest. I raised my arms up and tried to get away from him, turning myself in a circle (and almost slipping, twice) as he followed me with the sponge at my neck and chest, squealing and squirming as everyone laughed at the scene. With the pressure he used, you'd think he enjoys hurting his guests. Talk about exfoliation!
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| I did it! Full banya experience. |
Once I was all soaped up, Nikolai splashed my arms down with warm water then told me to clean my face and finally to pick up the large silver basin and dump the water on my front and back. The final stage is a bucket of cold water over the head; Nikolai stood on the bench and just dumped the whole thing over me. It felt so chilly after the warm water that I screamed from the shock and cold. And that was that. My banya experience. Fantastic! As I stood watching others, I said out loud "I'm so happy to be here. This is such a wonderful adventure." Eventually, Nikolai told us that the continued sweating was bad and we should go back into the house. This time it felt very cold outside, unlike the refreshing sensation after the pool. One quick picture in front of the pool to document the moment, the only photographic evidence of the banya.
I took a quick shower inside just to warm myself and wash off the birch smell. Dinner next. We're having the omul again. Should be goose-no (delicious, oh, and that's just the way its pronounced, not spelled).
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