SaunaScape

Bloomberg announced this morning that Goldman Sachs cheif equity trader in Moscow, Peter Kizenko, quit today. He plans to return to New Jersey and open a traditional Russian sauna, known as a banya.

According to the Bloomberg story, the banya will open next month in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. No details were given on the name or location of the banya. We’ll keep digging and update this post when we find more details.

He is entering a crowded market. According to our database, there are currently 13 Russian Sauna establishments in and around New York City. Mr. Kizenko told Bloomberg, “There are a few in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but the aesthetics are not up to scratch. We are going for a mixture of the contemporary and the classical of Sanduny in Moscow.” The Bloomberg article says he had considered building his banya in London, but was stunned by the high price of real estate there.

Mr. Kizenko, if you are reading this, we wish you luck and would love to hear why you left the world of high finance behind for high temperature.

Update: The establishment will be called “Bear and Birch.” They have a website with just a landing page at the moment. More details are on their Facebook page, including this comment from Mr. Kizenko:

Whack, whack. Steam. Ice.

Over 1000 years of the Russian banya experience has finally been brought to New Jersey. Assembled and flown in from Moscow, Russia, the Bear and Birch is proud to present the East Coast with its first authentic Russian banya.

Invigorate, detoxify and revitalize yourself in a spacious setting with three types of steam to choose from. Follow up with a plunge into the cool downed pool and then saunter on over to the lounge area to chilllllll.

Enjoy a wide variety of teas while wrapped up in a Bear and Birch robe and decide on a Jacuzzi, shiatsu water massage or another round of steam as your next move. Complimentary recommended treatment cycles are offered by our in-house banya consultant to help you along the way to rejuvenation.

A full banya menu prepared especially by our renowned chef, Dmitry, in our mezzanine level dining area rounds out a superb day. BYOB and plasma screens means you don’t miss the latest sports action and two VIP rooms allow you to host a full range of social functions. Bear and Birch. Get Whacked.

We’ve added Bear and Birch to our database.

Bloomberg announced this morning that Goldman Sachs cheif equity trader in Moscow, Peter Kizenko, quit today. He plans to return to New Jersey and open a traditional Russian sauna, known as a banya. According to the Bloomberg story, the banya will open next month in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. No details were given on the name or location of the banya. We'll keep digging and update this post when we find more details. He is entering a crowded market. According to our database, there are currently 13 Russian Sauna establishments in and around New York City. Mr. Kizenko told Bloomberg, "There are a few in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but the aesthetics are not up to scratch. We are going for a mixture of the contemporary and the classical of Sanduny in Moscow." The Bloomberg article says he had considered building his banya in London, but was stunned by the high price of real estate there. Mr. Kizenko, if you are reading this, we wish you luck and would love to hear why you left the world of high finance behind for high temperature. Update: The establishment will be called "Bear and Birch." They have a website with just a landing page at the moment. More details are on their Facebook page, including this comment from Mr. Kizenko: Whack, whack. Steam. Ice. Over 1000 years of the Russian banya experience has finally been brought to New Jersey. Assembled and flown in from Moscow, Russia, the Bear and Birch is proud to present the East Coast with its first authentic Russian banya. Invigorate, detoxify and revitalize yourself in a spacious setting with three types of steam to choose from. Follow up with a plunge into the cool downed pool and then saunter on over to the lounge area to chilllllll. Enjoy a wide variety of teas while wrapped up in a Bear and Birch robe and decide on a Jacuzzi, shiatsu water massage or another round of steam as your next move. Complimentary recommended treatment cycles are offered by our in-house banya consultant to help you along the way to rejuvenation. A full banya menu prepared especially by our renowned chef, Dmitry, in our mezzanine level dining area rounds out a superb day. BYOB and plasma screens means you don't miss the latest sports action and two VIP rooms allow you to host a full range of social functions. Bear and Birch. Get Whacked. We've added Bear and Birch to our database.

Glenn over at Sauna Times posted on this topic yesterday and said there are two ways to throw water on the rocks: Soft and softer. I’m a person who thrives on hard numbers, so this got me thinking.

The photo with this post is of the interior of a pretty typical sauna and heater you will find at most US hotels, clubs and gyms. It shows a Scandia heater made by Am-Finn Sauna and Steam in Eagle, Idaho. According to their website, they are the preferred vendor for the YMCA, Bally, Gold’s Gym and LA Fitness, most universities and the US Government. In my experience, they are right. Most public saunas in the USA use their brand of heater.

This heater has a shallow pan at the top to hold the rocks which prevents water from getting on the elements. Their website validates what Clint says: users can “pour water on the rocks without risk to the heater elements and control wiring.”

These heaters have an internal thermostat that limits their temperature to 190°F (88°C) in the wiring box. Looking at the way these are made, my guess is that the rock pan gets to somewhere around 250-300ºF (120-150°C). (I’ll have to figure out a way to look natural bringing my IR thermometer into the sauna with me the next time I go to the gym).

My guess is there are between 25 and 35 pounds of rock in these heaters. Mikkel Aaland says that hornblende is one of the preferred sauna rocks. A few trips to the engineering toolbox, and we find that we’ve got between 200 and 650 BTU to dissipate. A few more trips there and we find that means we can vaporize between 3 and 9 ounces of water before the rocks get too cold to do their job anymore.

In my experience, 4 ounces or 1/2 cup, seems to be the practical limit. That wood sauna ladle in the photo holds about 7 ounces of water.

So when you are in that hotel sauna, about 1/2 a ladle or 1/2 a small foam coffee cup is all you can put on the rocks at a time. Any more than that, and you’ll just cool off the stove.

With the power in those sauna stoves and their element designs, you can probably splash water on the rocks about once every 5-10 minutes, giving you a reason to use that sauna timer.

Compare that to a similar size heater made by Harvia in Finland. These hold about 130 lb of rocks and do not limit the temperature of the stove. They control only by the temperature of the sauna room, and the rocks touch the heating elements so they can get hotter.

Or look at the stove in a Russian banya. These stoves hold 10 or more tons of rock and heat them to more than 800°F! Russian banya enthusiasts say that this high temperature gives the best steam.

Stay tuned for a future post where we look at what happens when you throw water on those sauna rocks.

Glenn over at Sauna Times posted on this topic yesterday and said there are two ways to throw water on the rocks: Soft and softer. I'm a person who thrives on hard numbers, so this got me thinking. The photo with this post is of the interior of a pretty typical sauna and heater you will find at most US hotels, clubs and gyms. It shows a Scandia heater made by Am-Finn Sauna and Steam in Eagle, Idaho. According to their website, they are the preferred vendor for the YMCA, Bally, Gold's Gym and LA Fitness, most universities and the US Government. In my experience, they are right. Most public saunas in the USA use their brand of heater. This heater has a shallow pan at the top to hold the rocks which prevents water from getting on the elements. Their website validates what Clint says: users can "pour water on the rocks without risk to the heater elements and control wiring." These heaters have an internal thermostat that limits their temperature to 190°F (88°C) in the wiring box. Looking at the way these are made, my guess is that the rock pan gets to somewhere around 250-300ºF (120-150°C). (I'll have to figure out a way to look natural bringing my IR thermometer into the sauna with me the next time I go to the gym). My guess is there are between 25 and 35 pounds of rock in these heaters. Mikkel Aaland says that hornblende is one of the preferred sauna rocks. A few trips to the engineering toolbox, and we find that we've got between 200 and 650 BTU to dissipate. A few more trips there and we find that means we can vaporize between 3 and 9 ounces of water before the rocks get too cold to do their job anymore. In my experience, 4 ounces or 1/2 cup, seems to be the practical limit. That wood sauna ladle in the photo holds about 7 ounces of water. So when you are in that hotel sauna, about 1/2 a ladle or 1/2 a small foam coffee cup is all you can put on the rocks at a time. Any more than that, and you'll just cool off the stove. With the power in those sauna stoves and their element designs, you can probably splash water on the rocks about once every 5-10 minutes, giving you a reason to use that sauna timer. Compare that to a similar size heater made by Harvia in Finland. These hold about 130 lb of rocks and do not limit the temperature of the stove. They control only by the temperature of the sauna room, and the rocks touch the heating elements so they can get hotter. Or look at the stove in a Russian banya. These stoves hold 10 or more tons of rock and heat them to more than 800°F! Russian banya enthusiasts say that this high temperature gives the best steam. Stay tuned for a future post where we look at what happens when you throw water on those sauna rocks.

Image via Wikipedia

We often troll Yahoo Answers for post ideas on this blog, and this weekend we found a very interesting question there: “What is the difference between a black banya and a white banya?”

The difference is simple: The black banya has an open stove, and the white banya has an enclosed stove with a flue that exhausts to the outside of the banya.

The black banya is a heat storage type of bath like the Finnish smoke sauna or the Korean charcoal sauna. Inside of the bath is the stove with its mass of rock. The stove has no chimney, but vents to the inside of the sauna chamber. When the fire is burning, a hole in the roof or high in the walls is opened to allow the smoke to escape. This fire is fed until there is enough heat stored in the stones to maintain the sauna temperature.

Before the sauna can be used for bathing, the fire must be extinguished, the coals removed, and all of the surfaces of the inside of the banya need to be cleaned of the ash in the room. The smoke door in the roof is closed, and then the bathers enter. The first bathers have the hottest experience. As time progresses, the banya gets cooler, as no more heat is being applied. However, with a large enough stove, the banya could keep its heat for days.

A white banya is the urban banya. The stove is fully enclosed. It can be heated with electricity, gas, or wood. If it is fuel-fired the rocks are isolated from the smoke from the fire. These gasses are vented outside of the banya via a chimney. Since heat can be applied continuously, a white banya can be occupied 24 hours per day. It is also much easier to install a white banya in an urban setting, as it is cleaner, and there is no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning of its neighbors.

However, one advantage that the black banya has is that smoke and soot are natural disinfectants, so the inside of a black banya gets a complete disinfection every time it is used. A white banya has to be disinfected using other means. The Koreans have made some studies of their charcoal saunas and found that they convey additional benefits than saunas with “modern” stoves.

At the beginning of the last century and earlier, all banyas were black banyas. No-one had figured out how to build an enclosed stove yet. The disinfecting properties of the smoke also made the banya the cleanest place available. The banya was used for treatment for the sick, a delivery room and even the funeral parlor. In Finland during World War II, regular use of smoke saunas is credited with stopping the spread of the louse-borne disease typhus among the Finnish military.

We don’t know of any commercial black banyas or smoke saunas in the USA, but King Sauna has Korean-style wood-heated charcoal saunas in their three US locations (NYC, Dallas & Chicago).

If you know of any black banya in existence, please let us know in the comments.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] We often troll Yahoo Answers for post ideas on this blog, and this weekend we found a very interesting question there: "What is the difference between a black banya and a white banya?" The difference is simple: The black banya has an open stove, and the white banya has an enclosed stove with a flue that exhausts to the outside of the banya. The black banya is a heat storage type of bath like the Finnish smoke sauna or the Korean charcoal sauna. Inside of the bath is the stove with its mass of rock. The stove has no chimney, but vents to the inside of the sauna chamber. When the fire is burning, a hole in the roof or high in the walls is opened to allow the smoke to escape. This fire is fed until there is enough heat stored in the stones to maintain the sauna temperature. Before the sauna can be used for bathing, the fire must be extinguished, the coals removed, and all of the surfaces of the inside of the banya need to be cleaned of the ash in the room. The smoke door in the roof is closed, and then the bathers enter. The first bathers have the hottest experience. As time progresses, the banya gets cooler, as no more heat is being applied. However, with a large enough stove, the banya could keep its heat for days. A white banya is the urban banya. The stove is fully enclosed. It can be heated with electricity, gas, or wood. If it is fuel-fired the rocks are isolated from the smoke from the fire. These gasses are vented outside of the banya via a chimney. Since heat can be applied continuously, a white banya can be occupied 24 hours per day. It is also much easier to install a white banya in an urban setting, as it is cleaner, and there is no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning of its neighbors. However, one advantage that the black banya has is that smoke and soot are natural disinfectants, so the inside of a black banya gets a complete disinfection every time it is used. A white banya has to be disinfected using other means. The Koreans have made some studies of their charcoal saunas and found that they convey additional benefits than saunas with "modern" stoves. At the beginning of the last century and earlier, all banyas were black banyas. No-one had figured out how to build an enclosed stove yet. The disinfecting properties of the smoke also made the banya the cleanest place available. The banya was used for treatment for the sick, a delivery room and even the funeral parlor. In Finland during World War II, regular use of smoke saunas is credited with stopping the spread of the louse-borne disease typhus among the Finnish military. We don't know of any commercial black banyas or smoke saunas in the USA, but King Sauna has Korean-style wood-heated charcoal saunas in their three US locations (NYC, Dallas & Chicago). If you know of any black banya in existence, please let us know in the comments.

A Sauna In a Pear Tree by seattlebound 2007 on Photobucket

It’s that time of year, where every good blogger across the internet channels their inner Stan Freberg and posts a list of their gift ideas. We’re not afraid of a little commercialism here, so without further ado, here is the SaunaScape 12 days of Christmas:

12 Sauna Hats
A sauna hat is an essential accessory if you’re going to enjoy a Banya. There aren’t many domestic sources for them, here’s an authentic Latvian one via Hotsprung.

11 Bath Robes
If you’re not going to a Korean sauna, you’re going to need a robe. There are three schools of robes, big and fluffy, light and packable, and The Dude abides.

10 Sauna Books
There’s no shortage of books on the sauna out there. A few new ones were published in 2010 including The Opposite of Cold, The Bathers, The Dirt on Clean and Villas and Saunas in Finland. If you’re looking for some classics, there is Cathedrals of the Flesh, Mikkel Aaland’s Sweat, and The Sauna Cookbook.

9 Sauna Towels
Again, if you’re not regularly going to a sauna that includes towels, you’ll need to bring your own. Again, these come in three varieties: Soft and fluffy, light and packable, and Ford Prefect.

8 Ex-foliation Tools
In Korean baths they use italy towels, in the Hammam it’s a synthetic mitt, some prefer a loofah, a brush, or even a venik. Whatever tool you choose, after a couple of rounds in the sauna, you’re ready to exfoliate like you’ve never done before.

7 Pairs of Sandals
There are too many choices to pick from here, so I’ll just let you decide.

6 Sauna Aromas
Lots of different sauna aromas are available. As we mentioned in our earlier post Dr. Stephen Colmant likes Sage. I’m a fan of Eucalyptus and Citrus.

5 Gift Certificates
That’s right, if you can’t take them to the spa, you can send them a gift certificate. Spa Finder and Spa Week are both offering discounted certificates this holiday season.

4 Sauna Apps
Well, we’ve at least got two for you: The virtual sauna, and the Seoul sauna guide.

3 Sauna Films
Steam of Life, the Finnish documentary is contending for an Oscar this year. It’s not available to watch / purchase through any of the usual sources, but I’m sure if it wins it will go into wide distribution. To round out the list we can add the horror film Sauna, and because we’re really reaching right now, Hot Tub Time Machine

2 Nights in a hotel with a sauna
Enough said?

and

A Sauna in a Pear Tree.
Seriously, if you don’t have your own sauna yet, Glenn’s is for sale.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="327" caption="A Sauna In a Pear Tree by seattlebound 2007 on Photobucket"][/caption] It's that time of year, where every good blogger across the internet channels their inner Stan Freberg and posts a list of their gift ideas. We're not afraid of a little commercialism here, so without further ado, here is the SaunaScape 12 days of Christmas: 12 Sauna Hats A sauna hat is an essential accessory if you're going to enjoy a Banya. There aren't many domestic sources for them, here's an authentic Latvian one via Hotsprung. 11 Bath Robes If you're not going to a Korean sauna, you're going to need a robe. There are three schools of robes, big and fluffy, light and packable, and The Dude abides. 10 Sauna Books There's no shortage of books on the sauna out there. A few new ones were published in 2010 including The Opposite of Cold, The Bathers, The Dirt on Clean and Villas and Saunas in Finland. If you're looking for some classics, there is Cathedrals of the Flesh, Mikkel Aaland's Sweat, and The Sauna Cookbook. 9 Sauna Towels Again, if you're not regularly going to a sauna that includes towels, you'll need to bring your own. Again, these come in three varieties: Soft and fluffy, light and packable, and Ford Prefect. 8 Ex-foliation Tools In Korean baths they use italy towels, in the Hammam it's a synthetic mitt, some prefer a loofah, a brush, or even a venik. Whatever tool you choose, after a couple of rounds in the sauna, you're ready to exfoliate like you've never done before. 7 Pairs of Sandals There are too many choices to pick from here, so I'll just let you decide. 6 Sauna Aromas Lots of different sauna aromas are available. As we mentioned in our earlier post Dr. Stephen Colmant likes Sage. I'm a fan of Eucalyptus and Citrus. 5 Gift Certificates That's right, if you can't take them to the spa, you can send them a gift certificate. Spa Finder and Spa Week are both offering discounted certificates this holiday season. 4 Sauna Apps Well, we've at least got two for you: The virtual sauna, and the Seoul sauna guide. 3 Sauna Films Steam of Life, the Finnish documentary is contending for an Oscar this year. It's not available to watch / purchase through any of the usual sources, but I'm sure if it wins it will go into wide distribution. To round out the list we can add the horror film Sauna, and because we're really reaching right now, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 Nights in a hotel with a sauna Enough said? and A Sauna in a Pear Tree. Seriously, if you don't have your own sauna yet, Glenn's is for sale.

Brooklyn Banya during a Gemini and Scorpio Party. Photo by Larisa Fuchs

It’s official. The Banya, or Russian Sauna, once in the realm of Tony Soprano unhipness has been moved back to the epicenter of cool, specifically the Brooklyn Banya.

Spa Week Daily writes about a recent visit that she made there. She declares that “these Eastern European therapeutic spa havens are not present enough. There’s no reason why the Banya can’t become a mainstream way to spend a leisurely Saturday.” While there, they witnessed a 21st birthday party, chatted with an 11-year old girl in the steam room. While there they did not see the “hairy, naked Russians in hot tubs” some had lead them to expect.

While there the two enjoyed a platza. I would describe it, but Michelle does a better job: “Platza is an ancient, invigorating form of Russian massage that involves the use bundles of birch, oak, or eucalyptus leaves to smack, splash, infuse heat into your body, and rock you into what I’d can only describe as Spa Coma.”

Further reinforcing it’s cool factor, party planners Gemini and Scorpio (and their lusty alter-ego House of Scorpio) have selected the Brooklyn Banya as home to their Steamy Dance Nights: “Break out your bikini or swim trunks, and join our hand-picked crowd of artsy, funky (and nearly naked) New Yorkers for the glorious return of Gemini & Scorpio’s legendary Russian Baths party.”

The event which has been going on since 2006 is billed as “the kind of party you always imagine, but can never quite find in real life…and may be the only one you’ll come out of cleaner than when you came in.” Prior events have been featured in The Village Voice and Time Out New York. The parties look like a lot of fun. (We’re hoping that this post here is enough to convince them that our middle-aged, khaki-wearing corpus is artsy and funky enough to admit to a future party…)

Full details of the event and a link to buy tickets are on the Gemini and Scorpio website. If you’re looking to keep up on the hippest events in New York, Gemini and Scorpio also publish a weekly newsletter of the hippest events in New York.

If you’re planning a trip yourself, you can read our article on the Russian Banya, and if Brooklyn Banya is too far for you to travel, we’ve got a listing of other Russian Banyas in our database.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="303" caption="Brooklyn Banya during a Gemini and Scorpio Party. Photo by Larisa Fuchs"][/caption] It's official. The Banya, or Russian Sauna, once in the realm of Tony Soprano unhipness has been moved back to the epicenter of cool, specifically the Brooklyn Banya. Spa Week Daily writes about a recent visit that she made there. She declares that "these Eastern European therapeutic spa havens are not present enough. There’s no reason why the Banya can’t become a mainstream way to spend a leisurely Saturday." While there, they witnessed a 21st birthday party, chatted with an 11-year old girl in the steam room. While there they did not see the "hairy, naked Russians in hot tubs" some had lead them to expect. While there the two enjoyed a platza. I would describe it, but Michelle does a better job: "Platza is an ancient, invigorating form of Russian massage that involves the use bundles of birch, oak, or eucalyptus leaves to smack, splash, infuse heat into your body, and rock you into what I’d can only describe as Spa Coma." Further reinforcing it's cool factor, party planners Gemini and Scorpio (and their lusty alter-ego House of Scorpio) have selected the Brooklyn Banya as home to their Steamy Dance Nights: "Break out your bikini or swim trunks, and join our hand-picked crowd of artsy, funky (and nearly naked) New Yorkers for the glorious return of Gemini & Scorpio's legendary Russian Baths party." The event which has been going on since 2006 is billed as "the kind of party you always imagine, but can never quite find in real life...and may be the only one you'll come out of cleaner than when you came in." Prior events have been featured in The Village Voice and Time Out New York. The parties look like a lot of fun. (We're hoping that this post here is enough to convince them that our middle-aged, khaki-wearing corpus is artsy and funky enough to admit to a future party...) Full details of the event and a link to buy tickets are on the Gemini and Scorpio website. If you're looking to keep up on the hippest events in New York, Gemini and Scorpio also publish a weekly newsletter of the hippest events in New York. If you're planning a trip yourself, you can read our article on the Russian Banya, and if Brooklyn Banya is too far for you to travel, we've got a listing of other Russian Banyas in our database.

The Basics: The Banya is the Russian version of the heat bath. The Russian Banya is at least as old as the Finnish Sauna, and shares a few key features, like a stove with hot rocks. The sauna which is a dry heat, with typically less than 15% humidity, the banya is usually maintained at 60-70% humidity. Banya fans claim that this creates much less stress on your system than the sauna.

The banya stove is the key to this. It is much more massive than a typical sauna stove, with tons of rock inside of a closed masonry construction. The rocks inside are heated to 600-800°C (1100-1475ºF). Water is thrown onto the stones through a small door, typically 100ml (about ½ cup) at a time. This creates a fine transparent steam that fills the top of the banya chamber. To hold this steam, the banya has a higher roof than a sauna, and it typically has minimal venting.

Diagram of a banya stove. From rusbanya.com

To bring the steam down to the bathers, they are given a platza, which is a form of massage with a venik, a whisk broom usually made from green oak or birch branches. The giver of the platza uses the broom to bring the steam from above down to the bather who is reclining on a bench. The heat, humidity and the oils from the branches are transferred the skin of the bather. Russian-bath.com has a nice page detailing the venik, techniques and benefits of the platza.

One of the challenges in the banya is keeping the temperature in the room at a level that is safe for the bathers. The high-heat required in the stove and the steam given off both raise the temperature if not carefully controlled. Many banyas have a supply of cold water in the bathing chamber for dunking over yourself to allow you to prolong your time in the heat.  A banya fan would refer to a room like this as a schvitz – not always a compliment.

When you exit the banya, the Russian way is to cool rapidly in a cold plunge pool or shower. These are usually located right outside of the exit of the hot room.

Most banya facilities have restaurants, and other saunas, steam rooms and pools.

What to Bring: Russian Banyas, depending on the facility, can be either single-gendered or mixed gender. The mixed-gender facilities usually require swimsuits. Single-gender facilities are usually enjoyed nude.

Towels and other toiletries may or may not be provided. Check with your facility before going. If not provided, you’ll want to bring two or three towels: One to lie on in the banya, one for toweling off between rounds, and one for drying off after your final shower. A robe may be desirable for lounging while resting between rounds.

Footwear, like a slide sandal is usually worn outside of the baths. If the facility does not supply them, you may need to bring your own.

The intense heat of the banya can damage your hair, so most experienced banya afficianados bring a wool hat to wear in the heat for protection. If you don’t have one, you can always drape a hand towel over your head.

Veniks are usually available for purchase at a Russian bath. If you’ve got access to trees in the early summer, you can make your own and store them in the freezer for a substantial savings over what the house charges.

Enjoying the Banya:

The banya is about the bath. When you arrive, you’ll want to take a shower to rinse any dirt, perfumes or other cosmetics off of your skin and change into your swimsuit (if needed).

Begin with a session in a dry sauna to get your body sweating and cool down. Now it’s time to venture into the heat and humidity of  the banya. Before going in, cool yourself down as much as possible with the shower or cold pool. A platza is a good way to enjoy this session. Stay in the hot room as long as is comfortable, and cool down your preferred way when you leave.

Russian lore says that you shouldn’t take more than three rounds in the banya, lest you anger the Bannik, the spirit of the Russian bath.

After your bathing rounds are complete, you can relax and cool down in the Banya facility, and enjoy a meal at the restaurant before donning your clothes and heading back out in the world.

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a banya, you can consult our database for a full list of places we know. Here are a few to get you started.

 

Bear and Birch

6 Paragon Way
West Freehold, NJ

 

South-Western Bath House and Tea Room

2200 Dundas St. East
Mississauga, ON

 

The Schvitz

E 116th St & Luke Ave
Cleveland, OH

 

Steamul Sauna Missisaugua

1310 Dundas St. East, Unit #14
Missisaugua, ON

 

Steamul Sauna Richmond Hill

9688 Leslie Street
Richmond Hill, ON

 

Red Rocks Banya

1842 S. Parker Rd. #21
Denver, CO

 

Sanduny Spa

1027 Finch Avenue West, Unit 7
Toronto, ON

 

Badegarten

Am Bühl 3
Eibenstock

 

Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme

Langgasse 38 - 40
Wiessbaden

 

Izba Spa - Denver

1441 York Street
Denver, CO

 

Oase Bremen

Hans-Bredow-Strasse 17
Bremen

 

Schvitz Health Club

8295 Oakland St
Detroit, MI

 

Euphora Spa

3815 Northern Blvd.
Astoria, NY

 

Forest Hills Spa

5921 Calloway Street
Queens, NY

 

Body by Brooklyn

275 Park Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

The Basics: The Banya is the Russian version of the heat bath. The Russian Banya is at least as old as the Finnish Sauna, and shares a few key features, like a stove with hot rocks. The sauna which is a dry heat, with typically less than 15% humidity, the banya is usually maintained at 60-70% humidity. Banya fans claim that this creates much less stress on your system than the sauna. The banya stove is the key to this. It is much more massive than a typical sauna stove, with tons of rock inside of a closed masonry construction. The rocks inside are heated to 600-800°C (1100-1475ºF). Water is thrown onto the stones through a small door, typically 100ml (about ½ cup) at a time. This creates a fine transparent steam that fills the top of the banya chamber. To hold this steam, the banya has a higher roof than a sauna, and it typically has minimal venting. [caption id="attachment_558" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Diagram of a banya stove. From rusbanya.com"][/caption] To bring the steam down to the bathers, they are given a platza, which is a form of massage with a venik, a whisk broom usually made from green oak or birch branches. The giver of the platza uses the broom to bring the steam from above down to the bather who is reclining on a bench. The heat, humidity and the oils from the branches are transferred the skin of the bather. Russian-bath.com has a nice page detailing the venik, techniques and benefits of the platza. One of the challenges in the banya is keeping the temperature in the room at a level that is safe for the bathers. The high-heat required in the stove and the steam given off both raise the temperature if not carefully controlled. Many banyas have a supply of cold water in the bathing chamber for dunking over yourself to allow you to prolong your time in the heat.  A banya fan would refer to a room like this as a schvitz – not always a compliment. When you exit the banya, the Russian way is to cool rapidly in a cold plunge pool or shower. These are usually located right outside of the exit of the hot room. Most banya facilities have restaurants, and other saunas, steam rooms and pools. What to Bring: Russian Banyas, depending on the facility, can be either single-gendered or mixed gender. The mixed-gender facilities usually require swimsuits. Single-gender facilities are usually enjoyed nude. Towels and other toiletries may or may not be provided. Check with your facility before going. If not provided, you'll want to bring two or three towels: One to lie on in the banya, one for toweling off between rounds, and one for drying off after your final shower. A robe may be desirable for lounging while resting between rounds. Footwear, like a slide sandal is usually worn outside of the baths. If the facility does not supply them, you may need to bring your own. The intense heat of the banya can damage your hair, so most experienced banya afficianados bring a wool hat to wear in the heat for protection. If you don't have one, you can always drape a hand towel over your head. Veniks are usually available for purchase at a Russian bath. If you've got access to trees in the early summer, you can make your own and store them in the freezer for a substantial savings over what the house charges. Enjoying the Banya: The banya is about the bath. When you arrive, you'll want to take a shower to rinse any dirt, perfumes or other cosmetics off of your skin and change into your swimsuit (if needed). Begin with a session in a dry sauna to get your body sweating and cool down. Now it's time to venture into the heat and humidity of  the banya. Before going in, cool yourself down as much as possible with the shower or cold pool. A platza is a good way to enjoy this session. Stay in the hot room as long as is comfortable, and cool down your preferred way when you leave. Russian lore says that you shouldn't take more than three rounds in the banya, lest you anger the Bannik, the spirit of the Russian bath. After your bathing rounds are complete, you can relax and cool down in the Banya facility, and enjoy a meal at the restaurant before donning your clothes and heading back out in the world. If you're looking for a place to enjoy a banya, you can consult our database for a full list of places we know. Here are a few to get you started. [pods name="sauna_baths" order="t.id DESC" limit="15" where="style.id=6" template="sauna_list_div"]

Poll Answers
It’s time for a new poll here. This week, we’re wondering what is your favorite type of heat bath. Thanks for answering.

Poll Answers It's time for a new poll here. This week, we're wondering what is your favorite type of heat bath. Thanks for answering.