In modern life, many have only heard about the pleasures and healing effects of the Russian bath. When the opportunity to build one arises, it is difficult for such people to make a meaningful choice between a combined and separate washing and steam room. Here is collected information shared by knowledgeable people for whom visiting a bathhouse is a habitual procedure.
Expectations associated with the bath
When you are invited to the bathhouse, you are set up for a pleasant pastime with conversations, a relaxed rush of mutual frankness, aromatic homemade herbal tea, with the smell of birch or oak bark. You remember the state of your body in order to record the healing effects of steam and brooms on your health after the bath. In the minds of a modern city dweller, a bathing procedure is associated with a festive event.
For a villager, this may be an ordinary process of washing and healing a body exhausted in the field, garden and vegetable garden.
What were the bathhouses like in Ancient Rus' and where did the first residents of St. Petersburg take a steam bath?
Vladimir Ivanovich Dal revealed in sufficient detail the semantics of the word “bathhouse”. It comes from the word “banit”, which in the old days meant “to wash, clean with water”, and “bath” - to wash. Speaking about baths, Dahl meant a Russian steam bath, a building or rest, where they bathe not just in dry heat, but in steam.
In Rus' there were definitely baths at least in the 10th century. This conclusion can be drawn from Igor Bogdanov’s rich research “Three centuries of the St. Petersburg bathhouse”. Bogdanov writes that the Arab traveler Ibn Rust at the beginning of the 10th century described the “baths of the northerners” as follows: “In their country, the cold is so strong that each of them digs a ditch in the ground for a cellar, to which they attach a wooden pointed roof, like a church. They move into such cellars with their entire family, taking firewood and stones. They light a fire and heat the stones red hot. When the stones are heated to the limit, water is poured on them, which spreads steam, heating the house to the point that they even take off their clothes.”
From there you can find out that the chronicler Nestor, who lived at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries, wrote that the Slavs who lived in the northern forests voluntarily subjected themselves to the “painful procedure” [of washing in a hot bath], which gave them “painful joy.” Nestor also describes the procedure for washing in a bathhouse, noting the widespread nature of this phenomenon. The chronicler says that this “has been from ancient times” an integral part of the life of a Russian person.
With all this, the bathing business was not regulated by rulers for a long time. In village baths, men and women steamed together until the 16th century. This only stopped under Ivan the Terrible in 1551, when the Stoglavy Council banned “joint washing” “in order to prevent a possible fall into sin.”
At first, after the creation of St. Petersburg, everyone was allowed to build baths. Which, by the way, many residents took advantage of. At that time, baths were not yet subject to duties, and this was profitable. The only condition was to build baths away from housing and exclusively from stone.
Within a few months, Peter I, seeing the people’s passion for baths, decided to take advantage of it. In 1704, he issued a decree introducing a monetary tax from each public and home bathhouse in all cities and counties. Since then, the government began to encourage the creation of public baths. According to the drafted charter “On the Bath Collection”, 3 rubles were taken from the boyars, 1 ruble from the servicemen, and 15 kopecks per year from the archers, service Cossacks and peasants.
At the same time, the baths kept getting bigger and bigger. As researcher Naum Sindalovsky writes, we can talk at least about the Voronin baths with marble decoration, baths in the Admiralty Courtyard, Fonarny Lane and near the Harbor. They became places of power for people of different classes; each of them had its own reputation.
Public baths on the Neglinnaya River in the 17th century.
Combined bathhouse
The main attractive force of a one-room space for spa treatments is the ability to place everything you need in an area of no more than 10-15 m2. The advantages of this arrangement:
- the room warms up quickly;
- fuel is saved;
- everything is nearby;
- construction is much cheaper and happens faster.
This bathhouse is convenient:
- for most older people;
- for a lonely person;
- for a family of up to 4 people.
In winter, such a room is instantly ventilated. Some, in order to save steam for others, wash in a trough on the floor, where the air is cooler. In summer you don’t have to use the steam room.
The negative nuances of the combined option for a large number of people, in addition to cramped conditions, are manifested in increased humidity in the steam room, which makes breathing difficult and reduces the effect of temperature on the skin. For many people, the smell of soap on the shelf spoils their pleasure. If there is an organizer with a steady hand in the team, he can convince everyone to first take turns steaming and then wash together.
The negative consequence of a combined steam room and washing room is a quickly deteriorating wooden floor. Anyone who builds thoughtfully lays the boards in such a way that they are easier to replace. If you decide to lay a tiled floor, you need to put rubber mats on it for safety.
LiveInternetLiveInternet
The boy Denis with his mother and sister visited the washing block and washed with the women. Here he first experienced male pleasure.Denis woke up from rather sharp and strong pushes on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw the dissatisfied face of his older sister Anya. “How long can you sleep,” she said reproachfully. “Mom woke you up an hour ago, and you went back to sleep.” Denis turned away from his sister, defiantly closed his eyes and began to snore. “Mom, he doesn’t listen to me,” Anka shouted lazily and deliberately loudly, turning towards the kitchen and, sitting down in an old leather chair, she picked up a book with a smart look. The mother entered the room, trying to change her facial expression from relatively tired to very stern. “Denis, you don’t have a father. Get up immediately. The sooner we leave, the fewer people we will find. Or do you want to wait in line? Of course, you can walk around unwashed for years. But Anya and I hate to look at you. Get up, you unwashed couch potato." Denis silently obeyed. Lately he hasn't had much of an argument with his mother. And when her father left for the North on a long-term business trip, she almost burst into tears. Today they had to go wash in the washing block, which had been equipped for two days at the school, where Denis was in the sixth grade, Anka in the tenth, and his mother taught physics. In the city, there has been no normal supply of water to residential buildings for three weeks now. And last week, washing units were opened in some institutions, which were provided with water on certain days. For school No. 47, such days were Saturday and Sunday. The washing block was intended only for school employees and their children. By decision of the school director, Saturday was declared a “women’s” day. At breakfast, devouring a cheese sandwich, Denis decided that they had disturbed him in vain. It is unlikely that a 12-year-old boy will be allowed to wash with women. His mother told him yesterday that he should try to show up at school early, when either no one would be there or they wouldn’t be too much of a quarrel. After finishing breakfast, they dressed warmly and took the tram to school. On the tram, Denis first looked at the houses and advertising stands running past, and then at his own shoes. Very quickly they found themselves at the school - a dull gray building standing on the corner of Lesnaya and Karetnaya streets. Having walked around the building, they entered the school yard and headed towards the washing unit, which was equipped at the school boiler room. Entering the block, Denis saw a plywood wall with a door and a small window, through which one could see the sly, wrinkled face of cloakroom attendant Ivan Lukich. This plywood partition was installed to separate the locker room and the washing block in general from the boiler room workers, who upon entering could immediately turn left and begin their work activities without interfering with those washing. “And Margarita Sergeevna and the children came to take a steam bath,” the cloakroom attendant addressed his mother in a polite hoarse voice. “And how old is your youngest, huh? Big kid." Denis looked at the piece of paper pasted by the window, which said in black and white that “Children of the opposite sex over 10 years old are not allowed to wash!” The mother, straightening her hair (Denis knew that this involuntary movement occurred in her when she was telling a lie), replied, “Yes, in a week she will turn 10.” Ivan Lukich bared his dense rows of iron teeth, “Well, once in a week, then come in,” and opened the door. They ended up in a locker room or a waiting room, you couldn’t tell right away. Lukich was sitting on a chair half-turn to the window, half-turn to the room. Next to him lay several yellowed newspapers and a pack of Belomor. There were two large benches in the room and about two dozen hooks were driven into the walls. Five or six of them already had things hanging on them. Denis was especially struck by the women's underwear of quite a respectable size on one of them. “Get comfortable Margarita Sergeevna, take off your clothes. If you don’t have soap or towels, then the management gave me a few spare ones,” Lukich said in a hoarse patter. Then he put on his glasses and began to read the newspaper with false interest, continuing to sit half-turned. Denis noticed how his mother and Anka looked at each other with displeasure. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with the presence of this 70-year-old man. “Yes,” thought Denis, “well, the school gives. And they’ll put Aunt Lena, the cleaning lady, with the men.” Mother took off her coat. “Well, stand there and take off your clothes,” she joked to the children. Denis slowly took off his jacket. He still did not believe that he would now wash with his mother and sister. He tried to remember the last time his mother bathed him, and came to the conclusion that he was about seven years old then. After that, his father bathed him or took him to the bathhouse. Denis had never seen his mother naked. She usually wore a shirt or robe when she washed him, standing in a tin basin. He saw Anka naked a long time ago, about seven years ago, when his parents last bathed them together. She was nine years old then, he was five. “Why are you standing like an idol,” his mother abruptly interrupted the course of his memories. Denis turned around. His mother looked at him angrily, standing in an unbuttoned blouse and half-unbuttoned skirt. Anya, timidly looking towards the cloakroom attendant who was “immersed in reading,” took off her leggings from under her skirt. Denis quickly took off his sweater, T-shirt and unfastened his belt. He saw Lukich take his eyes off the newspaper for a moment, glance in Anka’s direction, and again plunge into reading. Denis sat down on the bench and began to unlace his shoes. He looked up. The mother was already standing in only a bra and woolen tights. She was a tall, slightly plump brunette, 36 years old, with sad brown eyes. She stood with her back to Denis and took out the hairpins from her neatly styled hair. Denis took off his trousers and, left in only his “family” panties, looked towards his sister. Anya caught his gaze, frowned, and blushed slightly. She sat opposite him in a bra and woolen panties. She was 16. She was as tall as her mother. Slightly overweight. Nice rounded shapes. The same as his mother's, jet black hair. Just a shorter haircut. Anya was quite an appetizing girl. And pleasant on the face. But she didn't love her body. The reason for this was freckles. Despite her black hair, scatterings of these golden, orange, and brownish hemp of various sizes were scattered all over her body. Shoulders, arms, back, chest and even legs fell victim to them. There were only a few of them on the face. And for this Anya was grateful to nature. “So there is soap, there are washcloths, there are towels,” the mother said, taking things out of her bag. “I wonder if there’s somewhere to hang a towel,” she asked loudly, as if to herself. “Unfortunately, no,” Lukich responded right then and there, tenaciously looking his mother up and down. “Leave it here. Here you will dry yourself. “They left everything here for you,” he pointed to the towels hanging on the hooks. And again he plunged into reading. “Okay, let’s leave it here,” the mother squeezed out in a displeased and embarrassed voice. “Well, sit there. Take off your underwear too.” And deciding to set an example, she turned her back to them and took off her bra. Denis looked at his mother’s white, slightly loose back, at the reddish marks from the bra. For the first time he saw the naked back of an adult woman in front of him. Margarita Sergeevna lowered her tights, revealing her pink cleft with curly hair for a split second, revealing her full white buttocks. Denis blushed slightly from excitement, excitement and shame combined. He could not take his eyes off the dark brown mole the size of a penny on his mother’s right buttock. The mother turned around, involuntarily covering her private area with washcloths, but exposing her magnificent breasts, strewn with many small moles, for everyone to see. “I told who,” she hissed so as not to attract unnecessary attention from Lukich. There was nothing to do. Denis took off his panties. “It’s both embarrassing and pleasant,” flashed through his head. He looked at Anka. She was already red as a lobster. But obeying, she stood up and shyly turned away from Denis. Slowly and hesitantly, she unclasped her bra and hung it on the hook. Then she quickly pulled off her panties. Denis saw her soft, well-fed, freckled body and smiled. Freckles were everywhere. Even on the butt. She turned around, trying not to look at Denis, took a washcloth from her mother, and covered with it the furry triangle on her pubic area, which Denis still managed to see. She was confused and was breathing quickly. This made the ripe melons of her breasts sway cutely. “Well, let’s go,” the mother said unnaturally cheerfully and headed towards the door to the washroom. Anya trotted after her. Denis completed the procession. Finally, he looked at Lukich. The old brat openly stared at the naked female bodies leaving. He winked meaningfully at Denis, bared his teeth unpleasantly, and spat. “Old goat,” Denis thought and entered the washroom. Closing the door behind him, Denis found himself surrounded by clouds of steam emanating from different ends of the small room. Right next to the door, boiling water flowed from a hot tap and crashed noisily on the cement. Not far away stood two medium-sized gangs. “Probably the last ones,” he thought and looked into the depths of the room. There, at a short distance from each other, five naked female figures oohed, aahed, groaned, soaped themselves, talked, doused themselves with hot water from the gangs and had not yet noticed the arrival of new people. At that moment when he was trying to examine and identify this naked, flushed female mass, he heard a voice that made him shudder. “Margarita for bringing the children.” Right next to him, with a basin in his hands, in which his mother gave birth, stood a small, fat, strong 50-year-old woman with saggy giant breasts and a belly the size of a small barrel. This was biologist Nadezhda Karpovna Kulish. “Well, Nadezhda Karpovna, they also need to wash themselves. “Otherwise, mine over there will soon have fleas,” the mother quickly babbled. Many young teachers were afraid of the biological scientist, since enough people had suffered from her black mouth. “Did you read the announcement at the entrance, Margarita?” Nadezhda Karpovna continued mockingly. “Denis is yours in the sixth grade, he’s taking botany from me now.” The mother looked confusedly at Denis, then at the biological scientist, and said with false cheerfulness: “Yes, he’s still small.” Nadezhda Karpov looked Denis up and down, slightly holding his gaze below the waist, and in an arrogant voice defuses the situation, “I’m kidding Ritochka. You really have it: small.” “What a viper,” Denis got angry. He was irritated by this red and sweaty fat woman with matted grayish-colorless hair, folds on her stomach, a double chin, and warts on her neck. At that moment, the biological scientist turned her back to Denis and began pouring boiling water into a basin, putting her huge ass on display for everyone to see, on which she could safely place the TV and not be afraid that it would fall. At this time, the mother handed over all the bath accessories to Anya and, taking both no-one’s gangs, began to wait for Nadezhda Karpovna to finish collecting water.
Separate bath
If the area is more than 15 m2 and you want to do everything according to the rules, then the individual rooms will turn out to be quite bearable. Tested by many people. Modern shower cabins fit in the required quantities into a small washing area. A washing room, arranged in the old fashioned way, will perform the same functions.
High humidity cannot be avoided in the washing room. The surfaces of walls, ceilings, floors are covered with tiles, porcelain stoneware and similar materials. If the bathhouse is a log house, then it is built from pine or larch. These rocks are resistant to rotting and deformation, which confirms their use in shipbuilding.
The main element of the steam room is a stove, preferably a heater. The shelves are equipped in several levels to suit all tastes. The temperature under the ceiling is higher. The shelves should be facing towards the oven. A container of cold water is needed to add steam by splashing on the stove, or to pour over for invigoration. Birch, oak, and cedar brooms will be needed for massage and ambience.
Everyone will make a decision in accordance with their material capabilities and desires. It should be noted that the humidity of the sauna is ≈20%, and the humidity of the washing room is 70%. Therefore, you will not be able to enjoy dry steam in a combined version. Washing at a temperature above 60°C is not comfortable: you will immediately sweat again. In summer it is debilitating. But still, each option has its own advantages.
Why and for whom Peter I created the imperial bath
Peter I, as follows from his travel journal, took a steam bath in the city baths, but soon switched to his own. So, in 1714, the emperor ordered the construction of the Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof, and by 1719–1721 it was decided to complete the construction of guest rooms, in one of which a soap shop was built, now known as the Bath complex. It was a spacious room, reminiscent of an ordinary Russian bathhouse, only with small nuances. It had a stove on which, instead of stones, there were huge cast-iron cannonballs: they turned out to be more durable and warmed up the room faster.
Peter I himself loved to steam and washed often and a lot. Judging by his travel log, he visited the bathhouse once a week as usual, or more often if he was unwell. Here he steamed, and if necessary, on the recommendations of doctors, he bled himself or took medicine from crushed worms and woodlice.
His wife Catherine I also loved to take a steam bath, and she was given access to the imperial bathhouse. But she always chose other days so as not to run into her husband.
At that time, only selected associates of the emperor visited this bathhouse; it was considered the best in the country. There they performed bloodletting, attached leeches and thus tried to physically cleanse themselves.
After the death of Peter I, the soap shop began to deteriorate. Only in 1748, under Elizabeth Petrovna, was it recognized as a relic of Peter the Great and moved to the Upper Garden, where it stood until the end of the 18th century. At the same place, by order of the queen, Rastrelli built a new soap house, but made of wood, with swimming pools and additional rooms in the attached outbuilding. Since then, guests relaxing in the outbuilding could also visit the royal bathhouse.
Swimming pool in the Central Baths of E.S. Egorova
From ancient Rome to Rus'
What happened in those distant times in Europe? It turns out that bath culture also existed in Ancient Rome. Its rulers spread the cult of baths throughout the conquered territories of Western Europe. However, after the fall of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, they forgot about the bathhouse and ablution, as such. This happened as a result of the ban on bath culture. This event occurred for the following reasons:
- Lack of firewood due to widespread deforestation.
- Medieval ethics considered it unacceptable to expose bodies for washing.
Thus, medieval morality and the lack of forests played their role. Therefore, for many centuries, basic human hygiene was forgotten, Europe was mired in its own filth and disease. Monstrous epidemics of cholera and plague in the period from 1347 to 1350 alone claimed the lives of more than 25,000,000 Europeans!
Consequences of forgetting the bath tradition in Europe
Bath culture in Western European countries was completely forgotten, as evidenced by numerous written sources. It’s hard to imagine that Queen Isabella of Castile of Spain washed herself only twice in her life: when she was born and when she got married. And King Philip II of Spain was dying in terrible agony, consumed by scabies and gout. Even the nobles of that time suffered from scabies and could not do anything about it. Scabies finally tormented 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. Already in the 19th and 20th centuries, dysentery was called . ”
Today, the archaeological finds of medieval Europe seem incredible and wild to us. Now they can only be seen in museums. And in those days these devices were actively used. Eloquently testifying to the filth, stench and uncleanliness that reigned everywhere. Strange exhibits are on display for visitors to see: scratchers, flea traps and saucers for crushing fleas, which were placed directly on the dining table.
Museum exhibits proving that the lack of baths in Europe led to diseases that affected a large number of not only the poor, but also noble people
What prompted French perfumers to create perfumes? No, it’s not the desire to smell good, but the need to hide the smell of a body unwashed for years under the fragrance of perfume.
Combining a steam room with a wash room
If you plan to build a small bathhouse, then it makes sense to equip 2 separate rooms:
- dressing room - serving as a locker room, relaxation area, place for storing the necessary supply of firewood;
- steam room + washing room - a room with shelves and a heater, combined with a washing room, where bath accessories and water in the tank are located. An additional tank is provided on the stove for hot water.
If there is a need to combine bath rooms, then it is important to arrange the sun loungers in the steam room closer to the ceiling, because here the temperature is highest. Washing benches should be installed lower, where the air is not so hot.
To create comfortable conditions, use the option with closing stones. By opening the stones you can create good steam, and by closing them you can effectively reduce the heat in the room.
