Progress has changed our lives in so many ways. Could people previously imagine that they would perform water procedures without leaving home? That the day will someday come when they won’t have to get to the nearest bathhouse with basins, washcloths, brooms and other supplies? Today, most people have already abandoned this, but there are still those who remain devoted to the good old baths, albeit not very often, but from time to time visiting establishments in different parts of the city in search of the best. Is it possible to go there with the whole family? Is there at least one joint bathhouse in Moscow where both men and women can wash without hiding? And if there are, where to look for them and are there any special rules for those who want to visit them? Let's look for answers to all these questions together.
Historical excursion
The tradition of making separate baths for different sexes is far from new. Even when people understood the difference between men and women, they began to practice their toilet in the presence of only representatives of their own sex in order to avoid embarrassment. The baths usually had several rooms, some were at the disposal of men, others - women. And in small baths they could set a time at which representatives of only one sex should come.
A joint bathhouse (men and women were allowed in at the same time) was more a necessity than a whim: for example, it was not possible to organize separate “washing sessions” for men and women. Today, when the function of the bathhouse has changed somewhat (now it is more of an entertainment than the only way to keep oneself clean), representatives of different sexes can freely spend time there together, not necessarily even naked.
How to hover small children
Following the diagram given above, we always focus on the child in the steam room.
- Having ventilated the bathhouse very thoroughly and set the temperature to a low temperature, we go into the steam room with the baby and be sure to cover his head.
- As soon as the baby shows the first signs of anxiety, you can go down to a lower level and offer the baby the breast. The temperature in the steam room is 60 degrees, and in the chest - about 37. It turns out that breast milk is a “soft drink” for the baby.
- As soon as the baby gets worried, we leave the steam room. We place the child on ourselves and go under a warm shower. You should never keep your baby in the steam room if he is crying or worried!
- Standing under the shower, we gradually lower the temperature to a level that is easily tolerated by the baby. Usually, “on mother” they willingly agree to “suffer” cold water.
- Next, we gently expand the child’s “comfort zone.” On average, if we go to the bathhouse with a child every week, after 1-3 months he can stay in the steam room for about 5 minutes and then calmly plunge “on his mother” into the font, receiving the maximum benefit from the bath procedures.
- Children have an innate reflex to hold their breath when water hits their head, forehead and face. The baby “pinches” his nose and mouth and holds his breath. By standing with the child under the shower and periodically pouring water on him from above, we stimulate the breath-holding reflex and train this skill. Very soon the baby will be able to dive underwater with us for a while.
And then... the endless and absolutely amazing story of infant swimming, but this is the topic of a separate article.
What about in Europe?
Shared public baths have long existed in European countries. True, there is one very important rule: no swimsuits or swimming trunks, because at the temperature in the steam room, the fabric will prevent the evaporation of excess liquid from the body, thereby causing overheating. Who knows how this might end? Perhaps it is precisely because of this that in the West people are not ashamed of their nudity in such a situation, knowing full well that the consequences may not be the most pleasant.
In Russia and even in post-Soviet countries, people are not so liberated, so they go to joint saunas and baths in what they wear when swimming in the sea. It is difficult to say whether caring about health or the feeling of beauty of others is more important, and yet society imposes certain limits, because of which we feel very awkward when we are naked ourselves or surrounded by naked people, no matter whether we know them or not. In any case, Russian traditions in this regard differ significantly from Western ones.
Rules of conduct in the doubles department
In the steam room there are several tiers of shelves, the height of which determines the temperature: the higher, the hotter. You can properly take a steam bath in a Russian bath both sitting and lying down. When a person stands, the body heats up unevenly (the legs heat up more slowly than the head). If you steam while lying down, then first lie on your stomach, then substitute one side, then the other, then roll over onto your back, allowing you to evenly warm up your whole body. Before leaving the steam room, you need to sit down for a minute so that your body gets used to the vertical state. Then slowly get up and slowly get out (if you stand up suddenly, you can lose your balance and fall).
"Warsaw Baths"
So, let's get down to specifics. It is clear that there is far more than one shared bathhouse in Moscow; moreover, a large number of complexes today offer to rent a separate sauna, where representatives of different sexes can be present at the same time; this depends on the customer himself. One of the establishments where this is available is “Warshavskie Bani”, located on Varshavskoye Shosse, 34.
Clients note that not only the bathhouse itself is excellent, but also the restaurant located next to it. Halls of different capacities, decorated in different styles, are available for rent. In addition, the complex offers rental of sheets, so even the most shy ones will not have to blush in front of representatives of the other sex.
"Tsaritsyn Baths"
The Tsaritsyn Baths, located at the metro station of the same name, on Luganskaya Street, 10, have also proven themselves. This complex, among other things, organizes special sessions for naturists - people who have no inhibitions at all. You can spend three hours in cabins for 6-8 people (taking into account the specifics of the session, women in a joint bathhouse in Moscow will pay only 800 rubles instead of the usual 1300 for this bathhouse). As with many similar establishments, a restaurant and bar are available.
And from what is usually more interesting to bathhouse lovers, there are available fonts, shower cabins, cabins with overturning barrels of cold water. Judging by the reviews, the Tsaritsyn Baths are one of the best in the capital, so you won’t regret visiting them.
Second entry into the steam room: rules and recommendations
After resting, it’s time to make a second pass. The temperature in the steam room at this stage needs to be increased slightly.
- To begin, go into the steam room and sit for a while on the lower shelves, just a couple of minutes.
- Then you can start working with a broom. However, for convenience, this procedure should not be carried out independently, but with the help of a friend who can steam you.
- We take out the brooms from the bags. One broom is sent under the chin of the person lying down, the second - into the hands of the steamer.
- First we carry out the plowing procedure. The essence of fanning is that the steamer waves brooms over the body of a lying person in such a way that the leaves practically do not touch his body.
- Next we do shaking. We lift the broom up to the ceiling of the steam room, since the temperature there is much higher, and then we apply it to different parts of the body of the lying person. Particular attention should be paid to the legs, or more precisely the feet, since it is in this place that we have many active points. After the work with the feet is completed, you need to pay attention to all other areas.
- The next stage is whipping. This procedure involves gentle blows with a broom on different parts of the body. The most important thing when whipping is to calculate the force of the blow. The person lying should not be in pain, the process should be enjoyable.
In the steam room with a broom
- After intense whippings, give your body a little rest. To do this, stroke your back, legs, and stomach with a broom.
- You can complete your second visit to the steam room with so-called compresses. Just as when shaking, lift the broom up, and then lower it onto the person’s body, but at the same time press it tightly for 5 seconds.
- After finishing working with the broom, lie down for a couple more minutes, let your body come to its senses, and then slowly get up and leave the steam room.
- The total time spent in the steam room at this stage is 15 minutes.
- Rest outside the steam room for at least 15-20 minutes.
"B-69"
“B-69” is an amazing island of calm and tranquility in the center of the noisy capital. True, this is more of a sauna than a joint bathhouse in Moscow. Its address is Vavilova Street, 69, Profsoyuznaya metro station. The prices there, of course, are not very affordable, but a separate advantage is the presence of two completely different halls - Greek, decorated in the spirit of antiquity, and African, with the savage simplicity inherent in this continent. Like most bathhouses, there is a restaurant and bar, but you can bring your own food. Guests can use the services of massage therapists, smoke hookah and enjoy aromatherapy.
"Vorontsov Baths"
The legendary “Vorontsov Baths” (Vorontsovsky Lane, 5/7, building 1), unfortunately, do not allow men and women to wash together, but are happy to rent saunas for up to six people to both sexes. Another plus here is that the complex is open around the clock, so both those who don’t go to bed until dawn and those who wake up at that very dawn and want to relax in a pleasant atmosphere can enjoy this place.
The only condition is to rent a room for more than two hours, for which you will have to pay from three to six thousand rubles, depending on the availability of a pool in a particular sauna and the capacity of the steam room.
"Sandunovsky Baths"
Regulars almost universally recommend another truly legendary establishment - Sandunovskie Bani. Address of the establishment: Neglinnaya, 14, pp. 3-7. As in most other complexes, there are separate classes (aka halls) for men and women. Representatives of both sexes can relax together in separate bathhouses of varying capacities. The numbered baths here are also open 24 hours a day. Their price, as is already clear, depends on the capacity: for a company of four people you will have to pay 4,000 rubles per hour, and for the largest group of ten people - seven or eight thousand. We can safely say that this is perhaps the most popular joint bathhouse in Moscow. Reviews about this place are the most positive, both about individual and general categories, so “Sanduny,” as this bathhouse is popularly called, is one of the complexes that is practically obligatory to visit.
"Lefortovo Baths"
A pure joint bathhouse for men and women is very rare in Moscow - usually these are still separate categories available for rent. Such, located on Lefortovo Val, 9a. Here, however, there are some peculiarities: the rented rooms and saunas can accommodate from four to six people, and you need to pay for them based on the number of guests: 600 rubles per person per hour, with the minimum price being 1200, that is, for two Human. In addition, you can also rent a double room for 1200 rubles per hour.
And the biggest bonus is the opportunity to “occupy” an entire Russian steam room, which can accommodate as many as thirty people - this is an excellent option for holding a large-scale celebration, a corporate party, for example. According to reviews, in addition to standard brooms, sheets and hats, they offer honey, herbs, and various types of massages.
Not only in Moscow!
But you don’t think that going to the bathhouse together is only possible in Moscow? Other cities are no worse! For example, the Northern capital offers a “Bath Club”, which, unfortunately, is only open from mid-Tuesday to Wednesday morning, from four to six. This establishment is located on Lotsmanskaya Street, 20, you will have to get there from the Sadovaya/Sennaya metro station or from Narvskaya. The payment system is also interesting: ladies enter for free until seven in the evening, then pay 300 rubles; men pay 1000 from four to midnight, and if they come on Wednesday, then 300.
The rules prohibit the use of alcohol and drugs, and for indecent behavior towards ladies they can be removed. In addition, special programs are held with master classes and trainings in which all those present can participate. True, in the general section you will have to wear a bathing suit, robe or sheet, but the very feeling of being in a bathhouse overcomes this trouble for lovers of nudity.
General rules
It doesn't matter whether you prefer regular, separate or shared baths. Men and women in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan and in all cities must adhere to certain rules.
It is clear that going to the bathhouse if you have cancer or pregnancy is strictly prohibited. But few people know that before going to the steam room it is recommended to take a shower, although without gels and soaps, which will remove the fatty film from the body and make it difficult to sweat. No alcohol: its influence will only increase under the influence of heat. In the steam room itself, you need to cover your head, especially if the hair is wet, otherwise there will be additional stress on the brain vessels. And after the steam room, a cold shower or the traditional Russian rubdown with snow is recommended: the temperature contrast will only enhance the healing effect of the bath. The most important rule: do not test yourself under any circumstances - at the slightest sign of discomfort, you need to leave the steam room and take a break from the heat.
What now
The family bathhouse is slowly but surely gaining popularity in our wide open spaces. The modern bath industry sensed the market conditions and demand for quality family vacations in time and is trying to satisfy this demand to the best of its ability, ingenuity and capabilities. Foreign experience in operating establishments of this kind is also a good help here. The trend has become so fashionable and timely that many establishments that had a reputation as a semi-gangster den with blackjack and girls of low social responsibility are in a hurry to correct their image and take the true path, which is the bathhouse for the family. In general, what is good and attractive about a family-type public bathhouse:
- Due to the specifics of the contingent, there are much fewer problems both with hired personnel and directly with visitors.
- As you know, about 60 - 65% of the profit of a bath business is not the main income, but specifically related products and services. Agree that the circulation of non-excise kvass, fruit drinks, and juices in the long term guarantees a more stable profit than beer, vodka, and cigarettes.
- Therapeutic and sports massage are now more in demand and popular than the massages that were widespread in the 90s.
- The orientation of the bathhouse business under the slogan “to the bathhouse with the whole family” guarantees communication exclusively with the relevant control and supervisory authorities, and not with the police and prosecutor’s office. Naturally, the family in this case has nothing in common with the Sicilian mafia formations.
The moral side of the issue
I would also like to note that a joint bathhouse in Moscow is more of an intimate phenomenon than a widespread one. And the mentality of post-Soviet states, as already mentioned above, is very different from the European one. It is very likely that over time the situation will change and the scope of shame will expand a little. On the other hand, the question arises about the sense of beauty: after all, everyone has a different attitude towards the human body, and it is hardly possible to find yourself in a company where everyone will be happy with everyone. In addition, people of the older generation can also join in going to the bathhouse, and being together with a negligee seems completely unacceptable. Therefore, the issue of joint baths will be discussed for a long time. You can give arguments both for and against, but the choice remains with each bathhouse visitor.
How to teach children to take a bath
Children can and should take toys to the bathhouse. In my family, we even make special brooms for children for little hands. I teach children to take a bath through games, observation, repetition of adults and - of course - praise! Children love to soar their little animals in the bathhouse. They enjoy playing in basins with different water temperatures, with different containers: spilling, pouring, bathing and washing toys. In the pool they play with balls, inflatable toys, and floating objects.
Those who like to dive under water love to dive and retrieve objects from the bottom - if the capabilities of the sauna allow this.
Photo source: https://www.shutterstock.com/
Different types of baths
It was mentioned above that a joint bathhouse in Moscow can offer a variety of types of private sections. Descriptions of these different establishments will allow you to choose where to have a good time.
The Russian bathhouse is the most famous and one of the oldest. Its peculiarity is that hot stones are poured with water, which creates wet steam. In the Finnish sauna (by the way, in translation “sauna” means “bath”) the system is, in general, the same, but the stove design is different, and the stones are watered much less often, which is why the steam there is not so wet. An interesting option is a Japanese bath, more similar to our bath: a person is immersed chest-deep in a barrel filled with water at a temperature of 45 degrees, warming up there.
There are also dry baths. You can steam in sawdust heated to 60 degrees and soaked in special oils. Or you can use a special bag filled with herbs or birch leaves. Even ancient scientists noted the benefits of a sand bath, which we find more often in the form of a children's game - the fact that children bury adults in the sand has a positive effect on their body. Avicenna advised combining such a bath with watermelon: the berry will have a diuretic effect, but excess liquid will be removed from the body through sweat, which will actively absorb sand.
That’s why you shouldn’t get hung up on just one bath; it’s better to experiment to choose something that’s the best.
Step-by-step bath procedures
A total of 3 or 4 passes are allowed. Beginners are advised to limit themselves to 2-3 visits to the steam room. They begin to steam in a lying position on the lower bench. After a few minutes, if you feel well, you can move to a higher bench. After warming up the body, when sweat has already begun, you can begin massage with a broom.
Adaptation of the body to high temperatures
You shouldn't rush into the steam room right away. A sharp change in temperature can cause your body to become covered in spots and your head to spin. Therefore, to begin with, the body is heated under a warm shower. At the same time, the hair does not get wet. You cannot sit in the steam room with wet hair. This is bad for the head. If you are going to enter a Finnish sauna, you need to wipe your body dry, and only then enter the heated room.
Before entering the steam room of a Russian bath for the first time, you need to take a warm shower Source hansgrohe.ru
First run
As soon as you enter the steam room, you need to sit or lie on the lowest bench for 3-5 minutes. After this, you can go to the bench above and lie there for another 3 minutes. For the initial entry, it is recommended to maintain the temperature in the steam room no higher than 60℃. You can lie down by alternating body position - on your stomach, on your back. It is not recommended to steam while standing, because the muscle tissue is tense and the blood circulation is uneven. Leave the steam room as soon as sweating begins.
They are placed on the lower bench when you first visit the steam room to get used to it Source meditsina-online.ru
Short break
After leaving the steam room, you can wrap yourself in a sheet and sit quietly for a while. You will have to cool down in the dressing room for 5-7 minutes. Only after this can you enter the steam room again. If you want to take a dip in cool water, you can do it, but not for long. It is enough to stay in the pool or font for 7-10 seconds. Before the second run, you should not eat or get drunk. Eating food, heavy snacks or alcoholic drinks is extremely undesirable during bath procedures.
After visiting the steam room, they are tempered with a short immersion in the font Source 3.bp.blogspot.com
Preparing a bath broom
A freshly cut broom should be rinsed immediately and then used. A dry broom is dipped into a tub of hot water and allowed to steam for 5 minutes. If the branches are thin, then you won’t have to keep them in boiling water for long. The main thing is that the broom becomes soft. In a wet steam room (Russian bath), it is enough to place a broom on the very top shelf, where it will quickly steam. You can enhance the aroma of a wet broom by placing it on the heater for a couple of minutes.
You only need to soak a dry broom in a tub; you only need to rinse a fresh one Source crimeapress.mirtesen.ru
Second approach and park with a broom
For a guy, the second step is to spread a towel or dry medicinal herbs on the benches. A tub of warm water, a ladle and a massage broom or mitten are also prepared. The temperature may already be higher - up to 80-90℃, duration of stay - 10-12 minutes. The steamed body is wiped with a massage glove, if there is no desire to steam with brooms.
Cleansing and at the same time massage mitten for wiping the body in the steam room Source i2.rozetka.ua
A broom is rotated over the body in the steam room, pumping hot air towards the body. Then they press the broom, starting from the legs and moving higher to the head, and then down to the feet. Only after this can the body be lightly whipped, but so that the foliage sticks to the body. If the broom dries out, periodically dip it in a tub of water. From time to time it is necessary to change the position of the body. This will reduce the load on the heart.
First, hot air is pumped into the body with brooms to warm it up. Source polarspa.ru
After a massage with a broom, they do not get up from the bench. You need to lie down for a while, then sit down and only then get up. This way blood circulation will be normalized gently without stressing the body. Only now can you go under the cool showers or into the font. Spending 3-5 seconds in the shower is enough. Then sit for 10-15 minutes, cool down.
After the procedures of the guy with the brooms, it is better not to get up from the bench abruptly Source sunny-valley.su
Last call
As soon as you enter, you can immediately increase the steam and heat. To do this, take 150-300 grams of water with a scoop and splash it onto hot stones. The increase in temperature and humidity should not be excessive, otherwise it will be difficult to breathe. The optimal indicators of a thermohygrometer are the ratio of 25 ÷ 40% and 65 ÷ 80℃.
In a Russian steam bath, you can pour water on the stones only when dry air appears Source spalanya.com
Complete the procedure with a warm shower. You need to wash with soap or gel to remove beads of sweat from your body. After washing, the body is rubbed with a towel. Put on a terry robe and put on warm slippers. Then you need to sit quietly for 15-25 minutes. During this time, you can slowly sip hot tea made with herbs.
Having steamed, sitting in a robe, after hot tea, they again take a warm shower. They again rub the body with a towel, wrap themselves in a warm sheet and again sit in a calm position for 25-35 minutes.
After taking a shower with soap, you need to wrap yourself in a robe and drink hot herbal tea Source i3.wp.com
