The banya – or steam bath – carries such great cultural significance
in Russia that one doesn’t know exactly how to categorize it: Is it a
social event, a hygienic routine, an excuse for drunkenness, or, as
many Russian banya maniacs would have it, a necessary measure to
ensure good health and longevity?
While many homegrown Russian health prescriptions range from the
absurd (mustard rubbed on the feet as a cold cure) to the antiquated
(leaving the house with wet hair ensures the flu), almost anyone who
experiences the banya will tell you that there is a certain deeply
felt sense of healthiness – what the Russians refer to as a kaif, or
high – after a couple hours of sadomasochistic beating in the baths.
But some claim that a trip to the banya has benefits that far outlast
the high. In fact, some Russians might tell you that regular trips to
the banya can prevent cancer, cure pneumonia or ensure a better sex
life. “[As a result of the banya] the kidneys work better … it is one of
the most effective preventative methods to fight arthritis . . . a
trip to the banya is recommended for chronic colds and bronchitis . .
. even arteriosclerosis,” write the authors of www.probanu.narod.ru,
a site dedicated to the banya.
Is this just another Russian old wives’ tale?
“It’s certainly nothing we learned in medical school,” said Dr.
Timothy Meade, a U.S.-educated doctor who works as Regional Medical
Director for the American Medical Center in St. Petersburg.
“I’m not saying it’s not true,” he continued. ” I don’t think that
studies have been done where 10 Russians take a banya every day for 20
years and 10 Russian people don’t, and they have a difference in their
long term health. I don’t think that anyone has ever looked at that.”
Dr. Meade did warn that the high temperatures encountered in the banya
could actually represent a health threat for those with high blood
pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
Regardless, the banya remains a distinct treat, and an unparalleled
cultural experience. The banya routine, however, is crucial to the experience.
Bring a towel, soap and shampoo, and slippers (although these can be
rented at most banyas). Other good items to bring include water (to
restore some of the hydration lost to sweat), a salty snack – chips or
nuts suffice, but Russians seem to prefer vobla, dried fish – and, of
course, some sort of alcohol so as not to feel out of place. (Be
careful with the booze, though, it seems to affect the brain much
faster in the extreme conditions of the banya).
On the way to the banya, or directly inside, there is usually a kiosk
selling bunches of birch leaves tied together – referred to in Russian
as veniki. Pick some up on your way in. Inside, you should see veniki
being prepared for usage – they must be thoroughly softened in boiling
water before the beating begins.
Next, stop by the banshchik – banya master. He or she can provide you
with tapochki (slippers) and prostynya (a bed sheet), which you should
use to cover yourself, or your rear when it gets too hot to sit.
After undressing and wrapping yourself in your prostynya, you might
want to try what is referred to by the Russians as the Finnish sauna.
It can serve as a somewhat less intense introduction to the parilka -
the steam room, the heart and soul of the banya experience. In the
sauna, the heat is dry and more tolerable.
The parelka, on the other hand, is a wet heat, and anything but mild.
Temperatures here can be too high for even the most grizzled
banya-goer to handle. Oh, and bring your veniki – here is where the
beating begins.
Veniki usage is an acquired skill. Perhaps the best advice for
banya-neophytes is to watch and learn from the natives. Don’t beat
yourself too hard, though. This is supposed to be a fun experience.
When you are about ready to faint from the heat, it’s time to make a
run for the bassein – the freezing cold swimming pool. You will
definitely feel the kaif. As for more concrete medical results, well,
perhaps part of the appeal of the banya is its mystery.
