I spent a good amount of time in the East Village while I was living in New York. It used to be an Ukrainian part of the city, before the punks and artists moved in. At the end of the 90’s the alternative minds were forced out by expensive rents and a clean up campaign of mayor Giuliani. Punks and rock legends like Iggy Pop had to move elsewhere and hand over their flats to the rich dot.com kids, model agencies and famous actors. Where we used to discuss politics at brunch and bought our dime bags of weed at night, we now were forced to listen to a gayish (or were they metrosexual?) group of actors discussing the sitcom’s they were starring in. Well, time moves on and only unflexible minds stay behind.

Inside the Sandunoff Bath House in Moscow

Still the East Village could keep some of its Eastern European roots until now and so you find a decreasing number of the best butchers, bakeries and grocery stores there, offering Eastern European food and goods. Unfortunately they also get replaced by fancy gift shops, starbucks and other chains little by little. When I was still living on St.Marks, one of my Russian friends, Steppan, invited me to join him to visit a Russian bath. To be honest, I have not been very excited about the idea, but Steppan insisted. I just don’t like sauna’s and the sweating.

The bar/restaurant inside the Sanduny/Moscow

The “Russian Bath� on 10th Street in NYC was just around my corner and so I had to go and give in on Steppan. It was definitely an experience. Some old Russian man whipping each other with Veijniki, which are birch or oak twigs with leaves, the cold water pool and the Russian beer they have served, were something I never forgot and something completly different to the rest of my New York experience. Who would have thought I will move to Russia in that time? “Banya� is how the Russian’s call their sauna. It’s not really a sauna and it’s not a steam bath as well. They burn wood in an oven and heat up a room to about 90 C. Then they poor water (spiced up with some scents) over the hot oven or the stones lying above. That is regular for a normal sauna as well, but Russians do it more often so it’s getting real humid and real hot. Especially when you sit on the top you can hardly move or breathe. That’s when the whipping with the twigs comes in. The slapping increases the hot for a short moment and it also supports the blood circulation. After 5 to 10 minutes you go outside and take a ice cold shower or jump into some pond with ice cold water. Some people like to go outside and roll naked in the snow in winter time. In the breaks you discuss life and business, drink a beer or vodka together with the traditional cooked crayfish, smoked cheese and other finger food. Then you go for the next run.

Greek, Turkish and Russian style at the Sandunoff Bath House in Moscow

You’ll find a banja in every datcha (weekend house) of the Russians and it’s a real part of their culture. You also have many sauna’s in the city. Many of them are brothels (Sauna-Clubs) where you can take a sauna, but also get a full body massage of a girl (or boy) and sex if you want, but of course there are plenty of traditional banyas which are clean establishments, separating men and women strictly. Much of Russian business is done in the banja. You sit together, discuss the possibilities and usually reach an agreement on the deal the latest when you have some vodka’s after the sauna, which you shouldn’t do, because what your body really needs now is water and not vodka. That may support the Russian business men in negotiating ;-)

Michael Haertfelder at the Sanduny

Michael Haertfelder just came for a visit into town and he was taken to one of the best Russian baths in Moscow, the Sandunoff Bath House. They have 3 different classes of saunas, with different entrances and rooms. The premium class, which Michael visited is 1000 Rbls ($33) for 2 hours. You can also rent a separate room for an additional $60/h. Again, women and men are strictly separated, this separate room is just an option for business men, who want to discuss their deals in private. A (normal) massage is also 1000 Rbls and you can even eat there (the cost is as in an upper mid class restaurant). Sanduny is a very classy and old establishment, which apparently was used by many of the intellectuals of the October Revolution. Before it was used by Russia’s aristocratic and you can see the patina of the centuries when you visit. Since the US I have changed my opinion about the banja and now I am also a fan, especially in the winter, although I still don’t like to run naked through the snow right after coming out of the heat. I guess I’m just a pussy.

Why I didn’t go to Sandunovskie Banya yet? I am the snow-/skate-boarder type with plenty of tattoos, some of them are pretty large and that is still considered “criminalâ€? and not very welcome in Russia, so I stay away from public places, where I need to run around naked. I love my tattoos, but I don’t want to bother anybody else with them or my presence. I better go with friends at their dachas.

All photos by Michael Haertfelder. Thanks for the tip, the photos and the info.

Links

Russian Baths in New York
http://www.russian-bath.com/newyork/

The Sandunoff Bath House (Sanduni Sauna)
http://www.sanduny.ru/index_e.htm

Address

Neglinnaya st, 14/3-7.
downtown Moscow, metro Kuznetsky Most (purple line)
Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 8:00-22:00 (Tickets only available 8 PM)