World-traveling blogger Tim, an Irishman of Russian-Armenian descent, described his visit to a bathhouse in Moscow as an experience where he felt he almost died in a post on his blog, In Pursuit of the Unusual, hosted on the Dzen platform.
The travel writer explained that his local friend Sergey had invited him to experience an authentic Russian banya, taking him into a steam room heated to 120 degrees Celsius.
Once inside, Sergey splashed a liquid smelling simultaneously of eucalyptus and moonshine onto hot stones, causing heat to surge through the room until Tim realized he could no longer breathe properly.
Sergey then grabbed a wet birch broom and began striking Tim with it, moving with the enthusiasm of someone beating a carpet.
Following the steam session, Sergey followed local tradition by jumping directly into an outdoor ice hole and encouraging Tim to dive in as well.
Tim plunged into the four-degree water without making a sound, later noting that he was unable to scream because his vocal cords had temporarily left his body while his desire to live dropped rapidly.
A traditional banya is a centuries-old Russian bathhouse centered around intense steam, wooden seating, and alternating hot and cold exposure. Dzen is a prominent Russian web portal and blogging service where independent creators share personal travel accounts.
Endurance test and previous impressions
After completing their plunge, the pair drank beer together, leading Tim to conclude that a banya is less about hygiene and more a test of one's willingness to suffer voluntarily. He added that anyone who endures the process earns beer and respect.
The visit was not Tim's first encounter with traditional Russian culture. He previously tried kvass for the first time, reporting that his taste buds experienced culture shock after discovering how Russians transformed fermented bread into a popular summer drink.
