Banya: A Russian tradition.0:04
People have always enjoyed bathing, not only as a way to keep clean but also to relax.0:08
The ancient Greeks and Romans built elaborate and expensive bathhouses in their cities all over the world.0:15
Russian people enjoy bathing, and the banya, or steam bath, is a very old and popular tradition in Russian culture.0:22
Even today, almost every village and town in Russia has its own banya.0:31
The banya can be in a small cabin or large building with several bathing areas.0:36
They usually have at least 3 rooms: an entrance, a washing room, and a steam room.0:43
The steam room is called the parilka.0:49
It has rows of benches, a stove with very hot stones in it, and large buckets of water.0:51
Bathers take a ladle of hot water and pour it on the stones, filling the room with hot, dry steam.0:58
Bathers immediately begin to sweat and relax as the steam opens up the pores in their skin.1:06
Russian people often hit themselves with bunches of dried branches and leaves from white birch to improve blood circulation.1:12
They also wear special hats to protect their head from intense heat.1:21
Russian people believe that the banya is very good for them, and most health experts seem to agree.1:25
The banya helps remove toxins from the body, relieve stress, and may even prevent and heal a number of illnesses.1:32
Not surprisingly, they are growing in popularity all over the world.1:40
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