The history of the bathhouse goes back to ancient times. Thus, the Egyptians already about 6 thousand years ago attached great importance to the cleanliness of the body and used baths everywhere. Egyptian priests washed themselves four times during the day: twice during the day and twice at night. Because everywhere there were beautifully designed baths available to everyone. Adherence to baths and massage, and moderation in food allowed the Egyptians to maintain a slim figure and helped them successfully fight premature aging. Egyptian doctors of that time were considered the best in the world, and their art in treating various diseases could hardly be done without water procedures, that is, without a bath.
1.5 thousand years BC, the bathhouse was widely used for hygienic and medicinal purposes in India.
In Ancient Greece, baths first appeared among the Spartans. They were a round room with a stone open hearth in the center.
The bathhouse was especially loved and popular among the ancient Romans. There was literally a bathhouse cult here. Even when greeting people when they met, instead of greeting the Romans asked: “How are you sweating?” The Romans simply could not imagine life without a bathhouse. “Bath, love and joy - we are together until old age,” - this inscription has survived to this day on the wall of one ancient building.
In the bathhouse, the Romans not only washed themselves, but also had conversations, drew, read poetry, sang, and held feasts. The baths had massage rooms, areas for physical exercise and sports, and libraries. Rich Romans visited the baths twice a day.
Both private and public Roman baths (therms) were distinguished by exceptional luxury - precious marble pools, silver and gold washstands. By the end of the 1st century. BC e. 150 public baths were built in Rome.
It is interesting to note that the sweating rooms were heated in the same way as in modern Russian baths and Finnish saunas: in the corner there was a brazier stove, on a bronze grate of stones over hot coals. There were also rooms with dry and wet steam.
In ancient Rome, baths were also valued as a remedy for many diseases. In particular, the outstanding Roman physician Asclepiades (128-56 BC) was even nicknamed “the bather” for his commitment to bath hydrotherapy. Asclepiades believed that to cure a patient, cleanliness of the body, moderate gymnastics, sweating in the bathhouse, massage, diet and walks in the fresh air were necessary. “The most important thing,” Asclepiades asserted, is to capture the patient’s attention, destroy his blues, restore healthy ideas and an optimistic attitude towards life.” It was the bathhouse that created such sensations in the patient.
The steam bath in Rus' (soap room, movnya, mov, vlaznya) was known among the Slavs already in the 5th-6th centuries. Everyone used the bathhouse: princes, noble people, and ordinary people. In addition to its purely functional purpose, the bathhouse played a large role in various rituals. For example, a bathhouse was considered necessary on the eve of a wedding and on the next wedding day, and a visit to the bathhouse was accompanied by a special ceremony.
Many foreign travelers have written about Russian baths.
Olearius (German scientist 1603-1671), who traveled to Muscovy and Persia in 1633-1639, wrote that Russians firmly adhere to the custom of washing in the bathhouse... and that is why they have many public and private bathhouses in all cities and villages . Olearius, by the way, mentions that the Russians came to the conclusion that False Dmitry was a foreigner because he did not like baths. “Russians,” reports Olearii, “can endure intense heat, from which they become all red and become exhausted; that they are no longer able to stay in the bathhouse, they run naked into the street, both men and women, and douse themselves with cold water, but in winter, running out of the bathhouse into the yard, they roll in the snow, rub their bodies with it, as if with soap, and then go to the bathhouse again.”
The construction of baths was allowed to everyone who had enough land. A decree of 1649 prescribed that “soaphouses should 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 bath days and even public places were not open on them. Usually, whole families washed themselves in home baths at the same time, men and women steamed together. However, in public (“trade”) baths, people of all ages and genders also steamed and washed together, although women were on one side, men on the other. And only in 1743, by Senate decree, it was prohibited. In “trade” baths, men and women wash together and men over 7 years old enter the women’s bathhouse, and women of the same age enter the men’s bathhouse, respectively.
As written in one ancient treatise, there are ten benefits of bathing: clarity of mind, freshness, vigor, health, strength, beauty, youth, purity, pleasant skin color and the attention of beautiful women. Let us note that those who understand the use of a steam bath go to the bathhouse not so much to wash themselves as to warm up and sweat.
Warming leads to a beneficial change in the functional state of organs and systems of the body, increased metabolism, and promotes the development of protective and compensatory mechanisms. This is explained by the beneficial effects of heat and sweating on the cardiovascular, respiratory, thermoregulatory and endocrine systems in most people. The bath calms the nervous system, restores vigor, and increases mental abilities.
Look at what the Portuguese Sanchez, the doctor of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, wrote about the Russian steam bath back in 1778 (this treatise can be found in Moscow in the Lenin Library): “I don’t hope that a doctor will be found who would not recognize the usefulness of steam bath. Everyone clearly sees how happy society would be if it had an easy, harmless and so effective method that it could not only maintain health, but also heal or tame diseases that so often happen. For my part, I consider only one Russian bathhouse, prepared properly, to be capable of bringing such great benefits to a person. When I think about the multitude of medicines from pharmacies and chemical laboratories, coming out and being brought from all over the world, how many times have I wished to see that half or three-quarters of them, built everywhere at great expense, would turn into Russian baths, for the benefit of society.” And at the end of his life, having left Russia, Sanchez contributed to the opening of Russian steam baths in all the capitals of Europe.
The Russian bathhouse was first mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years. This is the 10th century. But some historians believe that the bathhouse appeared in Rus' much earlier, in the 5th–6th centuries.
Since ancient times, it has been 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 bathhouse is fundamentally different from European and Asian ones - in the high temperature of the heat and such an integral attribute as a birch broom. The Russian bath ritual shocked visiting foreigners, who called the action taking place torture and self-torture.
When the British came to Rus' through the North, they noted that these barbarians drowned the huts “in black”, then families bathed in them, torturing each other with twigs, and then, whooping, threw themselves into a river or pond.
The first Russian baths were black-style baths. There was a stove without a chimney. Smoke and soot went directly into the steam room. The walls and ceiling instantly became smoky and black - which is what gave these baths their name.
They steamed in them only after they had been well ventilated. They opened all the windows and doors to let the smoke escape. Later they began to install stoves with a chimney. And such baths were called white. They also steamed in Rus' in ordinary home ovens. They had spacious mouths - almost one and a half meters deep and about half a meter high. After cooking, the ash was removed from the warm oven, the soot was washed off, and straw was laid. They put a tub of hot water to sprinkle the roof of the stove, climbed inside, lay down and steamed.
In Rus', everyone used the bathhouse: princes, noble people, and ordinary people.
Not a single celebration was complete without a bathhouse. So, after the birth of a child, this event had to be “washed” in a bathhouse. The wedding ceremony was not complete 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 day after the wedding, the newlyweds also went to the bathhouse. Upon leaving it, they were met by the matchmaker and treated to fried poultry and “bannik” - bread with which the mother of the bride blessed the newlyweds for the crown.
Foreigners were amazed that Russians preferred the bathhouse as a place of communication. As Courlander Jacob Reitenfels wrote, “Russians consider it impossible to form friendship without inviting them to the bathhouse and then eating at the same table.”
Almost every house in Rus' had its own bathhouse, which was heated once a week. Saturday was considered a bath day. Even public offices were not working. The construction of baths was allowed to everyone who had enough land. A decree of 1649 ordered “soaphouses to be built in vegetable gardens and in hollow places not close to the mansion” to avoid fires. The whole family washed themselves in home baths.
Olearius (German scientist 1603-1671), who traveled to Muscovy and Persia in 1633-1639, wrote that “Russians can endure intense heat, from which they become all red and become exhausted to the point that they are no longer able to stay in the bathhouse, they run naked into the street, both men and women, and douse themselves with cold water, but in winter, running out of the bathhouse into the yard, they roll in the snow, rub their bodies with it, as if with soap, and then go to the bathhouse again." .
However, nobles and rich people gave preference not to home baths, but to large public baths, where people of all ages and genders also steamed and washed together. Many “enlightenment” and “moralists” of that time called public baths the main hotbed of debauchery. Although in Europe at that time, washing men and women together was common.
But the freedom of morals and relationships that reigned in Russian baths surprised foreigners. In their opinion, the Russians were completely devoid of the false modesty inherent - as they said - in every civilized (that is, European) person. Families with small children came to the baths. Here, in the common room, walking girls called rubbing girls worked. There were separate rooms and nooks for wealthy clients of all classes.
Only after the Decree of Catherine the Great was joint “washing” 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 entire elite of the Russian nobility visited this bathhouse 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 a place containing the word banya.
The prerequisite for the emergence of baths, as one theory says, was the discovery by man of a hot spring, in which heated stones emitted warm and pleasant steam. According to another version, a man discovered the beneficial properties of steam when water fell on a fireplace made of hot stones in his home. In any case, based on archaeological excavations and ancient chronicles, historians learned that baths have their roots in ancient times.
Types of baths by origin
The spread of baths was of a “multi-focal” migration nature, as evidenced by even their very names, which also came to us from the distant past. Some have already become obsolete, while others still exist.
So, baths are divided into such “nationalities” as:
- Finnish (sauna);
- ancient (Roman and Greek);
- Japanese (ofuro, sento);
- Chinese;
- Russian bath);
- Turkish (hammam);
- Western European;
- Egyptian;
- Indian;
- African;
- Indian (temazcal);
- Icelandic.
Note! All of the listed types of baths differ not only in their territorial origin. They can also be classified into dry air (their installation instructions imply that air humidity should not exceed a threshold of 25%), damp air (air humidity from 40 to 75%) and water types (for example, Japanese barrels).
History of the Finnish sauna
In historical written sources of the Finns, saunas were mentioned about two thousand years ago. Thanks to the harsh climate of Finland, bathing procedures have become widespread among the inhabitants of this country.
However, there was a time when one Finnish king banned such establishments, arguing that they were unsanitary and very harmful to health. No matter how strange it may sound, many surgeon-theologians were of the same opinion. For example, in 1751, a physician named Per Adrian Gaed wrote that the cause of vision loss was the smoky air of the sauna.
Other doctors claimed that this institution causes convulsions, contributes to the appearance of wrinkles and darkening of the skin, leads to narrow eyes and early infant mortality. The taboo on these procedures lasted for quite a long time.
Despite this, knowing about the healing properties of the sauna, people secretly continued to steam and wash in them, which prevented them from degrading, unlike the baths located in Central Europe. Thus, the Finns defended the folk useful remedy, because in a harsh climate it was the only opportunity for poor people to relax, gain strength, wash themselves and improve their health.
It can be assumed that it was during the time of the ban that the rules of behavior in the Finnish bathhouse were developed. So, in this establishment, the Finns did not allow themselves to make noise, drink alcohol, have wild fun, and so on. In a word, the sauna was a kind of holy place for the Finns.
Features of the Finnish sauna yesterday
The design of the first Finnish steam rooms was very primitive. They were dug caves on the hillsides with a rough stone hearth located inside. First of all, such dugouts were used as housing, and only then for washing the body.
They were not equipped with a chimney, so the soot that formed from the fireplace settled on the walls and ceiling of the home, and the smoke directly came out through the slightly open door. Apparently, even then the Finns knew about its bactericidal properties, so they used saunas to carry out operations and childbirth that were known at that time.
In those days, there was a legend that this room could help any sick person who could reach it on their own. To this day, Finns like to use a saying about saunas: “The sauna is a poor man’s medicine.” Until now, visiting it is a national Finnish tradition, which is observed from childhood to old age.
Features of the Finnish sauna today
Since the 20th century, Finnish saunas have been improved. They began to be built in the form of separate wooden buildings and equipped with structures that made it possible to separate the stones from the flame. This was done using a thick metal plate.
This method made it possible to maintain the required temperature in the steam room for a long time. It has also become much easier to control the humidity level in them.
Such buildings began to be located more and more near lakes and reservoirs, which made it possible to plunge into cold water immediately after the steam room, thereby creating a useful contrast. In winter, instead of water, Finns wiped themselves with snow after a sauna. At this time, visiting Finnish saunas became widespread worldwide, and they became the pride of the people.
Then there were almost 2 million saunas for the 5 million inhabitants of this country. Now this type of baths is known all over the world, and they are in great demand everywhere.
Today, a traditional modern Finnish sauna should have the following features:
- As a rule, such saunas are built from wood.
- It must have an electric stove with stones, which is usually located in the corner closest to the door. Safety barriers must be installed around it.
- Windows and doors, which can be made of either wood or glass, must be positioned correctly in the sauna.
- The walls and ceiling must have good thermal insulation.
- Water is not required in the steam room, since they do not wash in it, but only steam using dry heat. The air temperature ranges from 80ºC to 120ºC. In this case, the humidity level should not reach more than 10-15%.
- The shelves are installed in no more than two rows (in a Russian bath there can be three or four tiers), with the top one located at a distance of 100 cm from the ceiling, and the bottom one 70 cm from the top. On the second tier they are placed along adjacent walls perpendicular to each other. A wooden headrest is usually installed on the top shelf.
- Due to the fact that the Finnish sauna, unlike the Russian steam room, is much smaller in size, it usually does not have many large rooms. Basically, it contains a dressing room, which serves as both a relaxation room and a locker room, as well as a steam room and a small shower. Sometimes, when there is no body of water nearby, a small pool is located in such a sauna.
History of ancient baths
Ancient Greek laconicums
The birthplace of the ancient Greek baths is the city of Lakonika, from which their name came - lakonicums. They were round in shape. In the middle of the room there was an open fireplace, and around it there was a pool or baths.
Initially, they were available to both the poor and the rich. They were especially in great demand among the Spartans, since they believed that it was water that gave them so much strength and endurance. Hippocrates, about five thousand years ago, wrote about the healing properties of the steam room and even developed a whole list of rules for taking bath procedures.
Over time, the ancient Greek laconicums began to improve. Many rooms appeared in them where philosophical conversations were held, massage treatments were taken and sports activities took place. As a result, more comfortable and rich baths arose, decorated with jewelry, for the noble classes.
Their visit has become a kind of tradition for wealthy people. Moreover, noble Greeks had to go to the bathhouse at least once a week, accompanied by servants and slaves. This is exactly the decree that Alexander the Great issued when he returned from a campaign in Egypt, because similar establishments there surprised him with their decoration and perfection.
It can be considered that this is what gave impetus to the development of ancient Greek baths. However, despite his desire to make the baths the most advanced in his country, the ancient Romans were more successful in this matter.
Roman baths
About 6 thousand years ago, the ancient Romans had a whole bath cult. Establishments intended for such procedures were called thermal baths. The government of this country invested heavily in their development and introduced people to them by any means.
Now, it is probably difficult to imagine that in a bathhouse you can hold mass holidays, various competitions and political meetings, read books and draw. But in Ancient Rome, such establishments became an integral part of the lives of all citizens, and it was there that various events were held.
It should be noted that it was then that private ones began to emerge. Baths for the rich at that time resembled huge palaces, which housed fountains, swimming pools, libraries, sports grounds, and gold and silver washstands.
They were decorated with frescoes made by famous artists or with their own hands, paintings, hanging gardens, statues and marble columns. In a word, these institutions became the center of the cultural life of the Romans. Even when meeting people, instead of greeting, they asked each other if they were sweating well.
Despite the fact that in the ancient Roman baths separate rooms were created for both men and women with children, nevertheless, this did not prevent them from turning into public institutions over time. The baths became obsolete with the fall of the Roman Empire.
At this time they were either plundered or destroyed under the influence of natural elements. Terma found its second birth in the East in the form of a Turkish bath - hammam. The flourishing of Islamic culture coincided with this period and the bathing business, adopted from the Byzantines, began to rapidly develop in Arabia.
According to Islam, the creation of a hammam is considered a charitable deed, since the Prophet Muhammad himself experienced the effects of Roman baths and highly appreciated them. The Prophet pointed out that they increase fertility.
This approval opened the hammam's wide gate into the Islamic world. Now this type of baths is used to this day in Turkey and other Muslim countries.
Features of the term
Ancient Roman architects developed an effective heating system specifically for such establishments, which was capable of warming the floor and walls. It was called hypocaust. Using a stove (praefurnium), the air and water circulating in the walls and under the floor were heated.
Note! Ancient Roman baths differed from ancient Greek baths in that they had a full-fledged hot water supply system. By the end of the first century BC, there were more than 150 ancient Roman equipped baths, which were located on an area of more than 11 thousand square meters. m.
The ancient Roman bath consisted of no less than 6 of the following rooms (not counting entertainment rooms):
- Apoditherium. This was the first room where a Roman who came to take a steam bath ended up. It was intended for undressing, so the air temperature there was cool.
- Tepidarium. Here the temperature was already higher – about 40°C. In this room, a person could warm up, so as not to get a temperature shock in the future, and also swim in the pool.
- Callidarium. In this room the temperature reached up to 70°C. At the same time, the air humidity there was also high. This room was used for sweating.
- Laconium. We visited this room at will, since the air temperature there was about 85°C and not everyone could withstand it. The time spent there should not exceed 10 minutes.
- Frigidarium. This room was equipped with a giant cold water pool. It was visited after the steam room.
- Lavarium. Various treatments were performed in this room: massage and aromatherapy.
Note! A truly Roman bathhouse must have a thermal spring. That is why it is either practically impossible to build a real traditional thermal bath now, or its price will be so high that only a very rich person can afford such a cost.
History of the Russian steam room
The emergence of baths (soap, vlaznya, mov) in Rus', which were used not only for washing the body, but also for maintaining health, rejuvenating and hardening the body, occurred even earlier than traditional medicine was born. Various rituals were also performed using the bathhouse.
For example, on the eve of the wedding, the bride and groom separately had to bathe there, and after the wedding the newlyweds visited it together. Moreover, after every night spent together, this had to be done without fail.
This rule applied not only to ordinary people, but also to princes, nobles, and even the king himself. This custom existed in Rus' until the beginning of the 18th century.
According to the chronicler Nestor, the history of the Russian bath dates back to the first century AD. In his writings he mentions the Holy Apostle Andrew, who, after preaching the gospel word in Kiev, visited Novgorod, where he saw a miracle - people steaming in a bathhouse that looked like boiled crayfish.
He also wrote: “The Russians get very hot, go in there naked, take a broom and beat themselves to the point that they barely get out of there alive, then they douse themselves with water, come to life and go steam again. They do this every day."
Travelers from Western Europe also paid attention to the Russian bathhouse. They were surprised and, at the same time, delighted by the love of the Slavic people for a strong steam, which they could not withstand.
One of the foreigners at that time even said: “If a Russian person does not take bath procedures on Saturday, for some reason he becomes ashamed and as if he is missing something.” After foreign travelers began to visit Rus', in Paris, Berlin, and Vienna one could increasingly see the likes of Russian baths.
The process has still remained virtually unchanged. Both then and now, high humidity must be present in a Russian bath - almost 100%. The air temperature should not be less than 70-80°C.
As in modern times, in past times birch brooms were always used in the bathhouse. Since after a fever people were constantly thirsty, in connection with this, in Rus' there has long been a tradition of keeping cool kvass ready in the dressing room, which was seasoned with mint or other fragrant herbs.
They also doused the body in the steam room before lifting it onto the shelves, which were made of linden and emitted a delightful life-giving aroma. If any person has experienced the effects of a Russian bathhouse at least once in his life, then under no circumstances could he resist the temptation to receive such healing pleasure again.
Conclusion
Thus, looking through the prism of centuries, one can be sure that baths of any type are beneficial for the human body. It is not without reason that their emergence covered almost all the continents of our planet, and all nations paid such great attention to them. The video in this article will help you verify this, which contains a lot of additional information about the history of the baths.
Favorite tradition of every Russian
Russian black bath
For Russian people, the bathhouse has always been and is not just a place where one can take hygienic procedures and cleanse one’s body of impurities, but a special, almost sacred structure, where cleansing occurs not only on the physical, but also on the spiritual level. It’s not without reason that those who visited the bathhouse, describing their own feelings, say:
How he was born again, became 10 years younger and cleansed his body and soul.
The concept of a Russian bath, the history of its appearance
A Russian bathhouse is a specially equipped room that is designed for water hygiene and thermal procedures for the purpose of prevention and healing of the entire body.
Today it is difficult to judge what prompted ancient man to think about creating a bathhouse. Perhaps these were random drops that fell on a hot fireplace and created small clouds 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 chronicler Herodotus, The first bathhouse appeared in the era of tribal communities. And having visited back in the 5th century. BC. the territory of the tribes inhabiting the Northern Black Sea region, he described in detail the bathhouse, which resembled a hut-hut, with a vat installed in it, into which red-hot stones were thrown.
Unwashed Europe and clean Russia
Later sources indicate that bath 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, both the bathhouse and ablution as such were forgotten in Western Europe. There was a ban on bath culture, which was explained, among other things, by widespread deforestation and, as a consequence, a shortage of firewood. After all, in order to build a good bathhouse and heat it well, it is necessary to cut down a lot of trees. Medieval Catholic ethics also played a certain role, which taught that nudity of the body, even for washing, was sinful.
The decline in hygienic requirements led to the fact that Europe for many centuries 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. killed more than 25,000,000 Europeans!
Bath culture in Western European countries was completely forgotten, as evidenced by numerous written sources. Thus, according to Queen Isabella of Castile of Spain, she washed herself only twice in her life: when she was born and when she got married. An equally sad fate befell King Philip II of Spain, who died in terrible agony, consumed by scabies and gout. 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. 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 their senseless ban on baths and the culture of accepting basic 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 widespread filth, stench and uncleanliness, exhibits are on display for visitors - scratchers, flea traps and saucers for crushing fleas, which were placed directly on the dining table.
Flea catcher - devices for catching and neutralizing fleas; in the old days an essential element of the wardrobe Today it has already been proven that French perfumers invented perfumes not in order to smell better, but in order to simply hide the smell of a body unwashed for years under the fragrance of floral aromas.
And all that remains is to sympathize with the daughter of the Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise, - Anna, who, after marrying the French king Henry I wrote to my father at home, saying:
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 can’t even really wash myself?!
But what about Rus'?
And in Rus' the bathhouse has always existed, at least according to the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, which back in the 500s. wrote that the culture of ablution accompanies the ancient Slavs throughout their lives.
According to ancient descriptions, the bathhouse was a log structure with a fireplace, on the hot coals of which water was poured from time to time, which turned into steam. According to popular beliefs, the guardian of the bathhouse and its soul is the bannik - a completely naked old man, whose body is covered with broom leaves. Bannik was supposed to be cajoled from time to time by treating him to bread and salt, which once again emphasizes the respectful attitude of the Slavs towards the bathhouse itself and its “essence”, which they literally idolized.
Appearing on the territory of Rus' 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, as researchers of Russian life note in their works I. Zabelin And A. Afanasyev. The bathhouse was not just a place where one could cleanse one’s body of dirt and take hygienic procedures, but also a kind of medical and preventive institution where people of the ancient medical specialty could put any sick person back on his feet.
In turn, the chronicles of the X–XIII centuries. indicate the widespread use of the bathhouse among the Eastern Slavs, starting from the 5th–6th centuries, when it was affectionately called movnitsa, mov, mylnya and vlaznya. And even with the baptism of Rus', when the church began an active struggle 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 mandatory visiting before performing the most important church rituals - baptism, wedding, communion and other things. .
“Heat my bathhouse in white!”
The white bathhouse, which V. Vysotsky sings about in his song, appeared in Rus' much later than the black bathhouse, gradually displacing the latter. At first, the Slavs built baths without a chimney, in black style, and a periodically opening door was used as natural ventilation. In a black-style 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 have completely burned out, the door is closed, the chimney is plugged, and the shelves, benches and floor are washed generously with water to remove soot and the bath is kept for about 15 minutes before use so that it dries and gains heat. Then the remaining coals are raked out, and the first steam is released so that it carries away the soot from the stones. After that you can steam. A black sauna is more difficult to heat and cannot be heated during washing (like a white sauna), but due to the fact that the smoke eats up all the previous odors, a black sauna has its own charm, unattainable in a white sauna.
Later they began to build white baths, where the source of heat and steam was a stove-heater with a chimney.
In addition, at that time there was another interesting and unusual way to steam directly in a Russian oven. To do this, it was carefully heated and the bottom was covered with straw. Then a person climbed inside the oven, taking with him water, beer or kvass, which he poured over the hot walls of the hearth and took a steam bath, after which he came out and doused himself with cold water. Even the weak and old people did not deny themselves such an unusual pleasure, they were simply pushed into the oven on a special board, and then a healthy person climbed in to wash and steam the weak one, as expected.
A bathhouse for a Russian is more than love!
The bathhouse accompanied every Russian person from birth to death. In no other culture in the world has it become as widespread as in Rus', where visiting it was elevated to an obligatory cult and had to occur regularly.
Not a single celebration could take place without it, and when meeting even a random guest, the owner first of all invited 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.
Hen and stag parties, as they would say today, necessarily ended with a visit to the bathhouse, and the young people themselves, having become spouses, were obliged to take it regularly, every time after marital intimacy, if they went to church the next morning. It was necessary to go to the bathhouse 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 alternating high temperatures with cold, when after visiting the bathhouse it is customary to jump into the snow, an ice hole, into a river, or simply douse yourself with ice water - this is the best way to harden and strengthen the immune system.
As for the special love of Russians for the bathhouse, it is embodied not only in folklore, but also reflected in historical documents. Thus, 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 themselves, heal, and just for fun. According to him, for a Russian person, visiting a bathhouse is a natural need and a kind of ritual, which neither adults, nor children, nor rich people, nor poor people can violate.
In turn, foreigners who visited Rus' were surprised to note the habit of the Russian people to wash themselves very often and for a long time, which they had not encountered either in their homeland or in other countries. In fact, as a rule, we washed once a week, on Saturdays. But for foreigners who almost never washed, it seemed “very often.” 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 is no bathhouse. They are simply here at every turn, and they are visited at every opportunity, especially during periods of ill health. And as if to summarize, in his writings he noted that perhaps such a love for the bathhouse is not without practical meaning, and that is why the Russian people themselves are so strong in spirit and healthy.
As for Europe, for the revival of the custom of steaming and washing regularly, it 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 that reigned outside. And the order given in 1718 by Peter I to build a bathhouse on the banks of the Seine completely horrified Parisians, and the construction process itself attracted onlookers from all corners of 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. And the architectural design of the building itself is simple and consists of an ordinary room with a stove-stove, which allows a person of any income and position to have it.
As for the special love for the bathhouse and the popularity of the bathhouse ritual throughout history, this once again emphasizes the desire of every Russian person for cleanliness, neatness, health, clarity and decency. The bathhouse tradition, despite the fact that outwardly remains an everyday phenomenon, is an important element of culture, which is reverently preserved, passed on from generation to generation, and remains an important sign of belonging to the Russian people. Thus, as long as the Russian people exist, the bathhouse will exist.
I really love the bath! I've always been interested in its history, but how did it even appear? 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 baths among different nations is similar to the Brazilian series. There have been stunning rises in bath traditions. And also complete decline and collapse...
And it all started with...
People always washed themselves, but as soon as they learned to make fire, they learned about the properties of water and stones - then the first steps were taken towards the invention of baths. At the same time, different nations have their own traditions of building baths, their own rules and their own history.
Among the nomadic peoples of antiquity, bathhouses are very similar to yurts. Long sticks were tied at the top with ropes and distributed obliquely. This entire structure was covered with animal skins. Inside, in the middle, they placed 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, as they could transport it to any distance. Agree, the device and principle of heating are very similar to a modern camp sauna.
Bathhouse among nomadic peoples We learn the history of the bathhouse of distant antiquity from archaeologists. For all nations, the bathhouse served to cleanse the body and was a hospital. Under the influence of hot, humid air, the bodies were massaged and the softened muscles were pressed with varying amounts of force. The healing properties of steam were used by the first people. The desire to thoroughly warm all the bones is very human.
How they washed in ancient Egypt
Thanks to excavations, it became known about the complex 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 bathhouse 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 bathhouse's spillway was used for central heating of the city.
On ancient papyri and drawings you will not see a complete Egyptian. They were slim and thin, and bath procedures helped them with this. The use of aromatic oils and massage in the bathhouse 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 rich and poor. First of all, it played the role of a hospital. And it certainly didn’t look like the baths of ancient Egypt. The structures were round in shape. They were heated by an open hearth. There were baths and a swimming pool inside.
There was no drain, so water had to be bailed out of the baths. Alexander the Great's campaign against Egypt brought drastic changes to bathhouse life. They began to build baths with heated floors, the same as those of the Egyptians.
Bath in ancient Greece The bath life of the Romans was related to historical art. It was a place of conversation, conversation, poetry reading, even singing. No expense was spared on the construction of the baths.
There were sculptures and fountains, marble columns. Bath equipment and dishes were made of silver and gold. The Romans had both public and private baths. But after the fall of the Roman Empire, the bath culture was forgotten. All the splendor was destroyed and abandoned.
Bath in ancient Rome But every cloud has a silver lining. The Roman Empire fell, the culture of Rome disappeared. But this is the beginning of the flourishing of Islamic culture. The history of the eastern bathhouse - hammam - begins, which continues to this day. The owner greeted all visitors without exception as dear guests. The eastern bathhouse was visited as often as the mosque. To this day, five basic principles of the eastern bath have been preserved. Warming up the body, massage, cleansing the skin with a mitten, soaping and dousing with water, and lastly, 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 affairs.
Exposure of the body to water was considered direct harm to the body. Obscurantism killed not only knowledge about hygiene, but also completely deprived people of the concept of disgust. They looked at the cleanliness with disgust. Lice were considered a sign of holiness and were called “God’s pearls.” It’s scary to imagine, but ladies washed themselves 2-3 times a year.
Bath in ancient Europe It was not for nothing that the plague wiped out half of the Old World. Epidemics of cholera, syphilis, and smallpox were common. But even after the recognition of the bathhouse in Europe, it was long considered a place of wicked pleasures.
Of course, the very essence of the bathhouse, the attitude towards bathing procedures, appearance, methods of heating bathhouses and the attitude of people, in principle, could not be the same among all nations. After all, every nation is so unique. Everyone has their own history, their own religion, their own traditions. Let's not forget the different natural and climatic conditions of life.
Japanese baths
Therefore, speaking about the Japanese bath, we will see how different it is from everyone else. The Japanese respect and respect the laws of their religion, and she is against the killing of animals. But soap is made from animal fat. Therefore, the Japanese washed themselves without soap, but with very hot water.
There were also prohibitions in Japanese baths. People with skin diseases or mental disorders were prohibited from visiting 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.
Bath in Japan Russian bath
Now it's time to tell a story about our Russian bathhouse. I am sure that she is synonymous with the Russian soul. We cannot be imagined without her; she accompanies us all our lives.
Our bathhouse is fundamentally different and different from all known bathhouses. We, like many others, have private and public baths. The difference is that they are radically different from each other.
Not a single people in the world has heated or is heated in a black bathhouse. And private Russian baths were heated only in black. It is an undeniable fact that there are many baths, but only Russians have bath brooms.
Bathhouse in Rus' Our black bath is a separate topic of conversation, a long and interesting conversation. I will try to tell my story of a black bathhouse in the next article, since I myself went to such a bathhouse throughout my childhood.
