Our People Love the Banya But Nothing Good Comes of It

By the second half of the nineteenth century Russia doctors had caught up with their Western peers and began to see bathing in general and the banya in particular as crucial for health and hygiene. But when they inspected the banyas of the empire—in villages, factories, small towns, and capital cities—they found horrendously filthy conditions. Common practices and habits did not conform to medical prescriptions, even in the ornate and luxurious banyas of St. Petersburg. Efforts to confront the issue failed, but the idea that the banya was an important feature of a modern society grew stronger.