Myths about the Russian bathhouse are revelations of an inflated subculture. Bath procedures are dangerous for pregnant women
Myths about the Russian bath are a very rare topic and fiercely protected by fans of light steam. Why protected? Because of the boundless love for the bathhouse, for the brooms, for the rituals and traditions around the bathhouse. This love is strengthened by the fact that “in the bathhouse” many earn financial profits, from online writers of custom articles to sellers of stoves in stores who have never taken a steam bath in a Russian bathhouse. All these motley writers and businessmen wrote so much and so much unnecessary stuff around the bathhouse that the real history of the Russian folk bathhouse was in danger of being completely rewritten and distorted.
First, let's define who and what means when they talk about a Russian bath? To do this, we divide the information into several types depending on the presentation:
1) Internet submissions from copywriters and optimizers who do not understand bathhouses begin like this: “from time immemorial,” “from ancient times,” “from time immemorial, the Russian bathhouse has been popular,” etc. This last phrase makes me laugh hysterically. It’s kind of like writing that sitting at the table while eating was very popular and widespread, or, for example, cloth clothes were in particular demand among our ancestors. These phrases are equally meaningless and have nothing in common with the history of the bathhouse. Simply, copywriters receive a salary per 1000 characters and the percentage of matches of keywords in the text. They are of little interest to the content.
2) The second way of presenting information about the Russian bathhouse, which was mistakenly adopted, is connected, not so much with the time interval of the description of the bathhouses, but with who is describing the features of the Russian bathhouse. Especially over the last ten years, with the formation of guilds of stove manufacturers, consortia producing barrels and tubs with gangs for baths, associations of stove makers and bathhouse attendants, forums of Internet lovers of steam baths in verbal battles, a whole industry has developed, and a subculture promoting the Russian bathhouse as an unusual way of relaxation and recovery. At the same time, the word “tradition” or “according to tradition” is often used. Foreign guests of the Russian Empire or Russia at different times did not consider the Russian bathhouse as a tradition. They saw it as a way of washing and maintaining hygiene with the unusual use of steam and brooms. But those who went to the bathhouse treated it as an ordinary procedure for removing dirt from the body. For clean body hygiene itself in its classical form was inaccessible to wide sections of the population, no matter how beautifully we wrote about it, seasoning the texts with the aromas of herbs, hot stones and other bath paraphernalia.
3) And the third group of my improvised classification of the description of the Russian bath is associated with the historical time interval in which we find information about the Russian bath. Most of the relevant texts come from the late 19th century (after 1870). These are descriptions of baths as architectural objects, as well as the history of non-standard interior items and baths. But to a lesser extent they were described as institutions for healing, and especially not as places of worship with their own methods of ablution and bath therapy. The baths found in the treatises of that time are, although public, but mostly urban public.
It would be wrong not to talk about those baths that were described not in books, but in the notes of travelers and historians, whose gaze was directed to the people. After reading their notes, we begin to understand that bathhouses are different from bathhouses! The gilded baths of the St. Petersburg baths and black baths in the villages are the intersection of two worlds - two cultures of one people.
In most peasant households there were no baths at all! People washed themselves from spring to autumn in lakes and rivers; they went to the bathhouse at best once every 2-3 months, or even less often - before major holidays - 2-3 times a year. And these are not empty words - this is the result of historical research into the life and living conditions of the population of Tsarist Russia in the pre-revolutionary period.
Russian bathhouse – a little embellished, a little added
What are they saying today? Today, bathhouse gurus dress in embroidered shirts, hang amulets, icons, and soar with broom massages for pennies, putting the Russian bathhouse on a commercial track, turning broom whipping into a strictly regulated training procedure. Not all, of course, but the market for such services is replete with the presence of “pros from steam”. Sort of like socialist realism of the era of nanotechnology. (Remember Soviet films, where young collective farm girls walked around a field in the dust in white dresses and high heels, and men in chrome boots ran around with accordions?)
In order to somehow show the Russian bathhouse from the other side, and there is undoubtedly one, I will post photos along the way. For example, hard working men at a log house (even very possibly a bathhouse) are waiting for something in the evening. Certainly not pulling with a broom, stretching across, moving along the lymphatic flows and not opening the chakras, etc. They should just wash off the dirt in this black bathhouse.
But, after all, this is exactly what the bathhouses of the main population of Russia were like during the periods before the revolution and up to the war of 41 years. There was no Golden Ring then, but the outback lived on like that.
The current reconstructors of the bathhouse business of the last century are creating modern bathhouses with interiors from a hundred years ago, sharpened in appearance by the log house of a poor peasant, in which the noble classes in white shirts were bathing with kvass and bagels at the samovar. That samovar, which 70% of families in post-revolutionary Russia did not have.
Russian bathhouse from time immemorial...!? What centuries?! Not earlier than in 1934-1936, baths were considered primarily as dual-use objects. And the main purpose is disinfection military points in case of war, ready to receive the infected and wounded, etc. Nobody hid this, and the names of the bathhouses were given like prison institutions - by numbers!
Home baths in the first half of the 19th century were rare and, oddly enough, appeared in women's educational institutions, prisons and military schools. Regardless of their jurisdiction, they were classified as “domestic”.
In 1821, one of the bathhouses of the Academy of Arts (architect A.A. Mikhailov) was located right in the drawing room, in which they also did laundry at the allotted time.
The baths of the architect Zakharov (1809) were located in the brewery to ensure a centralized water supply.
Baths in Tsarskoye Selo by architect K.I. Rossi 1850-1852 are one of the most famous in St. Petersburg, but despite this, due to their special interior, they were considered bathhouses with a big stretch.
In 1815, throughout St. Petersburg there were 480 houses with bathrooms, which had nothing in common with what is now popularized and elevated to the rank of tradition. These were oriental style bathrooms. Access to them was limited to a very narrow circle of upper class people. 480 bathrooms in St. Petersburg!
What do we have further away from St. Petersburg? And on the outskirts there was what is shown in the photo. Life of a peasant yard. What kind of bathhouse with bagels are we talking about!? What kind of “from time immemorial” or “from time immemorial” can we talk about a white bathhouse?!!! Do these people look like those who steam at the samovar on Saturday? 
But the photo below shows the life of factory workers living in the city. At best, they washed themselves “in the bathhouse” once a month, or even less often. It would be good if the plant had its own baths. But this was rare.
With a samovar and bagels? On Saturdays? With kvass?
Somehow, against the background of these documentary photos, those bathhouses that look at us from the Internet pages of hundreds of sites dedicated to the customs, traditions and rituals of the Russian bathhouse do not appear. To say that they are all lying would be wrong. The first thing to do is to stop using the term “from time immemorial” in relation to the bathhouse, which we love.
Yes, there were baths, but few, not everywhere and not in this form.
The construction of a huge part of the baths took place in the second half of the 19th century - just one and a half hundred years ago. This happened on a large scale among the small urban population. Public baths of that time were more like high-speed washing facilities than SPA salons with herb brooms. The capacity of the baths was expected to be 350-400 people per hour. Usually, they could not cope with this regime and queues of city workers and visitors lined up at the baths.
Digressing from the topic of history, I simply remember my childhood in the 70s, when the city bathhouse in our city (two bathhouses) with a population of 85-90 thousand worked in a constant queue mode 4 days a week.
The real revival of private baths began not so long ago - 20-30 years ago, as soon as the “decline” of communal property came and the era of entrepreneurship began. It was from this time that new baths began to include all the best that we know about the bath and, of course, they were designed not so much for washing and hygiene at high speed, but for pleasure, relaxation, unusualness and extravagance, and sometimes for health improvement (any hygienic procedure is a health improvement). The inability to have your own personal bathhouse left a bad imprint on this “miracle with brooms.” Wealthy people turned baths into an object of ostentation, chic, a commercial attribute, and sometimes outright brothels.
Here they are - those who washed in the baths, these are the people, and not a dozen peacocks in marble rooms. And the history of Russian baths is the history of the people, and not individual sketches of European architecture in large cities.
Thank God, there is a whole army of bathhouse lovers who have pulled it out of the “indicative status baths” band and transferred it to the “health” group. Of course, just like a hundred years ago, the Russian bathhouse makes one marvel at the variety of forms of its use and steaming. The best and unique traditions of steam baths, which so surprised us and will continue to surprise us, have been revived. The main thing is not to distort history.
But what is the real Russian bathhouse like, the one that is popular? To be continued…
For Russians, bath procedures have long ceased to be just a way to cleanse the body. Today they are perceived more as a combination of measures to improve the health of the body, lift the mood, improve the condition of the skin, and also as a pleasant pastime. Many consider going to the bathhouse one of the best relaxation options.
Source: depositphotos.com
At the same time, there are few real experts in bath procedures. Most people steam incorrectly, at best reducing the benefits of the bath to nothing, and at worst even harming their own health. The reason is widespread misconceptions about the Russian bath. Let's look at the most famous of them.
The higher the temperature in the steam room, the more beneficial the procedure
For bath procedures, the optimal temperature is about 60 ° C with 60% humidity. It is this microclimate of the steam room that allows the body to warm up evenly, gradually removing toxins through sweat. At higher temperatures there is a risk of respiratory tract burns.
The longer you steam, the better
The perception of bath heat is different for everyone. You should only take a steam bath if the procedure does not cause any discomfort. Trying to endure discomfort and compete with people who are more resilient in this regard is unwise and unsafe for health.
The maximum permissible period of stay in a steam room depends on the person’s age, the presence of chronic diseases, health conditions and other individual factors. An adult who decides to visit the bathhouse for the first time is recommended to limit himself to one visit to the steam room for no more than 7 minutes. With normal tolerance, each subsequent session can be increased by 1 minute. Experienced steamers over time accustom themselves to two or three sessions with a total duration of 15 to 35 minutes.
Before going to the bathhouse you need to eat a hearty meal
In fact, steaming on a full stomach is very harmful. The break between eating and going to the bathhouse should be at least 3 hours. It is better to include vegetables and fruits, fermented milk and cereal products, as well as some fish and eggs in the meal before the bath. It is not recommended to eat meat, smoked meats, canned food and fast food. Before visiting the steam room, forget about carbonated drinks, legumes and foods rich in flavors and containing animal fats. Their processing, combined with the temperature effect on the body, overloads the liver, which leads to disruption of the digestive system.
You need to go to the bathhouse once a week
Experts believe that going to the bathhouse once a week provides the minimum necessary therapeutic and cosmetic effect on the body, but no one says that this cannot be done more often. Bath lovers who steam 2-3 times a week do not notice any negative consequences.
Bath procedures are dangerous for pregnant women
In Rus', expectant mothers visited the bathhouse without restrictions. Women not only steamed until childbirth, but often even gave birth in steam rooms. Babies were taken to the bathhouse from the first months of life. Even in the modern world, a bathhouse will not harm pregnant women. It is only important to observe reasonable moderation: do not overheat and do not take excessively long procedures that can become stressful for the body.
You need to hit the skin with a bath broom
Brooms in the bathhouse are used for two purposes: firstly, with their help they “adjust” hot air to the skin and delicately massage its surface, and secondly, they obtain aqueous extracts of biologically active substances, which are then splashed onto hot stones to create healing steam . For steaming, brooms are usually used from branches of deciduous trees: birch, oak, linden, eucalyptus, aspen, as well as medicinal herbs. For inhalation, brooms made from coniferous plants are also steamed.
To forcefully whip a broom over the body is completely useless, and even unsafe, since you can injure the surface layer of the skin, softened by the heat.
It is better to quench your thirst in the bathhouse with cold water.
A visit to the bathhouse is accompanied by heavy sweating. It is necessary to replenish fluid loss, but cold water is not suitable for this purpose. In the bathhouse it is good to drink herbal teas, berry fruit drinks, and dried fruit compotes. Warm boiled water will also do. It is not advisable to use carbonated drinks (including sweet ones), as well as industrially produced fruit juices, to quench your thirst.
It's good to drink beer in the bathhouse
Drinking alcohol in a bathhouse is very dangerous. This doubles the stress experienced by the cardiovascular system, with the existing predisposition increasing the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction. Unfortunately, many Russians, realizing this, still do not deny themselves the pleasure of drinking a couple of glasses of beer and even claim that it is healthy, because supposedly the foamy drink quenches thirst well, and there is little alcohol in it.
In fact, you should not consume any product containing alcohol in the bathhouse. Energy drinks and stimulants are considered especially dangerous in this regard; strong drinks, wine and beer should also be included in the prohibited list.
Nourishing skin masks should be applied between visits to the steam room.
The basis of almost all nourishing masks is fat. They create a film on the skin that closes the pores, so you cannot apply masks to the body and face before visiting the steam room: sweating is impaired. In addition, cosmetics of this kind contain aromatic substances that create foreign odors in the steam room.
Before taking bath procedures, you need to rinse with warm water in the shower and wipe your skin dry with a towel. In the steam room, you can use only peeling products to facilitate the exfoliation of dead skin particles. The process can be enhanced with honey: it has not only cleansing, but also nutritional properties. The rest of the cosmetics can be applied to the face and body only after completing the bath procedures.
Red spots on the skin after a steam room are a sign of good vascular condition
The skin of a healthy person after a steam bath acquires an even pink tint. When uneven red spots appear in certain places, you should be wary: their appearance indicates either a violation of peripheral circulation or severe overheating. The last circumstance is easy to check: just measure your pulse after a visit to the steam room. If it is 140 beats per minute or more, then you need to steam at a more moderate temperature.
You can cool your body in the pool after each steam bath.
Contrasting bath procedures (immersions in cold water or snow rubdowns, alternating with visits to the steam room) are very beneficial for the nervous system: they perfectly relieve stress. However, for other purposes they may be superfluous. If the point of the procedures is to restore strength after an illness, you should abandon temperature contrasts and take a hot shower between visits to the steam room.
But even when contrast procedures are indicated, experts recommend plunging into cold water only after the third steam bath, when the body is already evenly warmed up.
When cooling after a steam room, hair must be kept dry.
This is a very common and harmful misconception. After the steam room, you definitely need to plunge headlong.
As a result of strong heating in the steam room, the vessels of the head and body are in an expanded state. Immersion in cold water causes them to instantly narrow. When the vessels of the head remain dilated, the pressure in them can sharply increase, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences: the most common are lethargy, drowsiness, and difficulty speaking. Some consider such sensations to be evidence of the high-quality effects of bath procedures, but in fact these are symptoms of deteriorating cerebral circulation.
It is enough to take one broom to the bathhouse
Experienced steamers never do this. They usually have two or three brooms made from different plants. For example, the following combination is very popular: birch, oak and juniper. A birch broom is used at the beginning of steaming to open pores, an oak broom is used to increase sweating and improve skin condition, a juniper broom is used for a gentle massage that improves blood circulation and creates healing steam with a wonderful pine aroma.
Any bath broom needs pre-treatment. Experts recommend steaming the branches in boiling water for 5 minutes, and then keeping them in cold water for the same amount of time.
In the bathhouse you must wash with soap
Soap removes the protective fat layer from the surface of the skin, thereby drying it out greatly. It is undesirable to combine such an effect with intense heating. It is better to wash with soap a day before visiting the bathhouse, and use only a hot shower and exfoliating agents. By the way, it is not at all necessary to use industrially produced scrubs and peels: masks made from clay, corn flour or oatmeal, as well as beekeeping products, are suitable for cleansing the skin.
You can have sex in the bathhouse
Men are more likely to suffer from the consequences of this misconception. For a person who has just taken bath procedures, sex can be dangerous. The fact is that after the steam room, blood circulation is activated, the load on the vessels increases. The release of a large amount of sex hormones into the blood against such a background can lead to a heart attack and hypertensive crisis.
The bathhouse tradition in Russia has a long history. The rules for visiting a steam room were formed a long time ago; they have been tested by many generations of our ancestors. Taking a steam bath, neglecting these rules, is not only pointless, but also dangerous. In addition, visiting the bathhouse has a number of medical restrictions, which are also useful to familiarize yourself with. A competent approach will help you avoid possible complications and get the most out of this enjoyable activity.
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
The Russian bath is considered the most humid, as it warms up to high temperatures (60 C and above) with 100 percent humidity. Because of this, the pulse reaches up to 200 beats per minute, the pressure rises, and you should not stay in the steam room for more than 5-7 minutes.
During construction, the inside of a Russian bathhouse is lined with “bathhouse” wood species, such as birch, pine, linden, oak, which, when the bathhouse is lit, begin to release medicinal oils and resins.
In Rus', everyone, young and old, went to the baths, but in enlightened Europe they preferred to clog the body’s aromas with perfume rather than wash.
During the stay of Peter I in Paris in 1717, by order of Tsar Peter, a bathhouse for Russian soldiers was erected right on the banks of the Seine. They steamed in it and then rushed to swim in the river. When the French asked whether the soldiers would catch a cold, the Tsar replied that the French air softens them, and the Russian bath makes them stronger.
Black sauna, one of the varieties of Russian sauna. It differs in that the stove does not have a chimney and the smoke goes inside the bathhouse, depositing on the walls, warming and disinfecting them. It turns out that in the old days, children were born in these very bathhouses, because they considered the black bathhouse the most sterile place!
A bath broom is a native Russian invention. Only in a Russian bathhouse do steamers whip each other with a broom to drive out toxins.
The first public baths for citizens began to be built by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in the 18th century. They belonged to private individuals.
Experienced bathhouse attendants do not drink beer and other alcoholic beverages: alcohol and heavy wort increase dehydration and block the removal of toxins.
Foreigners have always been surprised how Russians, after a bath, especially in winter, run out and plunge into the ice hole. It turns out that such a swim burns up to 1000 calories.
Just a century ago, calling a woman a “bath attendant” was considered a terrible insult, because previously the words “bath attendant” and “prostitute” were synonymous.
In Russia, since 1743, a Senate decree prohibited men from washing together with women in “trade” baths. That is why Russia avoided the syphilis epidemic that swept across Europe.
Before the wedding, it was a tradition in villages for the bride and mother of the groom to take a steam bath together. She looked to see how healthy and virgin her future daughter-in-law was.
After a good steam room, a person who correctly performs all bath procedures loses up to 2 kg in weight per visit.
We can talk a lot and for a long time about the benefits of the Russian Bath, but everyone already knows this..
In addition to hygiene, the bath helps prevent many diseases and helps remove waste and toxins.
In Rus' they called it “drives out the disease”
The expression “Enjoy your steam” is a greeting and wish of good health to someone who has just steamed or washed.
There are two versions of the origin of this turnover:
1. In Russian baths, the hottest place was almost under the ceiling, where there was a shelf-platform on which they steamed. Steam rose from hot stones doused with water. Those going to the bathhouse were wished for a light steam, that is, the kind of steam that quickly rises upward from the hot stones.
2. In bathhouses, steam could mix with carbon monoxide, which often killed people. This steam, in contrast to light, good steam, was called heavy. Therefore, they wanted an easy steam.
Let's go to the bathhouse, a few important rules
It's no secret that the bathhouse has a healing effect.
But how to take a steam bath in a Russian sauna so as to achieve the desired result? After all, sometimes, a person coming to the bathhouse and not knowing the basics of steaming can harm his body with an insane one-time load and forever say “no” to such a miraculous remedy as a birch or oak broom.
To prevent this from happening, let's first consider a few simple rules:
☀ Before the bath, you should not overload your body with food. To suppress your appetite, eat something light.
☀ For hygienic purposes, before starting bath procedures, take a shower, but do not wet your head, otherwise you risk causing it to overheat.
☀ If possible, remove all accessories
When entering the steam room, do not forget to put a hat or cap on your head, which will also prevent the possibility of overheating.
☀ The best time for bath procedures is individual and depends on your biological clock. However, it is believed that in the morning the body is most prepared for this type of procedure. Do not forget that a bathhouse, with the right approach, can stand next to physical activities such as running and walking.
Brooms
If you decide to follow the entire procedure and achieve maximum effect, do not forget about the broom. Choosing a broom is a whole science; of course, it is better if you prepare it yourself in June-July. But if you haven’t had such an opportunity, you can buy it, choosing by color and size - all the quality, as they say, is “in your face.”
At the moment, there are many varieties of bathhouse brooms: linden, birch, oak, eucalyptus, coniferous... And they all differ in their effect. For example:
Birch broom has a good effect on the skin, narrowing pores and having a healing effect. Eucalyptus broom vapors help cope with colds and upper respiratory tract diseases. Etc. Etc.
☀ Having chosen a broom that suits your opinion, do not forget to “steam” it before starting the bath procedures.
To do this, pour a sufficient amount of hot water into a basin, where a broom is placed for soaking. As soon as your broom has softened, it is ready for use.
☀ You need to set aside enough time for the bath so that while in the steam room you don’t rush and enjoy several visits.
☀ Enter the steam room 2-3 times with short breaks, after which you definitely need a long rest.
☀ If you’re not feeling well, it’s better to reschedule the bathhouse for next time.
☀ The main thing in the bathhouse is a gradual load, so you should not immediately throw half a basin of water onto the hot stones.
☀ If someone enjoys the contrast of temperatures, they can take a dip in the pool or rub themselves in the snow.
☀ Natural drying is encouraged, that is, sitting in the dressing room without using a towel, you should dry on your own.
☀ After leaving the steam room, at least 20 minutes must pass before you go out into the fresh air. During this time, you can slowly wash yourself, take a shower, and collect your things.
☀ The optimal duration of entering the steam room at a temperature of 90 degrees and a humidity of 10 percent is 10 minutes, followed by a 10-minute rest.
☀ They take the broom with them on their second visit to the steam room.
☀ Water is poured onto the stones with a special scoop of 0.2 liters. It is important not to overdo it, as if the air humidity increases, it becomes difficult to breathe.
☀ Many people feel thirsty after a steam room. Therefore, you can drink kvass and mineral water. Green tea is very useful in such cases. But those who want to lose weight should not drink liquids for 2 hours after the bath.
How to steam properly
Stroking, whipping, whipping with a broom is akin to a real massage, which stimulates blood circulation, increases sweating and energizes. Movements should be soft, flexible, and the broom should lightly touch the body, only increasing the heat. It is important that it is always moist and fluffy.
The intensity of steaming is determined by the temperature in the steam room. If she is tall, they whip her with a broom gently; if she is not very tall, she whips her with a sweeping sweep. They usually start with stroking movements from the feet to the hips and stomach, chest and neck. Then vigorously fasten the legs, stomach, chest and arms. They finish by rubbing: hold the handle of the broom with one hand, and press the foliage to the body with the other. Inhale its aroma often, it will become a true massage for the lungs.
Sweat removes as much unnecessary and harmful things as possible from the body. By the way, that’s why experienced bathhouse attendants don’t wipe it, but clean it with special scrapers so that the sweat doesn’t get absorbed back.
And that is why you need to drink a lot in the bath: all the liquid that comes in will come out, taking with it toxins, impurities and other dirt. In addition, heat relieves tension, relaxes muscles, and calms.
What and how to serve in the steam room
Herbal infusions not only give a pleasant smell, but also have a beneficial effect on the body. The heated essential molecules of plants increase their activity many times over, thanks to which we leave the steam room literally imbued with benefits.
For example, eucalyptus steam contains 40 beneficial components. Peppermint improves mood and calms nerves. Linden greatly enhances sweating and treats colds. There are lovers of beer, kvass and even tobacco vapor. Cigarette smoke is harmful to health, but brewed tobacco heals problem skin.
First, hot water is splashed on the stones to cool them slightly. Then - the diluted infusion, and then - water again. You can also sprinkle the infusion on the walls and floor. But you should not water those present - when mixed with sweat, it will give off an unpleasant odor.
Note
Overheating often occurs due to low sweating.
The fact is that sweat cools our skin, entering the so-called thermoregulation chain.
If it does not appear, body temperature and blood pressure rise sharply. And the body signals this with dizziness.
To activate sweating, massage your body with a soft mitten or towel. Honey also helps.
The fruit acids it contains exfoliate the skin, free pores from impurities and facilitate sweating.
In principle, any exfoliating procedures help (the easiest way is to exfoliate in the shower right before going in), as well as diaphoretic teas.
It is better not to drink black tea and coffee in the bathhouse: they excite the nervous system, which is absolutely useless for a relaxed body.
Beer is also despised by experienced bathhouse attendants: the alcohol and heavy wort of this drink increase dehydration of the body and block the removal of toxins. It is better to drink mineral water or herbal tea in the bathhouse.
Bathing is an entire art that consists of many components: preparing the optimal temperature, creating the necessary air humidity and pleasant aromas in the steam room, the right choice and special preparation of a bath broom and many other points on which mood and health depend.
If you approach the bathing process incorrectly, you can easily get the wrong effect. At the very least you can catch a cold, in the worst case you can “implant” your heart or go to a place from which you can’t return. Both the good and the bad that you can get from visiting a bathhouse depend on compliance or non-compliance with the rules for visiting a bathhouse.
Most people love to steam so much that as soon as they enter the bathhouse, they run to the steam room, forgetting that the body must first be prepared for the high temperature. You need to get under a warm shower for at least 3 minutes. The first entry into the steam room should last no more than 5 minutes, and you should sit on a low shelf, where the temperature is not very high. After the steam room, you need to wrap yourself in a sheet to keep warm.
In the steam room, you must wear a hat on your head, which will protect your head from overheating. But probably the most common mistake is to steam while standing. In this position, there is a huge temperature difference between the head and feet, and the risk of heat stroke increases many times over.
After the first visit, you need to rest for 10-15 minutes, then you can go to the steam room again. This time you don’t need to take a shower, but you shouldn’t take a broom right away. You need to steam thoroughly on the top shelf. The pores will expand, toxins will come out along with sweat, and it will become easier for the kidneys to work. The lungs will be filled with healing steam, the volume of breathing will increase and, accordingly, oxygen consumption by the tissues will increase. The muscles will relax and be freed from lactic acid, which makes us feel tired in the body. 15-20 minutes is enough to activate all these processes.
Treatment for people with colds.
Pour boiling water over a broom made from coniferous wood (depending on what grows nearby). Use two consecutive types of massage. The first of them is conventionally called “acupuncture”. A broom is passed along the patient's back, lightly touching his skin, which certainly causes goosebumps. Then roll the broom tightly and move this kind of roller a little along the patient’s back. At the very end, place a broom on the patient’s neck or back, this will help relieve inflammation in the lungs and warm the sternum.
The main thing for such people is not to spend a lot of time in baths, because their cardiovascular system is already fairly stressed due to extra pounds.
Treatment of problem areas of the skin, such as cellulite plaques.
Before visiting the bathhouse, you should smear the problem areas with honey and sit in the bathhouse for no more than 15 minutes. After which you need to take a cool shower. Regular procedures will help get rid of cellulite.
Pimples and acne.
As we know, the problem of acne occurs not only on the face, but also on the body. The best assistant in the fight against this disease will be a bathhouse. Pour boiling water over a linden broom and walk over parts of the body affected by acne. First, spend no more than 7 minutes in the steam room, then wash off the sweat in a cool shower. Next time, double the time you spend in the steam room. Then be sure to go through the problem areas with a linden broom again. Wait 10-15 minutes, all beneficial components should be absorbed into your skin. Only after this can you take a shower.
Skin rejuvenation.
Steam for no more than 10 minutes, then wait a little. Do not take a shower under any circumstances, because the opened skin pores will immediately close. During the second session, steam for 10-15 minutes, methodically moving a broom, such as a linden one, over your body. After the skin steaming procedure, we recommend applying skin nourishing substances to the body in the form of a cream or ointment. Each person will have their own, individual set. It is better to consult your dermatologist about such body masks.
There are certain standards that should be taken into account when planning to visit a bathhouse or sauna.
Never fill your stomach with food. It is better to go to the bathhouse 1.5-2 hours after eating. It’s best to eat some fruits or vegetables 30 minutes before your visit. Doctors recommend visiting the baths in the first half of the day, unless, of course, it is a day off. Daytime stress accumulates, so at high temperatures in steam rooms, your heart rate may begin to increase. You shouldn't spend a lot of time in the steam room. It is not recommended to stay for more than 30 minutes at a time. Sick people are not recommended to steam for more than 15 minutes. During breaks between visits to the steam room, try to replenish vitamin C, which decreases in significant quantities when the room temperature exceeds body temperature by at least a degree. Therefore, imagine how intensely the body loses this valuable vitamin in the steam room. Both before and after the bath, you should not overload your body with food. A slow metabolism will not have time to absorb food taken earlier than 1-1.5 days after visiting the bathhouse. Instead, drink water or, even better, green tea.
The therapeutic effect of visiting a bathhouse is achieved not only by a steam room, but also by a well-chosen broom depending on the type of your ailment:
- oak broom has tonic properties, relaxes muscles, gives vigor, and is useful for caring for oily skin; Doctors strongly recommend this broom for hypertensive patients
- birch broom is used for massage purposes
- a linden broom helps to care for problem areas of the skin from cellulite plaques to unhealed wounds and scars; The essential oil it contains relieves headaches
- a fir broom is a real source of healthy immunity, therefore all colds are treated with the use of such a broom, which in turn regulates blood circulation
- juniper broom - an assistant for allergies, as well as radiculitis, rheumatism and osteochondrosis
physiotherapist
Medical center "Ocean" on Sadgorod
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For several years I have been helping people build real Russian baths. Over the years, I have clearly understood that in the minds of our bathhouse lovers there is an absolutely perverted concept of “Russian bathhouse”. The many private and commercial bathhouses that are present everywhere in our country and operate under the fashionable sign “Russian wood-fired bathhouse” are very far from a real Russian bathhouse. And, in fact, they are not. The monstrous misconceptions about the Russian bath, which are firmly seated in the heads of our compatriots, prompted me to write this article. The article is written in the form of an interview and is intended to answer the most typical questions about the Russian bathhouse and dispel the myth that those bathhouses that are being built everywhere in our country are real “Russian bathhouses”. And I had the wrong bathhouse before. You can read how I made it into the right one in my article “Converting a turnkey bathhouse into a smart bathhouse”
Nowadays the Russian wood-fired bath has become very popular. Tell us about her.
Russian bathhouse is one of the many types of bathhouses. Its closest sister is the Finnish sauna. But both the Finnish sauna and the Russian bath in their classic guise are now very rare. And those baths that we call Russian baths have nothing to do with this type of baths. Unfortunately, in our country there is a persistent perverted stereotype of the Russian bath. Most of our bathhouse lovers believe that a Russian bathhouse is when the temperature is +100C and above, you can pour water on the stones and whip yourself with brooms. This is fundamentally wrong! The Russian bathhouse is completely different, and few people know about it; even fewer have had the good fortune to take a steam bath in a real Russian bathhouse.
How so? I, too, have always thought that a Russian bath is when it is very hot, there is a lot of steam and you need to be whipped with brooms. All my friends have such baths. Some even steam at +120C.
This is true. The vast majority of private, commercial and public baths have exactly these temperature conditions. And all visitors to these baths are sure that this is a real Russian bath. But that's not true. Nowadays you can find numerous signs “Russian wood-fired bathhouse”. But behind these signs, in fact, is not a Russian bathhouse at all. Unfortunately, it is now very difficult to find a real Russian bathhouse. Everywhere they build and use standard baths and persistently, but erroneously, call them Russian.
It turns out that by hanging a sign “Russian wood-burning bathhouse,” we are being deliberately deceived?
This is not entirely true. The widespread illiteracy of our people in bathing matters has given rise to this situation. I can say with confidence that most owners of commercial bathhouses, bathhouse stores, sellers of bathhouse products, owners of bathhouse websites on the Internet have no idea about the types of bathhouses, the types of stoves for different types of bathhouses, and so on. We trust them, we trust advertising, signboards, or simply the assurances of would-be professionals. But their task is to sell their product or service. The easiest way for them is to hang up a fashionable “Russian Bath” sign, but at the same time not understand or know what it is. All these “specialists” either do not go to the bathhouse at all, or, like the majority of our citizens, mistakenly think that the bathhouse they visit is a real Russian bathhouse. Most of them don’t even think that the service or product they offer has nothing to do with the Russian bathhouse.
So what is a Russian bathhouse?
It is very difficult to define a Russian bath. What is this for a Russian person? A room where they wash and steam? Or is it a complex of wellness procedures associated with steaming, dousing, massage, herbs and teas? Or maybe this is something deeply spiritual and even sacred for a Russian person - a sacred place where not only the body, but also the soul is cleansed, illnesses go away, and strength appears? Lifestyle and good long-term habit? Maybe this is a place for meeting with friends, intimate conversations, discussions and conversations about life? Probably all these definitions are correct. And many more similar definitions can be given. But the point is not in the definition, but in that capacious concept of “Russian bath”, which at the genetic level is so important for the Russian person. Next, we will try to figure out what a proper Russian bath is and how it differs from other types of baths, which are also mistakenly called “Russian baths”.
Let's start with the most important thing: the condition in the steam room of the Russian bath. Conditions are the relationships between temperature and humidity.
I always thought that the only thing that matters in a bathhouse is the temperature. The higher it is, the better the bathhouse.
This is not true. Food without salt is absolutely not tasty. But it is also not true that the more salt in food, the tastier it is. The same goes for the temperature in the steam room. It is no secret that the human body is designed in such a way that it is comfortable at certain temperatures. For example, it freezes at temperatures below its own +36.6C, and overheats at higher temperatures. But the degree of comfort is influenced not only by temperature, but also by humidity. For example, severe frosts are more easily tolerated with low air humidity. It feels like frost of -30C in the northern regions is easier to bear than the same frost of -30C in the middle zone. It's just that in the middle zone it is more humid than in the north. It's the same with heat. Lower humidity makes it easier to tolerate higher temperatures. And vice versa. A person is designed in such a way that his body itself tries to regulate body temperature when it finds itself in conditions that are not comfortable for it. At elevated temperatures, we produce sweat, which, when evaporated, cools our body. The lower the humidity, the faster sweat evaporates and the more effectively the body cools. High humidity slows down the process of sweat evaporation and, accordingly, cooling of the body. And our body begins to feel uncomfortable.
We also know that if our body catches a virus or just has a cold, it raises our body temperature. The critical temperature of our body is slightly above +40C. Why is he doing this? The fact is that at elevated temperatures it is easier for the body to fight harmful bacteria, and all processes in the body are accelerated. From this we can conclude that a small, controlled and time-limited artificial increase in body temperature will trigger the body’s hidden healing reserves, speed up blood flow, and will not be harmful, but for good.
Since ancient times, our ancestors understood that it is useful to sometimes heat the body, but it is not worth overheating the body too much. This is more harmful than useful. That is why the temperature in the Turkish hammam, Roman baths, Japanese ofuro, classic Finnish saunas and classic Russian baths was approximately +40- +45C. Please note, not +100- +120С, but +40- +45С! And this temperature in baths has been used by people for thousands of years, in different cultures, countries and in different climatic zones. People have long understood that it is precisely this temperature that has the most beneficial effect on the body and makes it healthier.
In the Russian bath, the temperature in the steam room is in the range of +45- +60C, in rare cases +70C. This is the first truth about Russian baths. Since most bathhouse lovers believe that the temperature in a Russian bathhouse should be no less than +100C.
What about humidity? In a Turkish hammam it tends to reach 100%, at a temperature of +40C. In a Russian bath, the most comfortable humidity is in the range of 50-70%. At the lowest temperature limit of +45C, the most comfortable humidity will be approximately 65-70%. There is an opinion that the classic conditions in the Russian bath are a temperature of +60C and a humidity of 60%. I don’t entirely agree with this, since the 60/60 condition is quite harsh, and I would not recommend it to novice sauna lovers, women and children. For most non-professional bath lovers, a comfortable mode will be approximately +45- +55C, with a humidity of 60-70%. But all this is very relative, and everyone should choose the conditioning regime that is closest to them. But it should be noted that if the temperature in the steam room is about 50C, and the humidity is too high (80-90%), then, despite the fairly low temperature, this mode will be harsh and not comfortable. Low humidity at the same temperature +50C will also give an uncomfortable regime. It will seem that the steam room is not hot enough. That is why conditions - the correct ratio of temperature and humidity - are extremely important in a steam room of a Russian bath.
Yes, this is truly a discovery for me! But somehow I can’t believe that at a temperature of only +45- +50C you can steam normally. Can real men steam at such a childish temperature?
How can they? Moreover, the degree of steaming of the body in a real Russian bath is much higher than in the so-called “Russian baths”. In a real Russian bath, our body warms up very deeply, in contrast to superficial heating, and sometimes burns of the skin in baths at temperatures of +100C and above. No wonder in Rus' they said “steam to the bones,” that is, as deeply as possible.
The fact is that in the steam room of the Russian bath we affect the body not with elevated temperature, but with steam. Naturally, this steam has a temperature much higher than + 45-50C. As an example, I will say that all the lovers of elevated temperatures who visited my bathhouse, and who were initially skeptical about the conditions of the Russian bathhouse, after steaming, thought about their old preferences and asked me for advice on converting their steam rooms with temperatures from +100C and above into a real one Russian bathhouse. It happened like this. At the very peak moment of steaming, I ask them: what, in your opinion, is the temperature in the steam room now? They always answer that there is definitely +100C. And then I usually show them the thermometer. And it’s only +50C! This amuses me, but experienced bathhouse lovers with extensive experience of steaming at temperatures above +100C are thrown into a stupor from a lack of understanding of what is happening. So, given the conditions of the Russian bathhouse, even a bathhouse lover with extensive experience in visiting hot steam rooms can be perfectly steamed. Many will not take my word for it, but to believe it, you have to try it. Or simply trust our ancestors, who from time immemorial steamed at precisely these temperatures.
What then are the typical bathhouses built everywhere? From private to commercial? What should we call them then and what modes are there?
Those baths that are now being built everywhere cannot be called classic Russian baths. This is a new type of bathhouse that came to us after the revolution of 17. It’s no longer a sauna, but it’s not yet Russian either. The exact name for such baths has not yet been invented. As I said above, they continue to stubbornly be called Russian baths. I call these baths New Russian baths. Or dry air baths.
What are their main differences from the classic Russian bath?
First of all, the temperature in such baths usually lies in the range of +90- +130C. As I said above, in order for our body to withstand such temperatures, it is necessary to lower the humidity to 10-30%. Otherwise, the body will receive thermal burns or simply be cooked. To heat the steam room to such temperatures, metal sauna stoves with an open heater are used. The stones in them lie on a heated surface and are not covered with anything on top. Such a metal stove heats the steam room quite quickly due to air convection. That is, the air in such steam rooms constantly circulates, heating up from the stove and rising to the ceiling already very hot. And so in a constant cycle. The air movement in such steam rooms is quite strong and does not stop throughout the entire length of the bath. The walls of the metal furnace also overheat, and due to active temperature infrared radiation, the surfaces of the steam room are constantly heated. Steaming (from the word “steam”) in such baths is problematic. Rather, they simply drive hot air with a broom. Apply a fairly small amount of water (100-500g) to the stones. Turning into steam, due to the extremely low humidity in the steam room, it is almost instantly absorbed into the overdried wood. The amount of this steam is extremely small. But the steamers still manage to capture some of this steam with a broom and draw it onto themselves. And this is at such high initial temperatures, exposing your body to serious overloads, up to thermal burns of the skin or mucous membranes.
It's clear. That is, the main differences are higher temperatures and lower humidity. But are such baths also good for health or not?
Here I am forced to disappoint the avid steamers in the Dry Air Baths. Not only do they not add health, but sometimes they even take it away.
Why?
In the Dry Air steam rooms there is a very high, extreme temperature for our body. It begins to actively sweat in defense. But since the humidity is still quite high, especially since we have a tradition of pouring water on stones, the evaporation of sweat and cooling of the body does not keep pace with the rate of its heating. The body begins to overheat very quickly. Note, not to heat up, but to quickly overheat. Therefore, you can stay in the Dry Air steam rooms for 5-10 minutes. No more. And, obviously, during this time the body simply does not have time to warm up deeply. Place a piece of meat in the oven for 5 minutes at +120C. Cut it and see how hot this piece gets. It will only be warm at a depth of a few millimeters from the surface. So there is no benefit to the body from such “warming up”. The main meaning of the bath is crossed out - deep warming of the body. But our compatriots go further in torturing their bodies in the Dry Air steam rooms. They actively pour water on the stones. This significantly increases the humidity in the steam room for a short period of time. And we have already said that high temperatures with high humidity are extremely uncomfortable for our body. It begins to turn on protective functions. Sweat does not have time to evaporate and cool the body, our brain literally screams at us - run away from here! For many steamers, the whole thrill of steaming lies, to a greater extent, not in being in the steam room, but in the moment of leaving, or rather running out of it. They see a certain courage in this. And your body, exhausted by overload, sees salvation from inevitable overheating.
Moreover, a sharp jump in humidity at high temperatures has a very negative effect on the mucous membrane of our body. In extreme conditions and under very harmful influences, the eyes, throat, lungs, and nasopharynx are exposed. Often there are injuries. Regular visitors to such baths often boast that they steamed so hard that they burned their nose or throat. At the moment of serving on the heater, all visitors to the steam room, escaping from the scalding wave of steam, pull their heads into their necks, bend down, quack, and wince. Some wrap themselves in a towel. At the same time, thinking that they are so cool that they can experience such overloads at the limit of their body’s capabilities. And they are not afraid of possible burns, dizziness, or headaches after the bath.
The metal surfaces of the sauna stove, heated to very high temperatures, also play a negative role. They emit very harsh infrared radiation that is not comfortable for our body. Our body, falling into this radiation, begins to practically fry. This is exactly how the grill in which chicken is fried works.
But the whole benefit of baths lies in the deep warming of the body. Here we don't get that at all. But we end up with harm to our organs and personal pride for steaming in such a hot steam room. Many people do not like to go to the bathhouse precisely because of these uncomfortable conditions. They say it’s very hot, stuffy, and there’s a headache. Everything is correct. The body resists harmful effects. I highly recommend visiting a real Russian bathhouse for such people. And the whole bathhouse world in their heads will turn upside down. You will understand that a bathhouse is very pleasant, comfortable and good. No stuffiness, unbearable heat, headaches, or burning wooden surfaces in the steam room. Only benefits for the body. Due to the fact that the process of soaring in dry air steam rooms, due to its extreme nature and harmful load on the body, cannot be a pleasant, relaxing and peaceful pastime. Due to the fact that in the steam room of such baths it is impossible to get that same bath pleasure, it is replaced with billiards, karaoke, drinking and other joys of life. In good steam rooms of a Russian bath, a person enjoys the bathing process itself, and this is usually quite enough for him.
So why are there such extreme and unhealthy baths everywhere? How did we get them?
There are many different versions of why the Russian people turned away from their traditional centuries-old bathhouse towards the Dry Air Steam Baths. I will voice my version. The transition from the traditional bathhouse began to occur in troubled revolutionary times. Devastation and hunger paid special attention to hygiene. The bathhouse began to be used as a washing and washing station. Just a couple of decades ago, in any public bathhouse you could see visitors washing their clothes en masse. Traditional brick stoves or black baths required a lot of time for heating, a large amount of firewood and constant repairs. Metal stoves quickly warmed the steam room and heated large quantities of water. This is exactly what was needed at that time. Then the war began, and the bathhouse continued to serve its hygienic function. After the war, massive construction began. Workers needed to be washed quickly and cheaply. And again metal stoves saved the situation. The water heated up quickly, although the temperatures in the steam room increased sharply. But this did not frighten anyone. Citizens waved brooms out of habit, and a trip to the bathhouse was considered happiness. Further, in an era of total shortage, there were a lot of skilled welders who made sauna stoves from a piece of steel pipe. Due to their design, they also quickly overheated the steam room, but generations who grew up in the heyday of the New Russian baths already considered this the norm. In the baths they also mostly washed and washed their clothes, but a new bath culture began to emerge. Gatherings with beer in public baths, films with scenes in baths, literature. The first books, “How to Build a Bathhouse Yourself,” naturally described stoves made from scrap materials—metal. Electricity has become cheap and accessible. Public baths with electric metal stoves appeared. In villages in the north of Russia, fortunately, the bathing traditions of the Russian bath have been preserved. But in the south of Russia, metal stoves still prevail, designed more for heating water than for producing steam. They are still in everyday use called not stoves, but boilers.
In the 90s, saunas began to appear en masse. It was fashionable and profitable. Nobody knew what a sauna was. They installed the same metal stoves, which greatly overheated the steam room, hung up a “sauna” sign, and money flowed to the owners like a river. At the same time, the opinion arose in the minds of Russians that the sauna is debauchery and vice. And also that the bathhouse (sauna) must have a swimming pool, billiards, karaoke, beer and women. Another bath (sauna) culture was born. But the steam room conditions remained the same: +100C and above. Our citizens no longer perceived other regimes as a bathhouse. Now there is a massive change of “Sauna” signs to the now fashionable “Russian wood-fired bathhouse” sign. But the most amazing thing is that nothing changes inside such baths! The ovens remained the same. The conditions remained the same. But, judging by the sign, the type of bathhouse has changed. It's funny, isn't it?
Private owners began to build identical bathhouses “like everyone else’s”, copying typical mistakes, but without seeing them. Stoves for dry air baths filled the stores. True, they sell them as stoves for Russian baths, but let’s leave that to the conscience and illiteracy of the sellers. All craftsmen, homemade welders, also “produce” stoves from scrap materials only for Dry Air steam rooms. People began to steam in large numbers in the bathhouses “like a neighbor’s” and firmly believe that this is a real Russian bathhouse. At the same time, putting your health at risk and not getting from the bath what it was invented for - deep warming of the body. Many people build their own bathhouse to get those regimes that they remember from childhood: the soft regimes of the Russian bathhouse, as their grandfather had in the village a long time ago. But for some reason it is impossible to feel such regimes in a newly built bathhouse. Although a lot of money was invested in the bathhouse, the most expensive materials and a branded stove were used. This happens because all those numerous teams that are supposedly building “Russian baths” throughout the country have no idea about the real Russian bath. And they end up with miserable Dry Air steam rooms. Cheap and fast. And a lot of sites on the Internet that are ready to teach you how to build a real Russian bathhouse are complete nonsense. The sites that provide truthful, useful and correct information about the Russian bath can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Specialists in Russian baths are generally a rarity. But they exist, and real Russian baths are still being built. But, unfortunately, there are very few of them. That is why dry air steam rooms are being massively built and operated in Russia.
