Russian Banya (Sauna)

This might be the most exciting week ever, never mind the most exciting week in Russia. Wednesday night we had the amazing opportunity to go to a Russian Banya (or Sauna). We went by car with a large group of mostly the Flare Fitness community to Golden Sand Beach at Lake Turgoyak. There, we set up a picnic table laden with food, and entered a wooden cabin. Inside there is a wood fueled fire that heats the sauna stones to an unbelievable 100 degrees Celsius. I was amazed that this equates 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Shouldn’t we be dead? You go in, roast and sweat and purify your pores, then, run out to the beach and jump in the lake. Then repeat for as many times as you can before your skin becomes blotchy. It is truly exhilarating and I could’t stop smiling! If you want, they will beat you with branches. At first this seems abusive, but, upon trying it, I highly recommend it. They soak two kinds of fragrant branches (pine and birch perhaps?) and whack your skin, it actually feels good because of the moisture and it is said to increase circulation. It is like an aromatherapy massage.


Next we all gathered round for okroshka окрошка a cold chopped vegetable soup with kvass (basically a homemade O’Doules). Fruits, breads, other healthy snacks, and of course, tea! After food, then the music begins. Local talent Tania again was there. Her friend Natasha is a Russian teacher in Moscow who is here for the summer and brought with her 2 Moscow University Engineering students from Burma. They also wooed us all with their romantic singing.


Singing, food, swimming and the outdoors: this was seriously my calling. We had such a nice time and I was pleased to hang out with the Flare fitness people again, like Natalia, Liza, Mikhail, as well as Tania and Natasha. Thanks to friendships with the Burmese students, we were invited on another adventure the next day- a biplane ride!