When did the bath appear in Russia, and what did they do in it. Banya in Russia: the most shocking facts & nbsp When baths appeared in Russia
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 with an ancient person. 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 a person discovered such beneficial properties of the bath. 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 no matter which option turns out to be correct, one thing is clear - the healing properties of steam have been known 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 in combination made it possible 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 in ancient Rome were especially fond of, here 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. A distinctive feature of the 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 physician 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 entire 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 with cold water, or roll in the snow, so that later they can 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 the beneficial effect of the steam room. But after 1743, the 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 classical commercial and domestic wooden baths, stone baths were also built in Russia, which resembled ancient Roman baths in their design. 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. The idea of a hammam was brought from the Crusades and quickly became popular. 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 on, the bathhouse becomes a profitable business, and the license holder can guarantee a comfortable existence by building a bathhouse, or by renting out the 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 attendant was considered a master 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 Russian bathing art, 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 the famous actor and servant of the court of Catherine II, Sila Nikolaevich Sandunov, gave their name to them. 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 bathing 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.
Due to the quality of their construction and compliance with all sanitary standards, the Sandunovsky baths 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.
I think that it will be very interesting for every person living in Russia to listen to the history of the Russian bath. After all, we go to it, but we don’t know where this tradition came from, who brought it to us. In this article, we will try to tell you about it.
Public baths on the Neglinnaya River in the 17th century - Appolinary Vasnetsov. 1917 As you can see, here is a black bath, smoke comes from all the cracks
The Russian banya originated from very ancient times. Even Herodotus himself narrated that the Scythians who lived in Ukraine used the bathhouse. They set up three sticks inclined towards each other, and wrapped this "building" with felt. Then, they installed a vat in the middle of the formed “room” and threw hot stones into it. Climbing into this bath, they threw hemp seed into the vat, from which a strong heat rose.
For all peoples, the bath was considered a special, sacred place. The saying that after washing in the bath it is as if reborn, originates from ancient, ancient times. Below we consider which peoples and countries began to introduce a bath into their culture.
Separate tribes of America use the "ancient" bath to this day. That is, a cone-shaped hut was built, in the middle of which a small depression was dug. Stones heated on a fire were placed in this hole and water was sprinkled on them. Now tourists, freight forwarders, geologists and others use this method.
Procopius of Caesarea, a historian who lived in the 5th century AD, wrote that the bath was an integral part of the life of the ancient Slavs. In the baths, they celebrated all the celebrations, washed the child that had just been born, and in the same way escorted the deceased to another world. At that time, the bathhouse was “built” like this: in the corner (in the house) a hearth was built of stones, and somewhere a milestone was opened a window for smoke to escape, there was also a container with water, which was sprinkled on hot stones. Each person took a broom in his hands and waving it around attracted heat. Thus, people cleansed their body and soul. Bath is a combination of four elements (as the ancestors believed) - fire, water, earth and air. A person who took a steam bath became stronger and healthier. There was even an opinion that if the patient was not cured after the bath, then nothing would help him. In East Slavic myths, it is mentioned that the Gods themselves used the bath.
In Russia, a steam bath in the 5th century was called soap or vlaznya. Already at that time, people enjoyed this grace. Regardless of whether a person is rich or poor, he could afford to cleanse himself in the bath. The bath was a consolation from problems, evil eye and adversity. A little later, inviting a person to the bath became the basis of hospitality. To begin with, the guest was called to “cleanse” and only then they were treated to drinks and food.
For the first time, one could read about the bath in the descriptions of the brilliant man monk Nestor the Chronicler. His "Tale of Bygone Years" says that the bath was first mentioned in the 1st century AD. This happened when the Holy Apostle Andrew, after preaching the gospel doctrine in Kyiv, went to Novgorod, a “real miracle” appeared before his eyes. People went into the bathhouse naked and "warmed up" there until the color of boiled crayfish, after which they poured water over themselves and beat each other with brooms to exhaustion. This ceremony took place daily. For the Holy Apostle Andrew, this was savagery, he commented on it like this: “people joyfully torture themselves.” Also, based on the description of Nestor, you can learn that in 906 an agreement was concluded between Russia and Byzantium, which dealt with ... a bath. It was indicated there that upon the arrival of the Byzantine merchants they should be given drink, food and allowed to bathe in the bath as much as they like. There is an interesting fact that happened in 945. After the death of Prince Igor, Princess Olga took revenge on the Drevlyans three times, and when the Drevlyan ambassadors arrived for negotiations with the princess, she ordered a bathhouse to be heated for them. Unsuspecting ambassadors were calmly washing their way out of the way when Olga's servants closed them from the outside and they were burned alive.
The first baths were built exclusively from logs, but in 1090 a brick bath was built in the city of Pereslavl.
At that time, visitors from other countries (Germans, French), having tried on "their own skin" what a Russian bath is, began to rebuild the same ones in their countries. But these baths were very different from real Russians. Few travelers could withstand such a high temperature (in some bathhouses it could reach up to 100 degrees), and they could not imagine how the Russian people accepted such hot air masses. Clever foreign doctors knew that steaming in a bathhouse is very useful, as a diaphoretic for the body, but since Russians steam up, it’s not only not useful, but even dangerous. They argued that the brain and muscle tissue from this relax and function worse, and for women's skin and youth it was extremely detrimental. But even foreigners knew that Russians have such a day - "bathing", it was a Saturday, on which it was customary to take a steam bath.
Those who did not have a bath could take a steam bath right in the oven. They swept the floor clean, covered it with straw, and as foreigners said about this, “they steamed so that the spirit flew out of them.” Nevertheless, this method is still used to this day, albeit rarely.
At that time, using the healing methods of Hippocrates, Russian healers (having learned about the benefits of the bath) began to help people's ailments. In the charter of the Prince Red Sun (so the people called Vladimir) there were baths for the "incapacitated". These were the first in Russia, a kind of hospital. At the beginning of the 12th century, the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, the famous healer and healer Eupraxia, lived in Russia. She, one might say, preached visiting the bathhouse. Already at the age of 15, she was betrothed to the Tsarevich of Constantinople and moved to live with him. Having quickly learned the Greek language, Eupraxia read the ancient recipes of powerful healers - Hippocrates, Asclepiades and Galen. Becoming, over time, a healer, thanks to a large number of studied recipes, she preached personal hygiene. Eupraxia said about baths that they strengthen the body and spirit of a person.
The history of the Russian bath is associated with many interesting events that, like history, it would not hurt to know contemporaries.
Regardless of who it was a king or a commoner, but the custom of “wandering” at that time had to be observed by everyone. After a night spent together, people had to go to the bathhouse in the morning, and then bow before the images. Pious people were afraid to go to church even a few days after spending a night together. Such people succumbed to light ridicule and jokes (after all, it is rather strange when several people stand in front of the church, and do not go inside). Until the beginning of the 18th century, only everyone underwent the following rite. Before the wedding, the groom had to take a steam bath, and after the night the couple went there together. The mother of the bride, on the eve of the wedding, baked bread, which was called "bannik", thus blessing the young for a happy life. She wrapped this bread, two fried birds (most often chicken) and two dinner sets in a tablecloth, sewed them up and gave them to the matchmaker. This was done so that after the young people left the bath, the matchmaker would treat them to this blessed dinner. People firmly believed that the bath would wash away all their sins.
The bath was in the house of every rich and poor person, as for the very poor, there were common baths for them.
Banya - this was the place without which not a single Russian person could imagine himself. She gave peace, pleasure, relaxation, cured diseases, rejuvenated the soul. It was a rite that could not be ignored. Before entering the bath itself, a person was given a radish, and in case of thirst, there was always cool kvass in the dressing room. Mint and other aromatic herbs played a very important role. Mint was put in kvass, benches were covered with mint, dominique and other fragrant herbs. used mainly birch.
After the Russian bath became inherent in virtually any country, different peoples made their own adjustments to it. For example, Islam compared cleansing in the bath to religious thoughts, exclusively in this way.
Now no one can reliably say where the Russian bath originated from. Some say it was brought by the Spartans, others think that it was brought by the Arabs, but it is quite likely that the Russian bath was invented by the Slavs. Why not? This assumption confirms several interesting points. Since the Russians washed in the baths, no one washed yet, that is, the ancestors had their own “style” in this matter. The fact that foreigners praised the Russian heritage and the fact that only after contemplating it in Russia they began to build the same in their own country. Who knows, maybe the forefathers of the Slavs really are the initiators of this beautiful rite.
In general, a bathhouse could be built by any person who had land for it. And in the middle of the 17th century, a decree was even issued on how far from a residential building a bathhouse should be built. This was done solely for safety. In home baths, both women and men washed together, without any hesitation, but the common ones were divided into male and female halves. And only since 1734 there was a ban on the entry of men into the women's baths, and women into the men's baths.
In 1733, a permit was issued for the construction of medicinal baths. They were forbidden to keep alcoholic beverages. As a rule, such baths were built from logs. The art of construction was passed down from generation to generation, while people did not use any drawings or charts. Very important and scrupulously the ancestors approached the question of where to place the building. This was no less important than establishing a site for the construction of the church. In the Russian bath there were no rooms with different temperatures, as in Roman thorns, but they had a room with lavas of different heights, that is, the higher, the hotter.
During the time of Peter the Great, the chamber junker Berholz lived in St. Petersburg, who in his notes about Russia described the beauty of the Russian bath and the degree of service in them. Russian women knew how to set the right temperature correctly, how hard to “depart” with a broom, and at what moment to pour cold water over them.
Peter I then lived the life of a simple carpenter, and he, like the rest of the Russian people, had a bathhouse, without which he could not imagine his life. It was he, as a result, who became the first organizer of medical resorts in Russia, built on the basis of a bath. Having visited many foreign resorts - hydropathic centers, Peter I ordered to find these healing waters in Russia. Thus, “martial waters” were discovered for the first time. They got this name due to the fact that the water turned out to be ferruginous, and therefore they named it in honor of the god of war - Mars. Peter I contributed to the fact that Russian baths became more common in Western Europe. He ordered the construction of baths in Paris and Amsterdam for his soldiers. And after the battle with Napoleon, baths were built in all the liberated countries.
The Russian bath - its history is quite interesting, and it begins to change a little with the coming to power of Peter I. At that time, "fashion" and inclinations towards ancient culture begin. They began to build structures in the style of Roman houses. A copy of the Roman thorns was built in the premises of the Grand Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.
As you can learn from the sources, many famous personalities liked to visit Russian baths. Suvorov arranged for his soldiers to "wash" in whatever city they were (the main thing was that there was a Russian bath). The de general himself withstood a very intense heat, after which he took on about 10 buckets of cold water. Denis Davydov often came, as well as the singer and actress Sanduna. It is important that after the arrival of the singer, the type of baths “Sandunovsky baths” was named in her honor. They differed from the rest in a buffet and a large number of drinks, up to champagne.
For the period 1874 in St. Petersburg alone, there were about 312 baths. All of them were supplied with Neva water. These baths were divided into "trade" and "numbered". A visit to the trading bath cost from 50 kopecks to 10 rubles, which was quite expensive, and not everyone could afford it. In the "numbered" baths, prices were more moderate, that is, made for poor people. They were divided into 3 classes: 1st class - 15-40 kopecks, 2nd class - 8-15 kopecks, 3rd class - 3-5 kopecks, which was, in general, accessible to everyone.
In order to make the process more pleasant for the "soul and body", the Russians furnished the bathhouse with various attributes. But still, each family bath differed from each other in its design, temperature regime and approach to the treatment of diseases.
Video about the history of the Russian bath:
It would seem that a bath - what could be more ordinary? From time immemorial, the inhabitants of our country regularly visit this place: they bathe, wash, communicate with friends. But not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. After all, a bathhouse is not only a separate building for water procedures; in the old days, magic rituals were performed here, sacrifices were made to spirits, and even people were executed. The birth of a person, marriage and funeral rituals - all this is directly related to the bath.
pagan sanctuary
For pagans, any place where all four natural elements converge - fire, water, earth and air - is special. From ancient times in Russia, baths played the role of family sanctuaries, they were revered as a place where the world of the living (reality) meets the world of the dead (nav). It was believed that the spirits of the deceased ancestors lived here.
It is far from accidental that the fabulous Baba Yaga should first evaporate the good fellow in the bath, and only then ask questions. After all, it is through ritual ablution that a person’s transition from reality to nav is made.
Andrey Dachnik, a researcher of ancient traditions, in his book “Bath. Essays on Ethnography and Medicine, which was published in 2015 in St. Petersburg, wrote that after the adoption of Christianity in Russia, icons firmly settled in people's homes, and it was the bathhouse that began to play the role of the center of pagan forces. Gradually, people began to perceive this stand-alone building as a habitat for devils and performing witchcraft rituals. [S-BLOCK]
Therefore, many ritual prohibitions are associated with the bath, among them:
You can’t wash alone who does this - that sorcerer or witch. Before entering the bath, you need to cross yourself; you cannot be baptized in the bath itself. Icons are not brought into the bath. You can not wash in the bath during the Orthodox holidays, it is better to do it the day before. Bath utensils (basins, ladles, pokers, etc.) are never brought into the hut. It is forbidden to build a house on the site of the bath. You can not wash in the baths at night.
Even the expression "Went to the bath!" means an offer to a person to cleanse his thoughts from all filth, which is done in a pagan sanctuary. According to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, one could acquire magical abilities in the bath if one went there at midnight and loudly renounced God, removing the Orthodox cross from oneself.
Who is a bannik?
Pagans always spiritualized not only their houses, but also other buildings. If a brownie lived in the house, a barn lived in a barn, then a bannik lived in a bathhouse. Sometimes he was also called "grandfather", which is associated with the veneration of the cult of ancestors. So the bannik could be both the spirit of the place and one of the respected ancestors of a particular family.
Since physical and spiritual purification are inseparable in the people's minds, rituals were carried out in the baths aimed at freeing people from various negativity, problems, debts, damage and the evil eye. Before the start of witchcraft, the healer or witch was sure to ask the spirit of this place to help.
Sometimes the bath was heated, but no one washed in it. This was done during pagan holidays to please the bannik. For him, they specially left water in a bowl and a broom.
As a rule, Russian peasants were afraid of the spirits living in the bathhouse. After all, a bannik offended by disrespect could kill a person, according to popular beliefs. And a certain woman-raiser, in general, was able to peel off all the skin from a living person if he remained in the bath alone and fell asleep. This is how people explained the numerous accidents that occurred in this place.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Now in Russia baths are heated in white. In the 17th - 18th centuries, these rooms were massively equipped with special pipes through which smoke escapes. And more than a thousand years before that, the baths were heated in black. Smoke just poured out of all the cracks of these log buildings with stone hearths, and the walls and ceiling were heavily smoked.
According to safety standards, such a bath must be ventilated frequently by opening the door. But many people valued warmth too much, neglected the rules. As a result, baths created an atmosphere with a low oxygen content, and carbon monoxide, combined with high temperature and humidity, could easily lead to death. People with diseases of the lungs and cardiovascular system were at risk. [S-BLOCK]
A characteristic sign of carbon monoxide poisoning is ruddy, rosy skin. The peasants believed that this angry bannik had steamed the unfortunate people to death. If we take into account that about 50-60 people die in modern Finnish saunas every year, then we can assume how many accidents happened in Russia.
Sometimes the combination of carbon monoxide and heat shock did not lead to death, but caused people to hallucinate. It was then that they saw devils in the baths, hairy wives, and all sorts of other evil spirits. Sometimes hallucinogenic herbs (for example, henbane) were deliberately burned in stoves to enter an altered state of consciousness. This technique was used by healers.
Birth of a child
Russian peasant women traditionally gave birth in a bathhouse, because it was this place that was the gate from Navi to reality. The newborn and his mother needed to be cleansed of the influence of otherworldly forces, and this was done by the midwife, who spoke the water.
After the birth of a child and reading special prayers over him, the baby was taken to the house, and his mother had to live in the bathhouse for some more time: from three days to a week. By this, she paid tribute to the spirits of her ancestors. People believed that they had a good attitude towards the process of childbirth, rejoiced at this event.
The purpose of the rituals performed on a woman in a bath was the birth of a healthy baby who would grow up strong and calm. And if the newborn died, which happened quite often, or he was found to have injuries, defects in development, then all these misfortunes were explained by the actions of an angry bannik. People said that a woman in labor or a midwife angered the evil spirits with something or were not attentive to the child, so the bannik punished them.
Sometimes peasant women themselves could strangle an unwanted child, blaming everything on the devil. In the bath, some women got rid of pregnancy, artificially inducing premature birth.
Executions and murders
As is known from The Tale of Bygone Years, a monument of ancient Russian literature from the beginning of the 12th century, the legendary Princess Olga (circa 920-969) executed two groups of ambassadors in turn. They were representatives of the Drevlyans tribe, who arrived to woo her for their ruler, whose name was Mal. It was already after the death of her husband - Prince Igor Rurikovich.
The first embassy of the Drevlyans was buried alive, and the second one was burned in a bathhouse. The tradition of using this building for the execution of objectionable people existed in Russia since ancient times. This place was very convenient for murder: it was enough just to heat the stove hotter, and from the outside to fasten the door with something heavy. In the morning there will be corpses that do not even need to be washed.
Even in the 18th century, historians recorded cases of people being executed in baths. The first Irkutsk governor Karl Lvovich von Frauendorf (circa 1710-1767) became famous for such actions. This tsarist official, as the military engineer and ethnographer Ivan Grigoryevich Andreev wrote about him, in 1762 "... causing many cruelties to various honest people and torturing one soldier in his presence in a hot bathhouse."
Since people not only were born and prepared for the wedding in the baths, but also went to another world through this mystical room, Russians strongly associated it with death. Sometimes an old or sick person was hovered in a bathhouse and left there to die, having previously dismantled part of the roof so that it would be easier for the soul to go to heaven. It happened that after the murder of the deceased, they buried it right there, because in winter the other earth was frozen, and it is very difficult to dig a grave in it.
sacrifices
Before the construction of a new bathhouse, it was necessary to make a ritual sacrifice to the spirits. As a rule, for this purpose they killed a black hen or a rooster, which was buried in the ground under the threshold of the future premises.
Sometimes other living creatures acted as a victim: a crow, a cat, a small dog. It happened that they were buried alive in order to get great support from the spirits, who should help the builders and approve the construction of a bath in the other world.
True, some pagans did not stop there. Sometimes, during excavations, human bones are found on the site of old, collapsed baths. It could be both relatives buried here, and random guests, who, according to custom, were supposed to drink, feed, and evaporate in a bathhouse. The murder of such strangers in the baths also played the role of a sacrifice to the spirits. Police reports from the 19th century preserved numerous complaints from people who managed to escape from such pagans who tried to kill them in a bathhouse.
The first baths in Russia
In Russia, baths have been known since ancient times. In his chronicles, Nestor relates their appearance to the first century of our era, when St. Apostle Andrew, preaching the gospel word in Kyiv, then went to Novgorod, where he saw a miracle - steaming in a bathhouse. According to Nestor's description, the people steaming in the bathhouse were similar in skin color to boiled crayfish:
“... Having heated the stove in wooden baths, they entered there naked and poured water over it. Then they took a rod (broom) and began to beat themselves, and flogged themselves so much that they barely got out alive. Then, having doused themselves from the head with cold water, they came to life.
Nestor in his chronicle concludes: "Being tormented by no one, they themselves were tormented, and they performed not ablution, but torment."
Water procedures in the form of bathing, dousing and soaring with whipping with a broom on the body were also widely used by the Slavic tribes of Ancient Russia. From the ancient chronicles we learn that in Russia the bath appeared long before the baptism of the Slavs. Some historians believe that the bath was allegedly brought to Russia by Arabs or Spartans. Other archeological historians suggest, and quite rightly, that the Russian bath is the own invention of the Slavs. In confirmation of the latter, a completely special, unlike any other, ritual of washing the Slavs speaks.
But some researchers also argue the opposite - that the first bath made its way to the North through the Slavic tribes from the East. Even the ancient Greek scientist and traveler Herodotus wrote that the skits, who had baths in the form of huts, received steam by throwing hemp seed on hot stones. Herodotus also mentions that the Scythians, after the burial of the deceased, cleansed themselves with a steam bath.
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, and before the wedding, and ... after death.
“And they do not have baths, but they build themselves a house of wood and caulk the cracks with its greenish moss. In one of the corners of the house, a hearth is made of stones, and at the very top, in the ceiling, a window is opened to let the smoke out. There is always a container for water in the house, which is poured over a red-hot hearth, and then hot steam rises. And in the hands of each is a bunch of dry branches, which, waving around the body, set the air in motion, drawing it to itself ... And then the pores on their body open and rivers of sweat flow from them, and joy and a smile on their faces " . So one Arab traveler and scientist wrote about the ancient Slavs.
In Russia, everyone went to the bath
In the annals of the X-XII centuries, baths in Russia are often mentioned. Baths in those distant times, our ancestors called in their own way: mov, movnya, movnitsa, soap, vlaznya, etc.
From the annals of 966 we learn:
In the charter of the prince of Novgorod and Kyiv Vladimir, who introduced Christianity in Russia, and called by the people - "Red Sun", baths were called institutions for the infirm. These were, in a way, folk hospitals, in all likelihood, the first in Russia.
In 1091, Bishop Ephraim, later the Metropolitan of Kyiv, ordered "to start a building - a bathing doctor's office and to heal all those who come free of charge (that is, free of charge. Auth.)." 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 Laurentian Chronicle, compiled in 1377, mentions a bath at the court of Princess Olga. The name of this bath is interesting - "isobka". Probably formed from the word - to melt?
The well-known figure, historian and scientist of Russia Karamzin in his work “The History of the Russian State” cites the testimony of foreign travelers who visited our land in ancient times:
...“The inhabitant of the midnight lands loves movement, warming his blood with it. It gets used to endure frequent changes in the air and becomes stronger with patience... Despise the bad weather characteristic of the northern climate... It is tempered by its fiery bath.
In the annals of the XI-XII centuries. mention is made of 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 Kameta, an oak pipe was laid from the river deep into the bank behind the walls of the Kremlin and water was supplied to a deep well-hiding place, from which it was carried to the right place with buckets.
"Why are Urusuts healthy and strong?"
In the winter of 1237, Genghis Khan's grandson Batu approached Moscow with his cavalry. His gaze appeared log cabins near the river, from which poured thick steam. From there, people often jumped out in a hurry, naked, rushed into the ice hole and plunged, while others lay in snowdrifts.
Here is how the writer and historian Vasily Yan describes this historical episode in the novel Batu:
“Batu Khan threw a whip at the log cabins:
What are these fools doing?
These houses are called soapboxes,” the interpreter explained. - There, the inhabitants of Mushkara (Moscow) beat themselves with birch brooms, wash themselves with hot water and kvass, then plunge into the hole. It is very good for health. That’s why the Urusuts (Russians) are so strong.”
Back in the first half of the 12th century, the granddaughter of the Kyiv prince Vladimir Monomakh - Evpraksia, who was fond of traditional medicine from childhood, drew attention to the health benefits of the Russian bath. Collecting various healing herbs useful for humans, she prepared decoctions from them and treated with them not only noble people, but also ordinary peasants. “She did good to people with her medicines,” they said about Evpraksia among the people, for which she was nicknamed Dobrodeya.
At the age of fifteen, she was betrothed to a Byzantine prince. Having moved to her husband in Constantinople, Evpraksia studied the Greek language in a short time, read the books of Greek scientists: Hippocrates, Galen and Asklepiades. Over time, becoming an outstanding doctor of her time, she collected and studied numerous recipes of traditional medicine, fought for the observance of cleanliness by people, without which "one cannot be healthy." Evpraksia already then spoke about the "features" of the Russian bath, its benefits, which "protects from illness and strengthens the body."
I really love the bath! I've always been interested in her story, but how did she get there? How did people wash before, how do they wash in other countries? Of course, the bathhouse as we know it did not appear immediately.
There is no doubt that the history of the bath among different nations is similar to the Brazilian TV series. There were stunning take-offs of bath traditions. As well as complete decline and collapse ...
And it all started with…
People always bathed, but as soon as they learned how to make fire, learned about the properties of water, stones, then the first steps were taken towards the invention of baths. At the same time, different peoples have their own traditions of building baths, their own rules and their own history.
Among the nomadic peoples of antiquity, baths are very similar to yurts. Long sticks were tied at the top with ropes, distributed obliquely. The whole structure was covered with animal skins. Inside, in the middle they put a cauldron with water and herbs.
Outside, on a fire, stones were heated and thrown into the cauldron. For nomadic peoples, such a collapsible design of baths was very suitable, so they could transport it to any distance. Agree, the device and the principle of heating is very similar to a modern camping bath.
Bath at nomadic peoples We learn the history of the bath from ancient times from archaeologists. For all peoples, the bath served to cleanse the body, was a hospital. Under the influence of hot, humid air, the bodies were massaged, with different force they pressed on the softened muscles. The healing properties of steam were used by the first people. The desire to thoroughly warm all the bones is very characteristic of a person.
How to wash in ancient Egypt
Thanks to excavations, it became known about the difficult baths in ancient Egypt. There were huge stones on the top floor, and they were heated from the bottom floor. These giants had a hole through which steam came from below.
People lay down on these boulders, and the bath workers rubbed them with ointments and massaged them. Everything was provided here: a swimming pool, a room for gymnastics, even a medical room. The Egyptians were very practical, the overflow of the bath was used for the central heating of the city.
On ancient papyri and drawings you will not see a complete Egyptian. They were slender and thin, and bath procedures helped them in this. The use of aromatic oils and massage in the bath kept them away from old age.
Such is the rich history of bathing in ancient Egypt.
History of Greek and Roman Baths
But the Greek bath was available to both the rich and the poor. First of all, she played the role of a hospital. And it didn’t look like the baths of ancient Egypt at all. The buildings were round. They heated up the open hearth. There were baths and a pool inside.
There was no drain, so the water had to be scooped out of the baths. The campaign of Alexander the Great in Egypt brought drastic changes to bathing life. They began to build baths with hot floors, the same as those of the Egyptians.
Bath in ancient Greece The bathing life of the Romans was related to historical art. It was a place for conversations, conversations, poetry readings, even singing. No funds were spared for the construction of the baths.
There were sculptures and fountains, marble columns. Bath equipment and utensils were made of silver and gold. The baths of the Romans were both public and private. But after the fall of the Roman Empire, the bathing culture was also forgotten. All splendor was destroyed and abandoned.
Bath in ancient Rome But there is no evil without good. The Roman Empire fell, the culture of Rome disappeared. But, this is the beginning of the flourishing of Islamic culture. The history of the oriental bath begins - the hammam, which continues to this day. All visitors, without exception, the host met as dear guests. The Eastern bath was visited as often as the mosque. Until now, five basic principles of the oriental bath have been preserved. Warming up the body, massage, cleansing the skin with a mitt, lathering and dousing with water, and the last - relaxation.
Eastern baths But the fall of the Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity in Western Europe brought complete destruction to the baths. The influence of the church was very great in those ancient times. And the church considered the bathhouse a sinful institution, because public baths were a common place for love dates.
The impact of water on the body was considered direct harm to the body. Obscurantism killed not only knowledge about hygiene, but also completely deprived people of the concept of disgust. Cleanliness was viewed with disgust. Lice were considered a sign of holiness, they were called "God's pearls." It's scary to imagine, but ladies bathed 2-3 times a year.
Bath in ancient Europe Not with a simple plague mowed down half of the Old World. Epidemics of cholera, syphilis, and smallpox were commonplace. But even after the recognition of the bath in Europe, it has long been considered a place of perverse pleasures.
Of course, the very essence of the bath, the attitude to bath procedures, the appearance, the methods of heating bath rooms, and the attitude of people, in principle, could not be the same for all peoples. After all, each nation is so distinctive. Everyone has their own history, their own religion, their own traditions. Let's not forget the various natural and climatic conditions of life.
Japanese baths
Therefore, speaking of the Japanese bath, we will see how different it is from everyone else. The Japanese honor and honor the laws of their religion, and she is against the killing of animals. Soap is made from animal fat. Therefore, the Japanese bathed without soap, but with very hot water.
There were also prohibitions in Japanese baths. In case of skin diseases, mental disorders, it was forbidden to visit the bathhouse. In addition, in the Japanese bath they did not drink, did not eat, kept silence, did not have sex and did not relieve themselves of small need.
Bath in Japan Russian bath
Now it's time for a story about our Russian bath. I am sure that it is synonymous with the Russian soul. We cannot be imagined without it, it accompanies us all our lives.
Our bath is fundamentally different and different from all known baths. We, like many others, have private and public baths. The difference is that they are radically different from each other.
Not a single nation in the world has heated and does not heat a bathhouse in a black way. And private Russian baths were heated only in black. The fact that there are many baths is undeniable, but only Russians have bath brooms.
Bath in Russia Our black bath is a separate topic of conversation, a long and interesting conversation. I will try to tell my story of a black bath in the next article, since I myself went to such a bath all my childhood.
