Russian Banya
Russian people are fond of “the banya”. This is a usually wooden structure, somewhere in the village like in the picture below. This is a whole ritual to visit banya and it’s not only about washing but mainly for fun, especially in winter when it’s a must to go bathing in the snow or in the nearest frozen river or lake. Children from early age are getting used to go to the banya and hit each other with special brooms made of leafy branches. Those brooms add more sensory feelings while in the banya process and especially are useful to warm up one quickly after some good snow jumping.
Yesterday it was a New Year Eve - the most widely recognized holiday in Russia. Millions of people wait for it and starting getting ready many months before. Christmas trees as a matter of the fact in Russia are called New Year trees just because the Christmas in Russia is almost ignored by people - during the Soviet Era it was a banned holiday as all other sides of Christian religion so all the holiday trees and decorations were devoted to the secular holiday of New Year Change. So it’s also a widely common tradition right before the New Year comes to visit the banya, and then after this procedure sit all together in a big room at the big table with a lot of traditional Russian dishes and wait for 11.55pm with a TV turned on with the First National Channel - the place where at 11.55pm the president begins his New Year Speech, he is speaking untill 11.59 and 30 seconds before the New Year to arrive the main Kremlin chimes start ringing - and everyone stands up with the goblets full of sparkling wine and when the last sound of the Kremlin chimes is being heard the New Year comes to Russian family.
But banya is a must.
Happy New Year all the readers, thanks for visiting!
photos via photosight.ru
| Tags: banya, new-year, russian girls, Russian People, russian traditions, russian winter, russian-women |
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It seems to be very close to Finnish sauna. We have a very long continuous culture in sauna. I do even have own sauna in my home
It makes damn good to go to swimming to frozen lake and to sauna after that. And that’s repeated several times
there is a big difference between russian banya and finnish sauna. They have bunch of hot stones that they pour water on them in russian Banya. That creates a lot of water vapor. It is much more exhausting and tougher than dry finnish sauna. Even though finnish sauna is hotter, but its dry and it’s childs play compared to russian bania.
Finnish sauna has also this stove made of pile of stones. It´s called kiuas. Water is poured on it once in a while to make hot steam.
Finnish sauna is not dry. Basic idea is to pour (hot) water on hot stones.
Tyrone you are just so wrong! I dont know why but russians have wrong image our from finnish sauna being “dry”. As in real life sauna its more or less like banja even with “veniki’s”. I have had this conversation countless times before enjoying either banja in Russia or Sauna in Finland.
Well electric sauna is pretty “dry” but wood version is not. Btw usually smoke saunas got those stone heaps.
Tyrone, your afro will wilt in steamy goodness of the Finish sauna
Ebony and Ivory to the max
OMG they look so backward how typical russian. Russia is truly a 3rd world poor trash country where people still share baths or have to do it in public
Russia has more harsh winters and the temp could drop to -60 in some parts of the country.That is why the older parts of cities look crapy.The people in these photos know each other.If they were at home they would bathe alone.In todays Russia most people gab on cell phones and drive newer cars.There are many universities to learn a trade and the women are more mature and wear high fasion clothes.Anyway it is always interesting to read about your latest jabs at Russia.
again, 3rd world country??? Go read some fucking stats you dumb cunt… Go back to your fuckastan and fuck a goat
you thought taht this is in public and the people don’t know each other? I don’t know how it is in your country, but in Russia its rude to make pictures of naked people you don’t know.
BTW, you know that Stalin said that every russian house has to have a bath. So all apartament buildings from the 60’s till now have a bath in house. People get together for fun.
And I saw a documentation about Indian river (forgot the name) where thousands of people get together to bath in the river. And hundreds die because the water is not clean. Is that what you meant by a 3d world country where everybody get together to bade and have to do it in public?
Relax- this ‘Miss India’ is neither female nor Indian, just some random idiot from somewhere.
are you really so stupid?
LOL that’s crazy. It’s only -4 here in England, but there’s no way I’d roll naked in the snow!
Why not? It feels very good with some hot sauna
Banya like Sauna in Finland, exept allmoust everyone in Finland has a sauna (Yes relatively smaller in city flat) but same principle.
Happy new year
When you come from 100+ degrees hot sauna and jump into snow or hole in ice then you wont feel any discomfort, but after you run back into hot sauna then you can feel one of the most powerful and best feelings. It’s like a wild sex, your bloodpressure goes up, heart beats at 160 and all the body feels sooooo great. And I can guarantee you’ll have your best and deepest sleeps after having a good sauna sessions.
It’s the best way to clean your body and soul and it’s very honoured also here in Estonia and Finland.
I hate that warming feeling.
Thats actually called “Sauna”. And its a Finnish innovation so you can stick your banyans anywhere u like
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banya_(sauna)
Look up the history section. Russian banyas appeared in the twelfth century. My guess is that banyas and saunas developed mostly independently.
You can actually go and fuck yourself in your sauna! Banya totally different
Are you sure it is healty to jump back and fort from +90C to -40C guys?! Just an honest question.
It’s healthy but it’s not recommended if you have problems with your heart. Swimming in icy lake makes your immune system better, so you don’t get sick every now and then.
ya, it makes your immune system better… if it doesn’t kill you first.
i not sure but it’s cool
Why do russian people wear those black boxes?
LMAO!!! Dude that was fuckin funny!!
thats russian national underwear
Been back home this summer, for 1 month and I’ve taken like 30 times banya. I just feel great, especially when you do it with some ‘hmel’ on the stones. Just mix half cup of fresh beer with water and pour it on the stones. You’ll get the smell of fresh baken bread. It feels even better while you’re drinking some ice cold beer.
My recommandations to you: if you’ve never been to banya before, try taking a regular one (not too hot), but if you’re a die hard banya russian then I recommand you taking the black banya.
Jesus! Russians and finns can create a fight even from differences (there are none!) between banja and sauna!
And Englishrussia, why are there censorship in the pictures? I though you guys were part of the free media!
Oh, you crazy people. I’d like very much to try those saunas, though! Seems like a lot of fun! Specially if it involves hot nude blonde russians! lol!
Russians are not hot, they look weird and have aids. :/
Not pleased with the whole censoring malarky, not cool, not cool.
These are underage girls! Sir, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Oh it wasn’t the underage girls that i was talking about; it was the fine specimens of a past generation that i was referring to. Like a fine wine: matured to perfection.
this is a different world.It is not as concervative as the USA.In russia kids could swim in Lakes in their underwear.Nudity in a private place is no big deal.
Picture 8…
Must… have… uncensored… version…
As you wish
http://www.photosight.ru/photos/2487265/
баня рулит беспесды!мы тоже так делали со снегом,выбегали с кентом из бани и в снег!!!!!!!!!аааааа кайф был бля,только пиво после бани не пили,малые были.а ща я за бугром и тут пиво есть а вот баньки увы нет.
кто ищет - тот всегда найдет
Thanks for posting that was really interesting.
In Russia people are more comfortable with nudity regardless of age.
tyrone, they are just children and there is nothing sexual in the photos.
In the USA, you can go to jail just for taking a photo of your baby taking a bath. It’s crazy. USA has a big problem with child molesters and rapists. Maybe this is why nudity is bad there.
its not just in russia. everywhere else but in the united states are people more comfortable with nudity in general. tyrone’s response is a typical view of quite possible (i may be wrong) of US conservative thinking. in latin america, we are more open minded about it. go to any beach in argentina, chile or brazil and you will notice the difference.
i for one say “hurray!” to the tradition of banyas. why? because wouldnt the world be so boring if we all didnt have different customs?
Hi - I like this site!
I remember taking the sauna while I was studying in Sweden: it was a hoot! That was a long time ago…
Now this is true: Here in the states we have a double standard when it comes to nudity and I think it’s a serious issue. Today sex is everywhere (it sells) - but most of us were taught as kids that being sexual is bad. I think that we here in the USA have a problem with child molesters and rapists because we historically have always had an unrealistic perseption of our sexuality. Think about it: It only took a couple hundered years after the death of Christ for Christianity to become twisted and perverse. Christianity spread north, then west, getting weirder as it went. The pilgrims that came to colonize what is now the USA were some of craziest religious fanatics of their time. They were from the Victorian age where it was important to keep things covered up: your private parts and the fact that the minister was sexually abusing you. Now it’s all coming out into the open…
If it was in Sweden it could not have that hot, as swedes like to read newspapers in their “saunas” and complain if the temperature is more than 60 degrees celsius.
Ha Ha - Could be, I wouldn’t know, there wasn’t a newspaper in sight where sauna I used was. I remember it was inside, not in a special littel hut. (I’m sure they’ve got those too). But it did get plenty hot and running out and rolling in the snow was a must. I loved it!
Untrue. Swedes keep the sauna “bastu” around 90 degrees C and mostly drink beer and talk with friends. There is no visible steam in the bastu even after water is poured so reading would be possible. You must have seen some tourists.
what great customs!
happy new years to you as well!
Is there really any significant difference between finnish sauna and banya?
very cool article, but I must say that I don’t think the kids’ photo is appropriate at all… it could get into the wrong hands, if it hasn’t already.
Today’s lesson kids: Don’t marry one unless you want a large troll in 25 years. Yikes!
I have been in in both Sauna - Banya. There is not much difference at all. Banyas are more often way bigger, designed for 8-20 people (those that i have visited) and Finnish Saunas are often for 2-6 people. Also it seems that Finnish people get drunk in sauna and russians after sauna, or this is what i have seen and experienced..
Both have hot stones where to pour water into. Swedish saunas are those dry places, +50 to +70 degrees and no water, people are reading news paper in sauna.. (in sweden!) All the saunas, Swedish sucks, Russian banya and Finnish sauna i gladly go anytime! Also rolling in snow is cool way to lower heat between taking good hot steam in sauna/banya.
Again untrue. Swedish sauna is very much like finnish, with beer, lots of water steam, heat. Many times so hot as to compete who will walk out of the sauna last. I don’t know where you went but it sounds like some faggy Stockholm sauna. People on the countryside are tougher in any country you’ll visit and also a better measurement of traditions.
First, there is no decent beer in Sweden unless you go to Systembolaget where you can get this “wanna be good beer, stark öl”. Normal stores only sell that piss-water second class.. Second, i have never been sauna in Stockholm, most saunas in Sweden i have visited have been near Haparanda and Kalix countryside and third, they have been those faggy Swedish dry out saunas with no good steam and heat. Oh and i have visited Sweden too many times, counter is like thousands so i dont base my “untrue telling” to one or two casual visit. Of cource i have not been in sauna every time i visited Sweden, lucky me!
Toisu, there’s no difference between Swedish and Finnish sauna (or bastu). I have been to those types of crappy saunas as you describe in both Sweden and Finland. Actually, most saunas/bastus I’ve been to in both countries are similar, same construction, same manufacturer…
Regarding the beer, yeah well… of course. You know of the monopoly. Only Systembolaget can sell alcohol.
faggy Stockholm sauna… so stupid. You sound like a child.
Great post
The others only try the water with their fingertips, then stand at the banks, shaking.
I just cannot help myself, I have to reference the “Peculiarities of National Hunt” again, where the heroes do endure the heat of the banya, but only one of them is brave enough to jump to the frozen lake
I would do the same
IIRC, sauna became popular throughout Europe during 70s/80s, together with ABBA, IKEA and other Scandinavian pop? I am pretty sure that having a sauna in a weekend house was a must in Czechoslovakia at the time…
However, sauna is almost forgotten now where I live.
I’ve tried numerous times to take banya and start SLOW because I am not used to it but Russian friends constantly want to crank heat to MAX.
Just like with drinking vodka, one must take small steps at first but typical Russian will not tolerate this.
Impossible to go to 160 degree banya unless one has done it all your life.
So have mercy and please do not touch me with 160 degree heat until I get accustomed and maybe banya would make better appearance everywhere.
I dug up pic #9 without the black bar.
Here ya go!
http://img-2008-01.photosight.ru/04/2487265.jpg
dude, it’s not working! AAAAAAGH! Must have the black boxes begone!
Seems to me a lot of Photoshop used in this picture..
One big difference between Finnish saunas and their banya counterparts: We don’t photograph inside a sauna in Finland.
Englich Russia is great page, thanks for this.
Exist a similar website like this, but about USA?
Nice images,couple of nice girls tooooo…
Banya rules,sauna is trash.
picture #4
“places for invalids”
haha
The difference between a sauna and a banya is, that in a sauna you get sweaty and hot and in a banya you get hot and sweaty:>)
Hey, cool! Wish there were uncensored pics, that’d be even cooler. There’s no banya-like tradition here in the Philippines, sadly…. oh wait, it’s a sauna the whole year through…
21th photo: I’m surprised that EnglishRussia still hasn’t taken down and being sued for promoting childporn
Yeah, like that guy in Australia, there is stories about that in http://www.liveleak.com
…And about sauna, I go every week, 3 times per week approx
and my record is 124 degrees celcius… that wasn´t nice at all, I burned my balls…
The whole world should go to sauna and no more wars, ´cause guys are competing who will stay longer in the heat…
[...] Privatisierung kostet Menschenleben Die Mediziner David Stuckler, Lawrence King und Prof. Martin McKee prüften den Zusammenhang zwischen Privatisierung der Wirtschaft und Sterblichkeit bei Erwachsenen in den post-sowjetischen Staaten. Nach dem Ende des Kommunismus steigen die Todesfälle dort rapide an, womöglich gefördert durch die höhere Arbeitslosigkeit in kapitalistischen Wirtschaftssystemen. Die Autoren geben zu bedenken, dass auch in anderen Ländern mit ähnlicher politischer Entwicklung solche gesundheitlichen Folgen zu erwarten sind. (the lancet) (pic englishrussia) [...]
It seems to be very cool
russian banja and finnish sauna is tha SAME THING!!!!!!!! it is same in ESTONIA called SAUN see at http://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saun or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna