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!
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photos via photosight.ru
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
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?
It’s just a fat internet troll. You feed him too much by responding his provocations. =)
troll just troll
& every time all in the same key
booooring
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.
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?
thats russian national underwear
I lol’d so hard!!!!
BEST COMMENT EVER!
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/
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.
Nice lie honey. Russia is one of the most conservative countries in the world. The fact that the Russian government banned porn a few months ago is proof of that. I went to college in Russia and they think every man is a freak if he talks about sex.
And if you go topless in Russia, the police can arrest you. I live in florida, USA and topless is normal.
stop spreading lies. russia very conservative country that hates nudity.
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.
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.
кто ищет – тот всегда найдет
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…
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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
Loved the site; keep up the good work. Ciao, James Mc Govern
Loved the site; keep up the good work. Ciao, James Mc Govern
[...] todos habremos visto imágenes de esos rusos y finlandeses que se dan el “gustazo” de pasar un rato en la sauna y después darse un chapuzón en un charco tan helado que duele con solo mirar como se van a [...]
[...] lots more banya images over at englishrussia [...]
Don’t really know where the tradition comes from. I know Russians, Finish and Swedes like it. And the tradition is mostly the same, the rest is more or less BS. When it comes to drinking? Yep, you wan’t an ice cold bear in the Sauna Bastu whatever. And sure, after too ::))
Some American natives (Indians) and Lappish have a slightly different tradition if I remember right, using smoke(?) in their tents, but involving a lot of heat too if I’m correct?
And if you haven’t tried it you should. It’s very nice, and you will feel very clean and relaxed after it ::))
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It’s coming to London! Banya №1
More info about authentic Russian banya in London can be found here http://www.gobanya.co.uk also on http://www.facebook.com/gobanya