One piece of Russia that I recently got to experience was going to the Banya. The Banya is a type of spa, and they are all around Moscow. Some, which I have yet to experience, are female or male only, but the one that we went to is an entire facility rental.
So, I went with 5 of my colleagues, different sets both times, but both organized by one guy who speaks the most Russian of the crew. This particular banya is a bit curious. The organizer tells me that the lady who runs the place likes our group because we are not up for any funny business, but I can see how this space may be available for a variety of activities.
Once you walk a few blocks away from our house, and go through a secret (and relatively unmarked) gate to a back entrance (similarly unmarked), and down the stairs into the “basement,” the space consists of this:
- A small entry room for shoes, coats, umbrellas, etc.
- A small changing room that is used for the guys.
- A small room that the ladies change in, that happens to have mirrors on the ceiling and a bed-like structure inside.
- A small bathroom.
- A little sofa just outside the changing room.
- A large room, that has a corner sofa, a television, a coffee table, a hot tub, a corner shower, and a circle pool, as well as a door into the sauna.
The floor also has nice pool-like tiles that don’t get slippery when they are wet, the floor with the holes in it so there is always traction. Also, the television has played Russian music videos every minute of every time I’ve been there.
Here’s the theory of the Banya.
It’s nice to get super hot in the sauna (which is seriously super hot), then plunge into the ice pool directly after too refresh your skin. It makes the skin tingly when you feel the cold right after the hot. Word is that the banya in the countryside would just lead to outside and you can go roll around in the snow or in the realer ice bath.
Then, as you rest on the sofa with your tingly skin, you can take a dip in the hot tub, or have a nice cold rinse in the shower.
There is a bit of a dance in the banya, from what I can tell. A few people stay on mostly the same schedule: with a sauna for 10 minutes, a 5 minute cool plunge, then some rest. A guitar has been brought as well, for songs. A few people (myself included) love the hot tub with its bubbles and its jets, and spend a substantial amount of time there. And we all just kind of migrate around and chat for a few hours. I can’t handle the ice bath, but I have put my feet in and splashed the water on my arms and face to get some inkling of the experience. It would be easy to overheat, I think. The sauna and the hot tub are made warmer than they need to be, and dehydration could easily be a problem. Luckily, our organizer always brings bonus waters to help us out.
Of course, food and drink is served in the banya, typically beer and vodka, chicken wings, and an assortment of other finger foods. The lady who runs the place is delightful, and the golden grill on her teeth is particularly interesting. If she is prepping the food herself, it is always delicious.
It’s nice relaxation time, I think. It’s low key, and there is nothing to do but actively relax, something that is dearly needed when working in the fast paced school that I do. It’s delightful to lounge and have a giant wet room with different water types and temperatures to explore, not to mention the pop culture which is all across the screen. Also, you get a banya hat and a robe. The banya hat keeps your ears safe from the heat in the sauna… and makes you look cool.
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| The only photo I have, somehow. |
There is one more thing to explore at the banya, a future experience, if you will. There is a tradition of asking the attendant to come in and “massage” you with birch leaves. In fact, these leaves are sold in some pharmacies and the home store that I like. A “massage” is actually a beating… you too can get beat with birch leaves as part of your spa experience. I’ll update any future progress on that note.
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