The steam bath in Russia was known to the Slavs already in the 5th-6th centuries. It was enjoyed by everyone: dukes, nobles and common people.
People were born in the bath, died in the bath, visiting it was a special ceremony. According to our ancestors’ philosophy, in addition to its basic function (cleansing the body), the bath is a unique combination of four natural elements: water, fire, earth (stones) and air (steam). Upon visiting the bath, one would absorb the strength and power of these elements and be born again.
Certified medicine also confirms the benefits of baths: the warming leads to an increased metabolism, which contributes to the development of protective mechanisms and immune system. The bath soothes the nervous system, restores vitality, improves intellectual development, and easily cures slight colds.
So what did the Russian steam bath look like? It was a wooden hut with two rooms: a cloakroom and steam room. The steam room was accommodated with a stone oven.
Russian bath has two versions: burning "in-black" and "in-white."
Burning the oven "in-black" is the oldest, but it has survived to the present day in some areas, such as Siberia. The oven is burned without a chimney, so the smoke goes out through the open window of the sauna room. When the oven is well-heated, the burning is stopped, the bath is aired, and the walls are doused with water. Then, the doors and windows are closed, and water is thrown on the stones of the oven to produce steam. Such a bath has a special spirit, due to the smoke absorbed by the wooden log construction.
Bath burning "in-white" is common throughout Russia. Smoke from the heater is taken through the chimney, so the atmosphere in the steam room is not polluted. Sauna room ventilation and washing the walls is not required. This room is more hygienic and modern.
