The Russian Banya
The banya is a firmly established part of Russian culture. "Every year on New Year's Eve, my friends and I go to the banya." So starts that familiar cinematographic favorite of the New Year season, Irony of Fate. The banya is a recognizable point of cultural reference, everyone knows what it is and what it involves. They are typically the setting for male bonding and/or forging of business deals. In the dark criminal beginnings of New Russia they were the choice meeting places for corrupt officials and Mafiosi. Although these murky dealings are now seen as things of the past, many do argue that a good number of important decisions in Russia take place in the steamy shadows of exclusive banyas. Something which excludes women from the real business of power broking.
Bath houses have existed in some shape or form for thousands of years. The Roman baths are still famous, and in northern China the bath houses are the only way to get through the winter.
Russia of course has its own bath house tradition, also with a long standing history. There are long hard winters here and the Russians require some steamy relief from the penetrating cold. Foreign journalists too.
The banya is a firmly established part of Russian culture. "Every year on New Year's Eve, my friends and I go to the banya." So starts that familiar cinematographic favorite of the New Year season, Irony of Fate. The banya is a recognizable point of cultural reference, everyone knows what it is and what it involves. They are typically the setting for male bonding and/or forging of business deals. In the dark criminal beginnings of New Russia they were the choice meeting places for corrupt officials and Mafiosi. Although these murky dealings are now seen as things of the past, many do argue that a good number of important decisions in Russia take place in the steamy shadows of exclusive banyas. Something which excludes women from the real business of power broking.
Women do frequently use the banya, but the image of burly Russians wearing nothing but felt hats and beating one another with twigs is more iconic in the male form than the female. Marius Koch is a young German professional, resident in Moscow, and a devotee of the banya. "I go to the sauna a lot in Germany, but it's not the same without the hats and the sticks. That's really the major difference between saunas in the two countries," he says. "I do actually go more often in Germany, on a weekly basis in fact, but there it is really for utilitarian purposes. Here it is more of a social event."
It is the social aspect that is at the heart of the banya experience. As good for your health and for beating the cold as it may be, what accounts for its widespread popularity is the opportunity to relax with friends in hot, sticky surroundings and just have fun and relax. As one Russian banya goer said, "A good banya depends not on its condition or its price, but first of all upon the people with whom you go. People are the heart and soul of the banya."
So Where to go?
Top of everyone's list is the Sanduny Banya. With its collonades and elegant 19th century interior it is worth a look. It has a range of spa treatments and a good restaurant, and has been a steamy feature of the Moscow landscape since it opened. It has always provided a luxurious retreat from the icy streets and today no less so than before. The men's section consists of three "classes" and the women's of two. For two hours in the public banya you can expect to pay from 800-1,000 rubles. You are strongly recommended to fork out for the top class option and to sample some of their kitchen's Adjaria Khachapuri.
If you want to become one with the people then there are cheaper options, and the most popular of them is the Krasnopresneskie banya at 1905. At 500 rubles it attracts a less elevated clientele than the Sanduny and a hotter sauna, the overall look is practical and gritty. Workman-like tiles and plain wooden planks adorn the walls and floors, and people recline with glasses of beer and unpretentious scowls. As one British visitor said, "many have a slight Mafioso vibe, though it's hard to be sure when they're naked."
These are the two that most frequently come up in conversation and many expats are familiar with them. Slightly off the beaten track is the Seleznevskie banya on Seleznevskie Ulitsa. For some reason it is not so well known, yet deserves a mention chiefly for the overpowering blast of its sauna and the icy, icy bite of its plunge pool in winter - seemingly supplied with melted snow. A proper assault upon the senses, your 600 rubles would be well spent here although you should really bring your own towel and tapochki (slippers) to avoid the extortionate rental rates of 250 and 50 rubles respectively.
So all very well for the public banyas. These large scale affairs echo the Roman institution, much more in keeping with the ancient Slavic tradition is the small-scale private banya that is ideally situated beside a snow festooned dacha, but is much more commonly found in Moscow on http://www.clubsaun.ru/.
Two that are worth trying are the Yegipetsckaya Sauna at Aviamotornoy, which offers dream-like surroundings and copious quantities of shashlik and beer for very reasonable prices, a room can be hired for between 1,700-3,000 rubles (bear in mind that you can fit lots of people in). First encountered by The Moscow News as the venue for a birthday party, the setting was ideal and is recommended to anyone who wants to expunge the ravages of age. The sauna could have been hotter though.
The Russkaya Banya at Novoslobodskaya is also worth a visit, as it does offer a properly hot sauna and properly cold plunge pool. The management are very welcoming and a large room costs 1,200 rubles, again this can be split by you and your friends.
So, get out that podzhopnik (cushion) and start exercising that venik swinging arm. The pleasures of the Russian banya are definitely best enjoyed in groups, and the nervous especially are advised to bring along some moral support for this elaborate and exhaustive hang-over cure.
By Tom Washington
