When so much in Russia has changed, the banya remains. For over one
thousand years Russians of every economic class, political party,
and social strata have treated bathing as a communal activity
integrating personal hygiene and public health with rituals,
relaxation, conversations, drinking, political intrigue, business,
and sex. Communal steam baths have survived the Mongols, Peter the
Great, and Soviet communism and remain a central and unifying
national custom. Combining the ancient elements of earth, water,
and fire, the banya paradoxically cleans bodies and spreads
disease, purifies and defiles, creates community and underscores
difference. Here, Ethan Pollock tells the history of this
ubiquitous and enduring institution. He explores the bathhouse's
role in Russian identity, following public figures (from Catherine
the Great to Rasputin to Putin), writers (such as Chekhov and
Dostoevsky), foreigners (including Mark Twain and Casanova), and
countless other men and women into the banya to discover the
meanings they have found there. The story comes up to the present,
exploring the continued importance of banyas in Russia and their
newfound popularity in cities across the globe. Drawing on sources
as diverse as ancient chronicles, government reports, medical
books, and popular culture, Pollock shows how the banya has
persisted, adapted, and flourished in the everyday lives of
Russians throughout wars, political ruptures, modernization, and
urbanization. Through the communal bathhouse, Without the Banya We
Would Perish provides a unique perspective on the history of the
Russian people.
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