History of the Russian bath - Russian bath

Baths in Russia were built from time immemorial. It is known that when the chronicler Nestor began his work, these structures were already very popular. Many Europeans tried to adopt the tradition of the Russians, however those bath analogs that were built in Europe had significant differences from the original structures. First of all, this is due to the fact that not a single Western person could endure such heat, which was so loved by Russians.

The appearance of the baths

The Russians began to use the baths even before the adoption of Christianity. However, the history of the appearance of these structures is unknown. Some researchers believe that the baths came from Sparta, others attribute their creation to the Arabs. However, both versions are implausible. The history of the Russian bath is completely independent. After all, in Russia there is even a special way of washing. Many traditions, beliefs and myths are also associated with the bath.

Baths until the 18th century

Until the 18th century

Until the 18th century bath was associated several customs.

1. The next morning, after practicing love, the spouses had to take a bath together. Only after that could they go to the home altar and pray. It was believed that the bath can remove all sins. As for attending church, spouses could come there only two days after the love joys. This applied to both ordinary people and the royal couple.
2. The bath was an essential attribute of the wedding ritual. After the wedding night, the newlyweds steamed together. When they came out of the bath, the matchmaker served them a special dish. This food was prepared on the eve of the bride's mother. The food was sewn into the tablecloth, and then it was stitched together in front of the young when they had already washed.

During this period, the strong steam lovers had a habit of steaming in the stove. Today, few people practice this method.

Baths after the 18th century

After the 18th century

Until the 18th century, baths existed in every person. Only the poorest could not afford to build a bath. After the 18th century, public swimming pools became widespread. In particular, the most popular and large baths were in the capital.

Baths were once an integral part of the lifestyle of a Russian person. However, with the growth of cities, they began to be gradually replaced by more comfortable baths and showers in such conditions. True, lovers of steam and today have the opportunity to visit one of the city baths. At the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, saunas became fashionable.

Bath or sauna

Features of the sauna

Not everyone knows the difference bath from the sauna. In fact, there are differences, and quite significant.

If, ideally, the humidity in the room where people live should be about 60%, then in the sauna it does not exceed 20%.

1. Humidity. The air in the bath is humid. In the sauna, it is dry, which is not very positive effect on the upper respiratory tract.
2. Temperature. In the sauna, you can create a higher temperature. This is due to both dry air and a special arrangement of stones. So, if in the bath the heat below does not usually exceed 70 degrees, then in the sauna it can be about 100 degrees.
3. Infrastructure. The sauna has a pool or bath with cold water. There may also be located massage tables. Baths are not equipped with such devices.
4. Steaming method. In the baths they are steaming with a broom, this is the traditional way. In the sauna brooms are absolutely useless. The leaves immediately dry due to low humidity, and no positive effect is obtained.

After steaming red in a bath, a Russian man often ran outside. Nearby there was a river or a lake where a person could dive and rinse. Often after this, he again went to the bath and continued to steam. In the cold season it was even possible to rub with snow.

The sauna already includes a pool. In addition, the stones in the sauna are open. This allows you to create elevated temperatures due to steam.

Despite the differences, the bath and sauna have something in common. Both designs can be fueled "in the black" or "in the white".

Video

The general concept of the bath is available in the following video: