Banya is a Russian public steam bath. For centuries was an essential part of living in Russia People from Tsars to peasants not only washed there, but used it for religious ceremonies, to heal when they get sick, women gave birth and young couples found seclusion in there. Banya is a most ancient tradition in Russia, a philosophy and a part of a lifestyle of Russians. It is a also a unique cultural experience for those visiting Russia.

Banya buildings can be quite large with a number of different bathing areas or simple wooden cabins like the traditional Finnish cottage saunas. Russian banyas usually have three rooms: a steam room, a washing room and an entrance room. The entrance room, called a predbannik or pre-bath, has pegs to hang clothing upon and benches to rest on. The washing room has a hot water tap, which uses water heated by the steam room stove and a vessel or tap for cold water to mix water of a comfortable temperature for washing.

The heater has three compartments: a fire box that is fed from the entrance room, the rock chamber, which has a small hole to throw the water into and a water tank at the top. The top of the water tank is usually closed to prevent vapour from infiltrating the banya. Water to be thrown on the rocks should be taken from the tank as this will make better steam than if cold water were used. If an electric heater is used, the firebox is omitted.

Water from a bucket by the stove is poured over the heated rocks in the stove. There are wooden benches across the room. People enter the steam room when the stove is hot, but before water is poured on the rocks. Getting a good sweat on before using water is preferred to using steam right away, as the sweat is thought to protect and condition the skin from the steam. The peculiarity of the true Russian steam bath is comparatively not high temperature, from 45 to 60 degrees centigrade and high relative humidity, 90 to 100 percent, which, according to the modern studies, provides better vaporization and more penetrating heating.

There are two major types of Russian banya: heated black (po-chornomu) and white (po-belomu). In a "black banya" (по-чёрному), the smoke escapes through a hole in the ceiling, while in "white banyas" (по-белому) there are exhaust pipes to vent the smoke. In the former, the escaping smoke darkens the banya's interior wood, hence the name. A black banya is much more rudimentary and is generally considered to be less desirable than the "white banya."

Banya temperatures often will exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius) and special felt hats are typically worn to protect the head from this intense heat. Similarly, a user may prefer to sit on a small mat brought into the banya to protect his bare skin from the dry, hot wood of the banya's interior benches. In Russia, special felt hats are commonly sold in sets with felt mitts, along with aromatherapy extracts for inclusion into the steam water.

People often hit (massage) themselves or others with bunches of dried branches and leaves from white birch, oak or eucalyptus (called veniks, веник) in order to improve the circulation. In summer, fresh branches are used. This custom dates back to the ancient Slavs and remains popular till date, probably because nothing can be compared to its reviving effect. Flogging with venik (a bunch of leafy branches) is a peculiar massage, increasing blood circulation, sweating and metabolism and cleansing the whole organism. The ether oils in venik leaves improve the condition of skin and produce anti-ageing effect, the fact known from ancient times. As the folks used to say: "You do not grow old on that day, when you steam in banya".

After the first good sweat is induced, it is customary to cool off in the breeze outdoors or splash around in cold water or in a lake or river. In the winter, people may roll in the snow with no clothes on or may run to cold lakes where holes have been cut into the ice for post-banya bathing purposes. Then the banya is re-entered and small amounts of water are splashed on the rocks. After each sweat, cooling off is repeated and patrons may take this break to drink beer, tea, or other beverages, play games or relax in good company in an antechamber to the steam room.

Russian banya has definite health benefits: excessive heat stimulates sweating, thus removing unwanted materials from the blood and improving the work of the kidneys. Sweating also releases excess water and salt from the body and opens the skin pores, cleaning it and making it softer and fresher. Because harmful bacteria and viruses can only survive within a narrow temperature range, the use of banya to create an "artificial fever" may aid the body in protecting against them.

History of the Great Russian Bath