Holy Schvitz: A Religious Experience?

Last Sunday at sauna I was invited to a special mid-week session today, Thursday 1/19/12. It sounded a little odd to me, although I did know that today is the last day in what seems like a month-long string of holidays. It has something to do with the baptism of Jesus, and to celebrate, people across the country jump into lakes and rivers to symbolize the baptism- or something like that. Being that we in Razdol’noye do not have any lakes, the closest thing to a river is the canal, and no one was going to head to the beach today, the alternative for us was to take an extra day at the sauna. Oleg had arranged for the two of us to leave work at 1:45 this afternoon and meet our ride. Our friend, Leonid, picked us up around 2:00 in his Jeep which was more like a time machine. A 57 year old soviet Jeep that looks like it was military issue- though I am sure it was not. It even had latches where you can release and tip out the windshield. At one point I pointed to a small motor contraption hanging adjacent to the rearview mirror. I asked what it was, thinking it may have been a roof retraction motor, and I was shown that it is actually the windshield wiper motor! It was a really old, really loud, pretty cool, and everyone agreed it should be in a Jeep museum in America.

L-R Oleg, Sergey, and Leonid in front of the Jeep

Inside the Jeep. See the wiper motor next to the mirror?

The Jeep.

We arrived first and we got right into it. There was really not much difference between this and any other day at sauna. It just seemed to me to be an excuse for a lot of people to leave work early- I mean, seriously, who would have expected a bigger turnout on Thursday at 2pm than on Sundays at noon? Also, the number of attendees that are not Christian, lead me to believe that there may be other reasons for them to be here today.

And so it was. One gentleman brought an accordion, one brought food, and another brought beer and vodka. Of all things, I was asked to bring a camera. A request that, in hindsight, I think I should have refused. Many times when I was resting after the hot room, they would say while charading taking a photo in front of their eye “duh-vai  Sim, photoaparat” (get the camera, Sim). Sort of comically, if several of the men had just come from the steam room at once, the temperature in the sitting room would create a bit of a foggy condition and the camera lens would fog over. I would step outside to let the camera defog and then, upon reentering would say, “OK, let’s take the picture now.” All the while feeling awkward having a camera around this many naked men. I know I wouldn’t want people taking candid shots of me without clothes! But, some of the guys had a towel and a strategically placed accordion, making the challenge a little more bearable. But still, I was more of the mind that what happens at sauna, stays at sauna- much like the unwritten law that you don’t take a camera to a strip club- no good can come of it. As the session progressed the only real difference I noticed was more people jumping into the basin. I took this to be the closest thing to the metaphorical baptism celebration that I saw. Like I said, we don’t live near a lake, so this was the next best thing. The basin is the small swimming pool at the sauna. It is not big enough to swim in, nor deep enough to require treading. It is like a Jacuzzi, without the jets and bubbles. The water is cold- room temperature cold. The idea with sauna is that you go in for five minutes, cool down by drinking water and green tea, go back for 10 minutes, cool down again, go in for 15 minutes and cool down again. Then they close the hot room off for 10 minutes allowing the temperature to rise inside (the repeated opening of the door as people enter and exit lets heat escape). During this down time, everyone gets their ваник (vah-neek) (the clump of bound birch branches) ready and also one guy will fill a 2 liter bottle with water and drops of scented oil- usually eucalyptus. When the room is hot enough, everyone goes in at once. One man dumps the scented water on the hot rocks, creating a steam room, while others start to flagellate themselves and others with the branches. It can get really hot inside with everyone grunting as if the hotter, the better and more exhilarating. Kind of like in a gym where the louder the grunt the more the grunter (and ONLY the grunter) thinks they are benefitting. Being the wimp that I am, my fingers usually burn from the steam and I cannot keep my eyes open as they begin to burn from both the steam and the menthol in the steam. Also, I have found that if my damp towel lies on the bench without me sitting on it for more than a couple of seconds, it gets so hot it will start to burn my butt cheeks. As the guys and I start to use the branches, the temperature rises even more as the air is circulated like a convection oven. Then, after you are beaten red by the branches, your skin is burning from the steam, you go and jump right into the basin. Even at room temperature, it is damn cold in that basin. But, you only stay in for a few seconds. And when you get out, you go back into the hot room. Your skin is so numb from the cold of the basin that your body cannot register the temperature of the room and you sit in there a minute letting the steam work on your skin before you can even feel it is any grade of warm. After this point, you go out and cool down. I try to jump in the basin every week while not everyone does. Some guys will choose to start the branch beating again, but instead I usually take the opportunity to shave and get ready to do my final clean. I, like everyone else, have a bag of toiletries. With my pumice stone, loofa, soap, and shampoo I head to the shower area and give myself a thorough scrubbing, taking advantage of the steam that has just worked on my skin, making it easy to look and feel clean. Ordinarily, this is the end of my sauna day. I find a ride home and get dressed.
Because today was a holiday, some of the cool down included small cups of beer during the session, but, after everyone has come from the hot room for the last time that is when they break out the vodka and food. Today’s selections were salo (light cured pig fat), smoked salo (smoked, light cured pig fat), pickled whole tomatoes, pickled cabbage, hard boiled eggs, bread, and fish. I had a little of everything except the fish. Then, my ride said he was ready to leave, so I took my cue and said my goodbyes.
Not being a religious person, I was here today as more of an observer of tradition than one feeling a closer spiritual connection because of today’s actions. It turned out to be more of a regular day than one where I would open my mind to the religious activities of this segment of my community. And I was OK with that. I may have mentioned once or twice that the weekend sauna session is one of the truly ironic experiences I am having in Ukraine. Before coming here this was certainly one of the last things I thought I would ever do at all, let alone embrace and look forward to on a weekly basis. When I tell my Peace Corps friends about my sauna experiences, many of them express jealousy and wish they had that opportunity where they live. Although most towns and cities have saunas or баня (bah-nya) as they are called, it is the spirit of friendship that makes this one special. It is one thing to go to a public bath, do your own thing, and leave. But, it is quite another to be invited to the inner circle of a group of 20 friends who have a routine that they are willing to share with me. I expect if I lived in any other town in this country, I wouldn’t belong to such an interesting and welcoming group. I look forward to going every week and they ask where I was if I miss a week- to me, that is integration. As for the whole celebration of the holiday- I am quite sure that any excuse to work only the half day would have been sufficient to get these guys here…I won’t complain. I had just as much reason to be there as anyone else. Even more than some.

L-R Farik and Valentine in a steamy cooling down room.

Valentine and Farik entertaining the group.

OK, one of the most embarrassing photos of me. I figure, if I am posting pictures of my friends, I should be fair game. They thought it would be funny if I wore the accordion, which, believe me, is better than me without the accordion.