The word bath in Russian names. Banya in Russia: the most shocking facts The last stage in the development of the Russian bath

Bath is an integral concept for a truly Russian person. It is difficult to imagine that once, in hoary antiquity, baths could not exist.

The bath has a beneficial effect on the skin and blood composition, improves digestion and gives a charge of vivacity.

But it’s true, such a brilliant human invention should have appeared somewhere and sometime. So who was the first lucky person to experience the beneficial effects of the bath?

The history of the creation of the bath

What is a bath? If by it we mean the very process of the effect of steam on a person, then the bath, as a concept, was still ancient man. It is likely that such a blissful pastime was characteristic of our most ancient ancestors. It is in the Stone Age that it is worth looking for the sources of bathing. True, then a much more modest concept was meant by a bathhouse, namely, hot stones from which steam emanated. Even then, a person felt that steam had a beneficial effect on his body, added strength, helped to relax faster and again go for prey.

There are several theories as to how man discovered such beneficial features baths. One of the legends says that the history of the bath began with the discovery of a hot spring. The heated stones exuded steam, which seemed very pleasant and invigorating. The second idea says that moisture got into the hearth in the man’s dwelling, and the stones from which it was built exuded steam that the man liked. But whichever option turns out to be correct, one thing is clear - healing properties The couple have known each other for a very long time.

Egyptian history

Already in a more civilized and familiar form, baths appear in Ancient Egypt. There, with their pleasant and beneficial effects, they get acquainted six thousand years before you and me. The priests and the upper classes of society attached incredible importance to the purity of the body. They bathed four times a day, twice this ritual was performed at night and twice during the day. Such a ritual was often carried out precisely with the use of baths, since in addition to cleanliness, the Egyptians revered massage, moderation in food, which together allowed them to preserve the youth of the soul and body. A massage after the bath was considered one of the most healing methods of healing. The then Egyptian medicine was recognized as one of the best, and doctors could not do without water procedures and tireless recommendations of steam and baths.

Ancient India and Greece

After the Egyptians, the desire for cleanliness and relaxation captured India (this happened about two thousand years before our era). Here baths were used both as an excellent remedy and as a source of personal hygiene.

Ancient Greece also did not bypass the healing effects of steam. Here baths originally appeared among the Spartans. They looked like round small buildings, in the middle of which there was an open hearth, where stones were heated, and a high temperature was maintained inside.

Roman cult of the bath

Baths were especially popular in Ancient Rome, then soaring turned into a real cult that captured everyone: from young to old, from rich to poor. It is in Rome that the division into private and public baths first appears.

Private baths served as an addition to luxurious palaces, rich Romans took a steam bath once a day, turning it into a real cult. The bath here was not limited solely to the presence of a steam room, there were extensive rooms for physical exercises, massage, and comfortable rest rooms. The Romans in the baths rested not only with the body, but also with the soul. Here they talked on philosophical topics, drew, wrote poetry, studied, feasted, loved and parted ... Separate libraries were even created at the baths. An inscription was found on one of the walls of the ancient bath: "Bath, love and joy - together until old age." This inscription is the best way to express the attitude of the Romans to the steam room. It was here that public baths appeared - baths, where ordinary citizens could go. hallmark terms was luxury and beauty. There was marble everywhere, mosaics in the pools, silver and gold in decoration, precious metals of washstands. And all this is for mere mortals, not emperors and noble Romans.

By the end of the first century BC, more than 150 public baths were built in Ancient Rome, each of which could serve as a model of beauty and luxury. Roman baths had several compartments for sweating: with a traditional stove and stones on which water was poured (Russian bath), as well as steam rooms with dry hot air (sauna).

Baths in ancient Rome were not only a means of hygiene and a great way to spend time, they were considered an active means of combating almost all existing diseases. Asklepiad, a famous doctor of that time, argued that the most important thing for recovery is moderate physical activity, cleanliness of the body, diet, walks and a good mood. It was the bath that gave almost half of the success in recovery, according to Asklepiad (for such an addiction to baths, he was nicknamed the "bather"). He was right, the terms really allowed the Romans to feel good and enjoy life to the fullest.

Russian bath through the prism of centuries

The history of the Russian bath begins in the 5th century. Even then, the bath was known throughout the territory of the Slavic lands, it was used by princes, and ordinary people, and rich merchants, no one neglected such a pleasure. Then the banya had many names, they called it soap, and movny, and vlazne (from where the Ukrainian name of the banya comes from - lazna), the bath was also called movyu. But, despite the different names, the functions of the bath were not only and not so much hygienic as ceremonial. So, before big holidays or a wedding, it was mandatory to visit the bathhouse. This trip to the steam room was accompanied by special rituals and traditions.

The Russian bath, as well as the whole rite of the steam room, aroused the interest of many travelers, for example, Olearius, a famous scientist and traveler, wrote a lot about the Russian tradition of bathing. The German watched with pleasure the process of soaring in the bathhouse and said that the Russian people hold on very tightly to the tradition of bathing in bathhouses. In almost every city, village and even village there were private and public baths, where everyone went: from young to old.

The process of washing with the eyes of a foreigner looked like this: people go into a heated room, where water is poured on the stones, and steam up to exhaustion. After that, they run out into the street and douse themselves cold water, or ride in the snow, then to return to the steam room again. Hot skin, red bodies and cheerful screams accompany this process, and the most incomprehensible thing is that everyone likes it. According to the traveler, it was False Dmitry’s dislike for the bathhouse that discovered a stranger in him.

Anyone who had enough land could build their own bathhouse, so family bathhouses were very popular in Russia. Each city dweller and rich villager built his own steam room, where the whole family gathered to take a steam bath, wash and relax. Private baths were heated on Saturdays. It was this day that was considered a bathing day and almost all families in full force went to bathe. Moreover, in home baths, they bathed and washed all together: men, women and children.

In addition to domestic baths, there were also public baths, the so-called "commercial" baths. Initially, these baths were also common, both men and women steamed there at the same time, enjoying the rest and beneficial influence steam rooms. But after 1743, women's and men's steam rooms were separated, respectively, women were not allowed to enter the men's steam rooms, and men were not allowed to visit the women's sections of the bath.

In Russia, the bathhouse was radically different from its Roman predecessor, here bathhouses were built exclusively from wood, and not from marble. In addition, the Russian bath was not distinguished by special frills, it looked simple and modest. Everything was subordinated to the main goal of healing and recreation. In addition, there was only one steam room, where the temperature changed depending on the height, the higher the shelf, the hotter. Thus, space was saved, and the simplicity of the design made it possible for everyone to have a bathhouse.

In the villages, baths were built on the banks of rivers or lakes, so that you could plunge into the cool water directly from the steam room. To heat the bath, stoves were used, the heat from which went directly to the bath, heating the stones, on which water was then splashed. There were only two rooms in the bathhouse - the steam room itself, where the bathing process took place, as well as the dressing room, where they undressed, rested between visits to the bathhouse, and talked. Outwardly, the bathhouse looked like a small log house, no plans were drawn for its construction, but all the secrets of the bath business were kept in the head, passing on by inheritance.

Brooms were a feature of the Russian bath, bathing with brooms is a purely Russian tradition, unknown in any other country. A birch broom, thoroughly steamed and heated, created the effect of a massage, deep, warming and invigorating. Such an innovation in the bathing business has a great effect on the skin, improves blood circulation, and helps to warm up.

Baths in Russia were valued for their therapeutic effect, healing and stabbing of the body. Such useful properties were discovered in the X century. The bath was then first arranged in the Pechersk monastery, where the monks tested the effects of steam on themselves.

By the way, along with the classic trading and home wooden baths erected in Russia and stone baths, resembling their device to the ancient Roman baths. For example, the first stone bath was built in 1090 in Pereyaslavl and enjoyed incredible popularity among the townspeople.

Another milestone in the popularity of Russian baths was set by Peter 1, who himself was an avid bather and popularized this useful activity in every possible way. During his reign in St. Petersburg, no tax was levied for the construction of any type of baths and steam rooms.

The Russian person had such a strong love for the bath that even in her absence, they tried to recreate the effect of a steam room. In the throat of the most ordinary stove, in which they cooked and heated the room, they put a board on which a person lay down. The throat of the stove was closed with a damper and a good bathing effect was obtained, and when water was poured on the walls of the stove, the aroma of hot bread poured inside. This method was also used for soaring the elderly, who found it difficult to visit a real bath.

Bathing traditions of medieval Europe

After the victory of Christianity over the paganism of the Roman Empire, bathing traditions in Europe died, most of the luxurious baths were converted into temples. And the very tradition of public washrooms came to naught. But almost dead Roman traditions were replaced by Turkish ones. From crusades the idea of ​​a hammam was brought, which was quickly popularized. By the middle of the 13th century, almost every city in Europe had its own steam room, a bit reminiscent of Turkish baths, slightly preserving the traditions of Roman baths.

In Scandinavia, bathing traditions developed in their own way and were subordinated to the local climate. Dry steam rooms, the so-called saunas, flourished here, which made it possible to warm up and at the same time perfectly temper the body, which was important in the climatic conditions of those places.

In the middle of the 13th century, general bathing in the baths of men and women was prohibited, but this did not provide for the construction of separate steam rooms, but assumed the division of days into men's and women's. But this did not prevent sprees from being carried out in the baths and the bath, despite the fact that many doctors were beaten in flashes, remained a place of secret meetings, drunken parties and other entertainments. It was during this period in Europe that a license was required to build a bathhouse. Such licenses could be bought, leased or inherited. From this moment the bath becomes profitable business, and the license holder can guarantee a comfortable existence by constructing a bathhouse, or by renting an existing license. It is worth noting that the licenses were issued forever, respectively, the heirs could use it at their own discretion.

No less honorable at that time was the role of the bathhouse attendant, it could be either the owner of the bathhouse himself or a hired person. But very high demands were put forward for the attendant. It had to be a person over fifteen years of age, able to read and write, who knew arithmetic and had a certain knowledge of languages. The function of the attendant was to look after the fireboxes, baths, keep the bathhouse in order and dispose of all the personnel available in the bathhouse. The bath attendant was considered a jack of all trades, he was willingly hired, he was respected by the townspeople, he earned very good money and knew many secrets that he used at his own discretion.

With the passage of time, the baths began to get a bad reputation, and the church also contributed to this. Baths have become a constant place of entertainment, a hotbed of many diseases and simply obscene occupation. For several decades, it was no longer possible to find a bathhouse in the capitals of Europe, and by 1900 there were none even in small towns. It was possible to find a real steam room only in the Alpine villages, the Baltic countries, Finland and the northern regions of Russia. It was here that the bathing culture was originally laid on the basis of the desire for health, relaxation and peace of mind. Here the baths retained their true meaning, long lost in Europe.

Sauna legend of Moscow - Sandunovskiye baths

Probably, in Moscow, and throughout Russia, one cannot find more famous baths than the Sandunov ones. Every Muscovite, almost every visitor, and, of course, every bath lover, regardless of where they live, heard about them.

Sanduny baths meet all hygienic standards and at the same time are real works of art.

Indeed, the Sandunov baths are a kind of symbol of the bathing art of Russia, they are not only the oldest steam rooms in Moscow that exist and flourish to this day, but also a real work of art, in compliance with all hygiene standards. They are often called "Tsar-baths", neither kings nor politicians neglected the luxury of the steam rooms of this institution.

The history of the Sanduny baths is quite interesting and remarkable. They appeared back in the 18th century, and gave them their name famous actor and a servant of the court of Catherine II - Sila Nikolaevich Sandunov. Mr. Sandunov had a wife who had a beautiful, simply angelic voice - Elizaveta Uranova. The empress herself was imbued with her talent and undertook to organize the life of the family in the most lively way, giving the singer of unheard-of beauty jewelry for a very decent amount. It was these jewels that became the starting capital of the family. Having sold them, Mr. Sandunov bought land on the banks of the Neglinnaya, the lands were then inexpensive and turned out to be a very good plot, to which he later added the plots of his neighbors, gradually buying out land along the river bank.

On the resulting territory, all buildings were demolished and real stone baths were built. This was a novelty for Russia, since earlier all the baths in the country were exclusively wooden, but the new structure attracted more and more attention. All sorts of factors were taken into account in the construction: from hygiene standards to fire safety. As a result, the bathhouses perfectly survived the fire of 1812 and existed for more than eighty years, changing more than one owner during this time, but retaining the name of the founder.

True, after changing several owners and falling into the hands of Mr. Ganetsky, the baths are sent for demolition, but with the aim of building even more luxurious steam rooms in the same place, which surpassed everything that exists in the bath business in their beauty. By that time, the river on which the baths stood was already hidden in an underground collector, which greatly simplifies construction and makes the sanitary conditions of the site even better.

By 1896, the bath project, grandiose in its scope, was almost completed, several buildings included at once a hotel, employees' apartments, several shops, and a huge variety of baths. There were cheaper steam rooms with comfortable conditions without frills, and luxurious baths, intended for the upper class. These steam rooms had everything from libraries and lounges to a luxurious swimming pool. The decoration was amazing, the interior decoration was reminiscent of the luxury of the baths of Rome. In addition to all this wealth, there were two types of steam rooms: the classic Russian bathhouse and the Irish version of the steam room.

In general, the Sandunovsky baths accommodated three types of steam rooms: 50 kopecks each - these were elite steam rooms with all amenities, a cheaper and more economical option - 20 kopecks each. And, finally, baths for the poor and ordinary citizens for 5 kopecks. The price, it should be noted, already included a free washcloth and a broom.

Quite flexible pricing policy and excellent location of the baths quickly made them popular among all segments of the population. But the price and convenience were not the only reasons for the popularity of the Sanduny baths. The peculiarity of these baths was the highest hygiene, even during their construction, absolutely all the requirements and rules of hygiene were taken into account, which at that time were scattered and acted separately. In the bath, absolutely everything can be washed and cleaned, from chair covers and curtains, to the floor, walls and ceiling. Due to such stability of materials, cleanings were carried out here almost daily, which led to an amazing result - in the entire history of almost no single case of diseases or epidemics, in any way connected with the Sanduny baths.

Water was delivered to the baths by a separate water supply from the Bobyegorsk dam, which guaranteed its purity. In addition, water was used for drinking from an artesian spring dug in the territory of the complex, about 750 feet deep. To maintain exemplary cleanliness, Wednesday and Friday were sanitary days, when everything, down to the smallest detail, was checked, cleaned and laundered. In addition, the well-established ventilation system made it possible to carry out quick and high-quality air purification, and electric lighting protected from the appearance of soot and burning.

Sanduny baths, due to the quality of the structure and compliance with all sanitary norms, and still remain one of the most popular places in Moscow, and, paradoxically, they are a symbol of Russian bathing traditions, although their design does not at all correspond to the original Russian ideas about a wooden bathhouse with a small dressing room and a minimum of amenities.

It remains to be noted that the history of the baths is very many-sided and diverse. Each nation has its own history of the creation of steam rooms, their development and methods of application. Somewhere the concepts of baths intersected, mixed up, creating new symbioses, and getting into other corners, they acquired local beliefs and adapted. But at the same time, there are practically no peoples where bathing traditions would not exist at all.

It unites all the baths and the common beginning laid by the ancient man. And no matter how different the baths of the peoples of the world may be, whether they are baths, saunas, steam rooms or washing rooms, they all obey the same rule - to benefit a person, strengthen the body, improve health, restore strength and renew immunity.

Let's listen to the experience of our ancestors and discover all the charm of the healing effects of steam, the magical atmosphere of the steam room and the wonderful feeling of encouragement that envelops us after the bath procedure.

The emergence of baths in Russia refers to approximately the same period as the very formation of the Slavs. There was also no written language, and in oral folk art they already mentioned its healing power. After all, here the two most powerful natural elements merged together - fire and water, and the ancient Slavs, who, as you know, were pagans, joining forces, attracted them to their side and thus took over part of their power. Another bath was considered the personification of hospitality and hearth.

Remember the Russian fairy tales: in them Ivanushka demanded that Baba Yaga first steam him in a bathhouse, feed him, give him drink and put him to bed, and then start talking.

Mention in written sources refers to the X century. The Tale of Bygone Years said about Slavic baths: “I saw a marvel in the Slavic land ... I saw wooden baths, and they would heat them up strongly, and they would undress and be naked, and pour tanned kvass on themselves, and they would lift young rods on themselves and beat
themselves, and they will finish themselves to such an extent that they will barely get out, barely alive, and will be doused with icy water, and only in this way will they come to life. And they do this all the time, they are not tormented by anyone, but they torment themselves, and then they make ablution for themselves, and not torment. And indeed, the Russian bath cannot be compared with either European or Asian baths.

It, unlike them, has a much stronger effect on a person. And an indispensable attribute - a birch broom - whips overheated bodies in such a way that it resembles torture to foreigners. In the steam room, under the blows of brooms, it seemed to them that "their death has come and is on the threshold." But after the sauna, foreigners noted that they feel great. And the glory of the Russian bath-healer spread throughout the world.

In Russia, almost every house had a bathhouse. They were heated only once a week, on Saturdays, and therefore Saturdays were considered bathing days, and they did not work on these days. But large public baths were especially valued, where they went not only for the sake of washing, but for the sake of steam and relaxation, because in large steam rooms a completely unique and amazing effect is created.

Interestingly, in the XV-XVII centuries, joint washing of men and women was practiced. In principle, this was also the case in Europe at that time, but foreigners were surprised by the freedom of morals and relations when washing. In their general opinion, the Russians were completely devoid of false modesty. Families came to the bathhouse, with
children. Here, in the common room, there were also "grinders" - girls of easy virtue. By the way, such entertainment shocked even the most
Casanova! And only under Catherine the Great, by a Senate decree, it was forbidden for men to wash with women, and it was proposed to take children over 7 years old to their department - by gender.

The bath also played an important role not only in the matter of hygiene, but also in various ceremonies. Not a single important event in family life. On the eve of the wedding, the bridesmaids always steamed her in the bathhouse, and the bride and groom were sent here on the second day of the wedding. It was believed that this should have provided them with a happy life together and numerous offspring. In the villages, the birth of women often took place in a bathhouse. Even at the wake - and then there was a place for a bath. Friends of the deceased, who took part in the funeral, came here after the funeral and for the forties. A bath broom was sometimes left on the grave of the deceased: this was supposed to symbolize the purification of his soul before God.

Types of Russian baths

• "In black" - these are the very first baths. They had an open fire that warmed the whole room. And the smoke came out through a door or an outlet in the ceiling. Usually there was also a heater made of boulder pellets and a boiler for hot water.
• "In white" - in such a bath there was always a stove with a container for heating water. Of course, it was much easier and more convenient to wash in it. By the way, modern individual baths have such a design.
• A bath-house inside a stove (furnace mouths in old Russian houses had very wide vaults: half a meter high and one and a half meters deep). In this case, the oven
  was heated, water was heated in cast irons. After the furnace, the ashes were removed, straw was poured, and those who wanted to wash themselves climbed into the oven, where they could even gently steam with a broom.

And finally, let's talk about the usefulness of the Russian bath:

• under the influence of bath procedures, resistance to various colds increases, and the body hardens;
• activation of sweat and sebaceous glands contributes to the removal of toxins from our body, the skin is also perfectly cleansed;
• strengthening the activity of the heart and lungs during a visit to the bath has a training effect and contributes to their endurance;
• staying in a steam room helps to effectively relax the muscles and restore efficiency.

Today, almost everyone can become the owner of their own bath, which is both modern and practical, on the one hand, and traditional healing, on the other hand. For this, only some capital investments are needed to actually buy this bathhouse. In the CIS market today you can find real professionals in this business who will make you a log house of excellent quality, in compliance with all rules and regulations, and in the shortest possible time. And after a very short period of time you will be able to enjoy the magical effect on your body of a real Russian bath.

Tips for beginner vapers

Before visiting the steam room, do not wet your head. Dry hair prevents the head from overheating, improves the sensation of heat. You can put on a woolen or felt hat and moisten it with cold water from time to time.

It is not allowed to enter the steam room with soap, and even more so - to wash there with soap.

A birch broom will fill the steam room with a pleasant aroma, and “treatment” of the body with a broom will have a beneficial massaging effect, enhance the effect of hot steam.

If you decide to douse yourself with cold water, which is effective tool for hardening, do not forget that in hardening it is important
gradual principle. Start with cool water and gradually move to ice water.

The sauna is not to be visited by pregnant women and small children. The procedure is contraindicated in a number of diseases and even in mild ailments, accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature. Go to the bath should not be after a hearty meal, and even more so on an empty stomach.

Subject to these rules, the bathhouse will bring undoubted health benefits. So have a light steam on you!

The Russian bath is inextricably linked with the history and culture of the Russian people, or rather, it is even older than the ancient Slavic tribes from which the nationality was formed. Historians argue that the bath appeared long before the Slavs and cite as an example the statement of Herodotus, who claimed that the ancient Scythians, who lived in ancient times (approximately V-I centuries BC), already used the bath. They arranged a kind of camping bath, which was a hygienic, medical and cosmetic procedure and just a form of relaxation and rest. They fastened several poles together, covered them with felt, and brought inside this hut metal vessel with hot stones. The Scythians poured water on the stones, threw herbs, from which fragrant steam immediately began to rise. Being inside the hut, the person not only sweated profusely, but also inhaled the air saturated with healing vapors. Herodotus wrote: "No Hellenic bath can be compared with the Scythian bath. While enjoying it, the Scythians scream with pleasure." Scythian women, in addition, before the bath, rubbed pieces of bark and needles of cedar, cypress, and other aromatic plants on a rough stone. Water was added to this mixture so that a thick paste with a very pleasant smell formed. According to Herodotus, the whole body was rubbed with this mixture. When they washed it off, it became clean and shiny.
The first mention of the bath in Russia is considered to be a documentary agreement of 906 between Prince Oleg and Tsargrad on the construction of baths for Russian merchants on the territory of the conquered city of Byzantium. Another mention of the revenge of Princess Olga Drevlyany in 945, when she avenged the murder of her husband by burning ambassadors in the bathhouse. A little later, in the "Tale of Bygone Years" dated 1113, compiled by the chronicler Nestor, a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery. Nestor describes the journey of the Apostle Andrew to the land of the Slavs. According to legend, Saint Andrew preached the Word of God in the Kievan and Novgorod lands, where Andrew witnessed a picture that struck him: people were steaming in wooden huts, whipped themselves with brooms and ran out naked into the frost: “I saw the ancient baths ... And how they roast them ruddy, they shrug off their clothes, and, taking a young rod, they flog themselves so much that they go out almost lifeless, and cool their exhausted body with water. And they will come to life again. There are sources from other countries, for example: Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, who lived in the 5th century AD, writes that the bath accompanied the ancient Slavs all their lives: they were washed here on their birthday, before the wedding and ... after death. “And they don’t have baths, but they build a house of wood and caulk its cracks with greenish moss. water, which is poured over a red-hot hearth, and then hot steam rises. And in each hand is a bunch of dry branches, which, waving around the body, set the air in motion, attracting it to itself ... And then the pores on their body open and flow with rivers of sweat, and on their faces - joy and a smile. An excellent description of soaring in a black sauna.
The mention of the bath in the annals before the 10th-12th centuries in Russia was more often foreign, since in those days it was called: mov, movnya, movnitsa, soap, vlaznya, etc. In the charter of Prince Vladimir of Novgorod and Kyiv, who introduced Christianity in Russia and is named was among the people the Red Sun, the baths were called institutions for the infirm. These were a kind of folk hospitals, in all likelihood, the first in Russia. The chronicles of the 11th-12th centuries mention a water pipe built for Yaroslav's court. Moscow princes took water for a bath from the Moscow River or from the Neglinnaya River. Later, at the beginning of the 16th century, on the orders of Ivan Kalita, an oak pipe was laid from the river behind the walls of the Kremlin and water was supplied to a deep well-hiding place, from which it was then scooped up in buckets and taken to homes.
Foreign historians and travelers tried to describe the Russian bath in detail, considering it to be a sight that gives color and individuality to the Russian people. At the beginning of the 17th century, the German scientist Adamus Alearius (Olearius) visited Russia and experienced the features of the Russian bath himself: “There is not a single city, not a single village in Russia that does not have steam baths. Russians can endure extreme heat. on the bath shelves, they order themselves to be beaten and rubbed with hot birch brooms, which I could not bear. From such heat, the Russians turn red and pour cold water on them. , and then enter the hot bath again. Such a change of opposite actions favors their health. He was even more surprised and amazed by what he wrote about in "Tales of the Persian Journey" that when he looked incognito into one of the public baths in Astrakhan: "Men and women were in the bath together and only some of them covered themselves with brooms. Most felt completely free.
In those days, everyone steamed in public baths together, regardless of gender and age. The first attempts to separate the male and female part of the bathhouse visitors into different rooms were made under Ivan the Terrible. Having visited Pskov, the tsar became extremely angry and convened a church council. The fact is that an unflattering picture appeared before his eyes: in the Pskov public bath, not only city dwellers - men and women of all ages, but also monks and nuns, steamed and ran naked into the street. As a result, the latter were forbidden to enter the bathhouse together with members of the opposite sex. As for the rest, everything continued as before. Periodically, attempts were made to ban joint washing, but they were not very successful. Only Catherine II by a special decree ordered that a separate room for women be built at the public bathhouse, where boys over seven years old were not allowed to enter. However, in home baths, whole families washed, while men and women were together. However, in public (commercial) baths, people of all ages and sex also steamed together, however, women on one half, and men on the other.
Public baths began to be built in Russia in ancient times. Due to the fact that there was nowhere to put family baths in the cities, and the authorities were afraid of epidemics, in addition to ordinary washing baths, medical and health baths were built, but more often at monasteries. In 1091, Bishop Ephraim, later the Metropolitan of Kyiv, ordered "to start a building - a bathhouse for doctors - and to heal all those who come free of charge." In the same years, the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk monastery Agapius, who became famous as a skilled healer, healed the sick with herbs and a bath. According to the monastic charter, patients were supposed to be washed in a bath three times a month. The monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra studied the ancient Greek treatises that appeared in Russia after the Byzantine campaigns. They tried to use the healing properties of water and steam, described by Greek doctors, to treat various ailments. However, the baths were built at the same time not according to the model of the Greek laconicum, but according to the model of the Russian folk hut. There was certainly a bathhouse in every village, and besides, almost all houses had their own separate bathhouse. Its construction was allowed to anyone who had enough land. The decree of 1649 ordered "soap houses to be built in vegetable gardens and in hollow places not close to the mansion." Home baths were heated only once a week, on Saturdays, and therefore Saturdays were considered bathing days and even government offices did not work on them.

During the construction of St. Petersburg, Peter I allowed everyone to build bathhouses in the new city without any restrictions, in particular, it was not necessary to pay a fee for the construction of a bathhouse in St. Petersburg, as in other places in Russia. Later, Peter established a special bath office, which was in charge of the baths of St. Petersburg. However, he himself repeatedly introduced a tax on baths, experiencing great difficulties in waging the Northern War and the war with the Turks. Although he was not the first king to call tribute from private baths.
The cost of entry to the public bath was low, so that everyone, even the poorest, could visit the bathhouse without damaging their wallet. An interesting record has been preserved in the state archives that on May 11, 1733, permission was received from the medical office to establish a medical bath in Moscow, the owner of which was strictly obliged "... to use in that bath only external diseases and difficult operations without the knowledge and advice of a doctor not to repair And for your work, take a real price and no frills, so that there are no complaints about it. In these medicinal baths, which were called Bader, it was forbidden to sell strong drinks.
In Russia, the most common bath was a black bath ". Its peculiarity was that it consisted of one or two rooms and there was no stove in it - instead of it there was a hearth with a large number of stones heated by a direct flame. Such a bath was smoking because it was heated on black with a free exit of smoke through a doorway, or a special window. When the stones heated up, the hearth was cleared of ash, the bath from soot, after which the bath stood and warmed up evenly. And only after that it was ready for debate. With the use of brick and clay in they began to install a stove and a chimney in the bathhouse, and such a bathhouse was already called a white bathhouse.However, the blackbathhouse existed for a long time due to the fact that a tax on "smoke" was periodically introduced, that is, a tax was taken from buildings with a chimney.This was the main reason slow development of baths on white.

The black bath is still considered the standard of bathing steam conditions, the secret is that the stones heated by direct fire gave amazing fine steam called light, its quality was unsurpassed, and the action is unforgettable, which is why Russians always wish each other "light steam".

By the beginning of the 20th century, there were more than 300,000 bathhouses in Russia. Public baths began to be called commercial. In addition, there were also noble baths - establishments more relaxing than hygienic. In the post-revolutionary years, the Soviet government began to eradicate the historical past, because of which typhus, consumption, even the plague swept over Russia, the authorities again began to restore baths, but not a family bath, but a public bath and not a steam bath, but simply a washing one, or as they were later called bath-laundry plants. The concept of a bath began to be replaced by a simple washing procedure. Traditions began to be forgotten. The bath business is almost dead. But with the destruction of Soviet power and the abolition of the common fund, bathhouses and the bath business began to revive again. Of course, it is still too early to talk about mass character, but gradually the consciousness of society is unfolding in the direction of understanding the need to use natural factors to maintain healthy lifestyle life. For people of the past, the bathhouse was not only a place for physical cleansing and washing, but also a place for relaxation, relaxation, and healing. In the bath they gave birth, treated, fortune-telled, had conversations and meetings, retired. Bath was the cultural center of every family. A modern family often lacks such a core that connects and unites everyone, there is no place for purification and relaxation, hardening, restoration. Most medicine tries to correct neglected diseases that could have been prevented with simple and effective bathing procedures, applied consistently and with knowledge of technology.
But much more than the simplicity of morals, foreigners were struck by the unprecedented hardiness and bodily health of Russians.
As early as 1779, the physician William Took, a member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, wrote: “Only a few diseases are common among Russians, and most of them they can treat with simple home remedies and diet. Women here give birth easily, and very often births take place in a bathhouse. there are exceptionally few stillborn children here compared to other countries ... In general, Russians know only a few medical potions. At the same time, very often, instead of them, Russians use a steam bath, which affects the entire human body. Without a doubt, that exceptional health and longevity , which we observe among the Russians, they owe a lot to the bath."
An English physician, Edward Kentish, also pointed out that many fatal diseases for Russians are not as fatal as for other peoples. He attributed this resistance to disease only to frequent visits to the steam bath. The same opinion was shared by many other foreign doctors of that time. So, for example, the Spaniard Sanchez, the doctor of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, claimed that the bath helps Russians from smallpox, diseases internal organs, from colds, chronic diseases caused by excessive drinking and eating. “I do not hope that such a doctor would be found who would not recognize a steam bath as useful. Everyone clearly sees how happy society would be if it had an easy, harmless and so effective way so that they could not only maintain health, but heal or tame the diseases that so often happen. For my part, I consider only one Russian bath, properly prepared, to be capable of bringing such a great benefit to a person. When I think about the multitude of medicines from pharmacies and from chemical laboratories, coming out and brought from all over the world, how many times I wanted to see that half or three-quarters of these buildings, built everywhere at great expense, would turn into Russian baths, for the benefit of society. At the end of his life, having left Russia, Sanchez contributed to the opening of Russian steam baths in all the capitals of Europe, but they began to actively build Russian baths only after the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, when Russian troops reached Paris, setting up not only camping, but also stationary baths along the way. .

Alexey Bely

For the first time, the Russian bath is mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years. This is the 10th century. But some historians believe that the banya appeared in Russia much earlier, in the 5th-6th centuries.

Since ancient times, it was considered a sacred place where four elements simultaneously dominate: water, fire, earth and air. They cleanse a person not only physically, but also spiritually.

The Russian banya is fundamentally different from European and Asian ones - a high heat temperature and such an integral attribute as a birch broom. The Russian bathing ritual shocked visiting foreigners, who called the ongoing action torture and self-torture.

When the British came to Russia through the North, they noted that these barbarians stoked the huts "in a black way", then bathed in them with their families, torturing each other with twigs, and then rushed into a river or pond with a whoop.

The first Russian baths were vlazni in a black way. The oven was without a chimney. Smoke and soot came directly into the steam room. The walls and ceiling instantly became smoky, black - which gave the name to such baths.

Steamed in them only after they are well ventilated. All windows and doors were opened to let the smoke out. Later they began to install stoves with a chimney. And such baths were called white. Steamed in Russia and in ordinary home ovens. They had spacious mouths - almost one and a half meters deep and about half a meter high. After cooking, the ashes were removed from the warm oven, the soot was washed off, and the straw was laid. They put a tub with hot water to spray the roof of the stove, climbed inside, lay down and steamed.

In Russia, everyone used the banya: both princes, and noble people, and ordinary people.

Not a single celebration was complete without a bath. So, after the birth of a child, this event had to be “washed” in a bathhouse. The wedding ceremony could not do without it. On the eve of the wedding, the bride and her friends went to the bathhouse. Accordingly, the groom and his friends visited the steam room. The next day after the wedding, the newlyweds also went to the bathhouse. Upon leaving it, the matchmaker met them and treated them to fried poultry and "bannik" - bread, with which the mother of the bride blessed the young for the crown.

Foreigners were struck by the fact that Russians prefer the banya as a place of communication. As Yakov Reitenfels, a native of Courland, wrote, "Russians consider it impossible to conclude friendship without inviting them to a bath and then eating at the same table."

Almost every house in Russia had its own bathhouse, which was heated once a week. Saturday was considered a bathing day. Even government offices did not work. The construction of baths was allowed to anyone who had enough land. A decree of 1649 ordered that 'soap houses be built in vegetable gardens and in hollow places not close to the mansion' in order to avoid fires. In home baths, the whole family washed.
Olearius (German scientist 1603-1671), who made a trip to Muscovy and Persia in 1633-1639, wrote that "Russians can endure intense heat, from which they turn all red and become exhausted to the point that they are no longer able to stay in the bath, they run out naked into the street, both men and women, and douse themselves with cold water, but in winter, having run out of the bath into the yard, they wallow in the snow, rub their body with it, as if with soap, and then go back to the bath" .

However, the nobles and rich people preferred not home, but large public baths, where people of all ages and sex also steamed and washed together. Many "enlighteners" and "moralists" of that time called common baths the main source of debauchery. Although in Europe at that time the joint washing of men and women was common.

But the freedom of morals and relations that reigned in Russian baths surprised foreigners. In their opinion, the Russians were completely devoid of false modesty, inherent - as they said - to every civilized (that is, European) person. Families with small children came to the baths. Here, in the common room, walking girls, called rubbing women, worked. For wealthy clients of all classes, there were specially separate rooms and nooks and crannies.

Only after the Decree of Catherine the Great, joint "washing" was prohibited. In 1743, the baths were divided into women's and men's. By the 19th century, expensive, richly furnished bathhouses with good service and excellent buffets appeared in large cities.

But the most famous and luxurious were the Sandunovsky baths in Moscow. The whole color of the Russian nobility visited this bathing palace and where foreigners began to go with pleasure.

In 1992, Sanduny was declared an architectural monument and taken under state protection. Russian steam baths did not take root abroad. But sometimes in Europe you can see a sign with the name of the place bearing the word banya.

Favorite tradition of every Russian

Russian bath in black

The bath has always been and is for a Russian person not just a place where you can take hygiene procedures and cleanse your body of pollution, but a special, almost sacred structure, where cleansing takes place not only on a physical, but also on a spiritual level. After all, it is not for nothing that those who visited the bathhouse, describing their own feelings, say:

How he was born again into the world, rejuvenated by 10 years and cleansed his body and soul.

The concept of the Russian bath, the history of appearance

The Russian bath is a specially equipped room, which is designed for taking water hygiene and thermal procedures in order to prevent and improve the whole body.

Today it is difficult to judge what prompted the ancient man to think about creating a bath. Perhaps these were random drops that fell on a red-hot domestic hearth and created small puffs of steam. Perhaps this discovery was made intentionally, and the person immediately appreciated the power of steam. But the fact that the culture of steam baths has been known to mankind for a very long time is confirmed by numerous archaeological excavations and written sources.

So, according to the ancient Greek historian-chronicler Herodotus The first bath appeared in the era of tribal communities. And having visited in the 5th century. BC. the territory of the tribes that inhabited the Northern Black Sea region, he described in detail the bathhouse, which resembled a hut-hut, with a vat installed in it, where they threw red-hot stones.

Unwashed Europe and clean Russia

Already later sources indicate that the bathing culture also existed in Ancient Rome, whose rulers spread it to the conquered territories of Western Europe. However, after the fall of the Roman Empire in Western Europe they forgot both the bath and the ablution as such. A ban was established on bathing culture, which was explained, among other things, by wholesale deforestation, and, as a result, a lack of firewood. After all, in order to build a solid bath and heat it well, you need to cut down a lot of trees. A certain role was played by medieval Catholic ethics, which taught that the exposure of the body, even for washing, is a sinful act.

The fall hygiene requirements led to the fact that for many centuries Europe was mired not only in its own sewage, but also in diseases. Monstrous epidemics of cholera and plague only for the period from 1347 to 1350. claimed the lives of more than 25,000,000 Europeans!

Bath culture in Western European countries was completely forgotten, as evidenced by numerous written sources. So, according to the recognition of the Queen of Spain, Isabella of Castile, she washed herself only twice in her life: when she was born and when she got married. No less sad fate befell the King of Spain, Philip II, who died in terrible agony, consumed by scabies and gout. Scabies completely tortured and brought Pope Clement VII to the grave, while his predecessor Clement V died of dysentery, which he contracted because he never washed his hands. It is no coincidence, by the way, already in the 19th and 20th centuries, dysentery began to be called the "disease of dirty hands".

Around the same period, Russian ambassadors regularly reported to Moscow that the king of France stinks unbearably, and one of the French princesses was simply eaten lice, which the Catholic Church called God's pearls, thereby justifying its senseless ban on baths and the culture of accepting elementary hygiene procedures.

No less curious and at the same time repulsive are the archaeological finds of medieval Europe, which today can be seen in museums around the world. Eloquently testifying to the ubiquitous filth, stench and uncleanliness, exhibits are on display for visitors - combs, flea traps and saucers for crushing fleas, which were placed directly on dinner table.

Flea catcher - devices for catching and neutralizing fleas; in the old days an essential element of the wardrobe

Today, it is already proven that French perfumers invented perfumes not to smell better, but to simply hide the smell of a body unwashed for years under the fragrance of floral aromas.

And it remains only to sympathize with the daughter of the Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise, - Anna, which, after marriage to the French king Henry I wrote to the father at home, they say:

Why did I anger you so much, and why do you hate me so much that you sent me to this dirty France, where I really can’t even wash my face?!

But what about in Russia?

And in Russia, the bath has always existed, at least according to the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea who are still in the 500s. wrote that the culture of ablution accompanies the ancient Slavs throughout their lives.

According to ancient descriptions, the bath was a log building with a hearth, on the hot coals of which water was poured from time to time, which turned into steam. According to popular beliefs, the keeper of the bathhouse and its soul is a bathhouse - an absolutely naked old man, whose body is covered with leaves from a broom. Bannik was supposed to be appeased from time to time, treating him with bread and salt, which once again emphasizes the respectful attitude of the Slavs to the bath itself and its “essence”, which they literally idolized.

Having appeared on the territory of Russia back in the days of paganism, when people worshiped the cult of fire and water, both the bathhouse and the hearth were deeply revered by the Slavs, which is noted in their works by researchers of Russian life I. Zabelin and A. Afanasiev. The bath was not just a place where you could cleanse your body of dirt and take hygiene procedures, but also a kind of medical institution where people of the ancient medical specialty could put any sick person on their feet.

In turn, the chronicles of the X-XIII centuries. point to the widespread distribution of the bath among the Eastern Slavs, starting from the 5th-6th centuries, when it was affectionately called movnitsa, mov, soap and vlaznya. And even with the baptism of Russia, when the church began an active fight against folk healers and all sorts of superstitions, the bathhouse did not cease to exist, but only strengthened its influence, as it became a place for obligatory visits before performing the most important church rituals - baptism, weddings, communion and other .

“Heat me a bathhouse in white!”

The bath in white, as V. Vysotsky sings about in his song, appeared in Russia much later than the bath in black, gradually replacing the latter. At first, the Slavs built baths without a chimney, in a black way, but as natural ventilation an intermittent opening door was used. In a black sauna, smoke does not go into the chimney, but into the sauna room itself, from where it exits through an open door, as well as through a special hole in the ceiling or wall (the so-called "pipe"). After the firebox is finished and the coals are completely burned out, the door is closed, the pipe is shut up, and the shelves, benches and floor are washed with plenty of water from soot and the bath is kept for about 15 minutes before use, so that it dries and gains heat. Then the remains of the coals are raked out, and the first steam is released so that it takes the soot from the stones with it. After that, you can steam. A black bath is more difficult to heat and cannot be heated during washing (like a white bath), but due to the fact that the smoke eats up all the old smells, the black bath has its own charm, unattainable in a white bath.

Later, they began to build baths in white, where a stove-heater with a chimney acted as a source of heat and steam.

In addition, at that time there was another interesting and unusual way to steam right in the Russian stove. To do this, it was carefully heated, and the bottom was covered with straw. Then a person climbed inside the furnace, taking with him water, beer or kvass, with which he poured over the red-hot walls of the hearth and took a steam bath, after which he went out and doused himself with cold water. Even the weak and old did not deny themselves such an unusual pleasure, who were simply pushed into the oven on a special board, and a healthy person intermeddle next to wash and steam the weak, as expected.

Bath for a Russian is more than love!

Bath accompanied every Russian person from birth to death. In no other culture of the world did she become as widespread as in Russia, where her visit was elevated to an obligatory cult and had to take place regularly.

Not a single celebration could do without it, and, meeting even a random guest, the owner first of all offered him to visit the bathhouse, and then taste the treat and spend the night. It is no coincidence that in Russian fairy tales, in addition to shelter and dinner, travelers are always offered a bathhouse.

Bachelorette and bachelor parties, as they would say today, necessarily ended with a visit to the bathhouse, and the young themselves, having become spouses, were obliged to take it regularly, each time after marital intimacy, if they went to church the next morning. It was supposed to go to the bath with almost any ailment, especially if it was a cold, runny nose, cough and joint diseases.

The therapeutic effect of this simple and pleasant procedure is comparable to the strongest effect on the entire human body. When every cell of the body receives an unimaginable charge of energy, forcing it to work in a new way, thereby restarting the natural processes of regeneration and self-renewal. And the alternation of high temperatures with cold, when after visiting the bath it is customary to jump into the snow, an ice hole, into a river, or simply douse yourself with ice water - this is the most The best way hardening and strengthening immunity.

As for the special love of Russians for the bath, it has found its embodiment not only in folklore, but also reflected in historical documents. So, the Russian historian and researcher of the customs and life of the Russian people N.I. Kostomarov repeatedly notes in his works that people went to the bathhouse very often in order to wash, heal and just for fun. According to him, for a Russian person, visiting a bath is a natural need and a kind of rite, which neither adults, nor children, nor the rich, nor the poor can violate.

In turn, foreigners who visited Russia were surprised to note the habit of the Russian people very often and for a long time to wash, which they did not meet either in their homeland or in other countries. In fact, as a rule, they bathed once a week, on Saturdays. But for foreigners who almost never bathed, it seemed "very often." So, for example, the German traveler Adam Olearius once wrote that in Russia it is impossible to find a single city or even a poor village where there would be no bathhouse. They are here just at every step, and they are visited at every opportunity, especially during periods of illness. And as if summarizing, in his writings he noted that, perhaps, such a love for the bath is not devoid of practical meaning, and the Russian people themselves are so strong in spirit and healthy.

As for Europe, for the revival of the custom of bathing and bathing regularly, she should be grateful to Peter I and the Russian soldiers, who, terrifying the same French and Dutch, steamed in a hastily built bathhouse, and then jumped into the icy water, despite to the frost outside. And the order given in 1718 by Peter I to build a bathhouse on the banks of the Seine completely horrified the Parisians, and the construction process itself gathered onlookers from all over Paris.

Instead of a conclusion

According to many researchers of the culture and life of the Russian people, the secret of the Russian bath is simple: it cleanses and heals at the same time. Yes and just architectural solution The building is uncomplicated and is an ordinary room with a stove-heater, which allows a person of any income and position to have it.

As for the special love for the bath and the popularity of the bath ritual throughout history, this once again emphasizes the desire of every Russian person for cleanliness, neatness, health, clarity of thought and decency. The bathing tradition, despite the fact that outwardly remains an everyday phenomenon, is an important element of culture, which is reverently preserved, passed down from generation to generation, and remains an important sign of belonging to the Russian people. Thus, as long as the Russian people exist, so long will the banya exist.