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Jet Lag and Banya

If you’ve just got back from far-flung climes, then stepping into a Russian Banya could be the answer to fighting the symptoms of jet lag.

Jet lag can occur any time you travel quickly over two or three time zones and symptoms are likely to include disturbed sleep, daytime tiredness and difficulty concentrating.

It may take a few days to fully recover and the more time zones you’ve crossed while travelling, the worse you’re likely to feel.

Evidence shows that the disorder is worse when you ‘lose time’ travelling west to east.

Taking long walks - ideally in sunlight, having a massage and drinking plenty of water are just some of the things you can do to minimise the negative effects of flight fatigue.

Another effective way that promises to make you feel much better is to relax in a steam room - and making a Russian Banya your steam room of choice will enhance the benefits.

A Banya’s temperature is lower than a conventional sauna - but the humidity is higher. This means you’ll sweat more allowing your whole system to release more toxins.

For extra detoxing, combine a Banya with a Parenie. No, it’s not something out of the Middle Ages. It’s actually an invigorating thermal massage using leafy and fragrant bundles of birch, oak and eucalyptus twigs - performed in the steam room.

Although the process is quite intense the results are worth it.

As you relax in the steam room, a therapist will work the steam around you by waving the fragrant bundles of twigs close by. It will get incredibly warm, so much so, that you’ll feel the need to plunge into freezing water afterwards. Honestly!

The temperature contrast causes release of adrenalin and stress hormones. You'll feel immensely invigorated afterwards.

The cold water also boosts your blood circulation, as well as relieving tension and stress.

The experience of an authentic steam, intense Parenie and temperature contrast will leave you feeling rejuvenated, reborn and refreshed and ready to face the world again.

By Natasha Harding

Here is what our travelling customers say about beating jet lag at Banya 

“I enjoyed the experience and found it thoroughly relaxing and a great cure for Jet-lag! Im feeling on top of the world!!!”

jonathan moradoff1 via GOOGLE 

"To me having a Banya experience hours before boarding an international flight has resulted in a relaxing and soothing state because it has given me all I need to face such a long flight back home with very little jet lag. No wander the Banya leaves do miracles. The place combined with the therapists make it a truly reconforting treat, everybody should try”

Carlos Dick Naya via TripAdvisor

“I always come to Banya N1 after long-haul flights to cure my jet lag. It works 100% of the time - amazing! I always sleep like a baby after "parenie" treatment, deep relaxation is guaranteed! Highly recommend it to anyone!”

Irina Edwards via GOOGLE 

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Legal highs, Review by LUXX, The Times

“And then it happened, the weird but natural high, a mind-expanding, worry-numbing, explosive exhilaration that surges through your being all the way to your core. It's authentic, unexpected and will leave you buzzing so hard you'll want to book the whole place for your next birthday party”  

Emma Freud

September 8 2018, 12:01am, The Times  

Read full article here 

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The Historic “Russian Banya” at Banya No.1

The famous painting “Russian Banya” by Sima Vasilieva is now on display at our Banya!

The original version of this artwork was first published in 1988 on the cover of the widely popular magazine Ogon’ok and it made the artist famous in the Soviet nation, but perhaps not in the best sense. Soviet readers were indignant and demanded punishment for the manifestation of pornography and the disrespect for the braces. Because of this work, Sima was forced to leave the USSR and move to London. 

The second picture was painted in 2018 and is now at Banya No.1 and available for purchase. The price is available on application.

About Sima Vasilieva

Sima was born in Ukraine in 1954. A graduate of Moscow State University, she has been painting since 1980 and has participated in numerous prestigious exhibitions. She works in an unusual style, painting on wooden boards creating colour-saturated pictures that combine a great sense of humour, the grotesque and deep lyricism. She has been a London-based artist since 1990. Having moved to the UK, Sima began collaborating with the Scottish sculptor Tim Stead and painted on carved wooden objects from his workshop. Sima used the natural beauty of the ring and grain pattern flowing through the timber to create organic and often abstract pictorial elements arranged in fluid compositions. Recently, Sima has spent nearly three years living in Malaysia and has also travelled to Japan and China. Her travels and interest in Asiatic cultures are reflected in some of her most recent work. Currently, Sima’s work is reverting back to the Sotz-Art movement to which she once belonged as she has created a gallery of Soviet characters painted on wooden scoops. (The Russian word for scoop is “Sovok”, which also refers to a “Soviet person” or someone who has retained the old Soviet mentality.)

http://www.artsima.com/ 

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World Baths History.  Ancient Egypt.

Dating as far back as 2000 BC, ancient Egyptians were amongst the first to widely adopt the power of the hot tub for its therapeutic values. 

Egyptians and Cleanliness. 

These hot tubs consisted of a water-filled caldera that was then heated by placing red-hot stones in the water.

Due to the climate, (remember, we are in Egypt where it’s hot hot hot) Egyptians were fixated on cleanliness, often bathing up to 4 times a day. 

It also was believed that the cleaner and well-oiled the person was, the closer they were to the gods. Hygiene, makeup, and clothing was also considered essential when burying the dead, as it would assist them during the Judgment of the Dead, their gateway to the afterlife. Egyptians used a scented paste consisting of ash and clay for soap, and the Ebers Papyrus, a source for medical knowledge, instructed people to mix animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts for washing and treating skin diseases. Many washed themselves several times a day, including after rising and before and after meals, though “washing” typically meant rinsing their hands, faces, or feet in water basins with the aforementioned pastes. Plucking and shaving all of their hair (instead choosing to wear wigs and draw on eyebrows) was also a popular trend of beauty among both men and women.

To clean themselves while bathing, the Egyptians used natron – a soda ash that when blended with oil made soap. Natron was also used when mummifying the dead.  The rich had bathing facilities in their places of residence while everyone else bathed in the Nile.

The homes of the wealthy were airy and roomy. There were bedrooms, servant’s quarters, halls, dining rooms – and BATHROOMS! Actually, a “bathroom” was usually a small recessed room with a square slab of limestone in the corner. There the master of the house stood or sat while his servants liberally doused him with water. Well, we can’t really call that a “bath” now can we? That is a “shower”. However, there is evidence from excavating that there were wonderful large public bath houses with showers, stone basins and stoves to heat the hot water.

Egyptian Bath Design 

Egyptians loved bathing with essential oils and flower oils – because they were no fools and understood the power of aromatherapy

The design of the Egyptian bath of those years was very interesting. It was a two-storey building made of natural stone. The first floor was completely designed for steam production.Visitors went up to the second floor, where they could lie on warmed-up steam, stone beds and get a therapeutic massage with therapeutic ointments. Instead of soap, a mixture of beeswax and water was used at that time.

In the middle of the floor was a hole through which hot steam came from the lower floor. The floor had a special construction to collect water, which was subsequently diverted to the city sewers.

Also on the second floor there was a swimming pool for taking contrast baths, there was a gym and a room where people could get medical help.

Of course, you can’t talk about Egyptian baths without mentioning Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was renowned throughout history for her radiant skin and her stunning beauty. To keep her skin soft and beautiful she was said to bathe in milk. However, Cleopatra didn’t bathe in cow’s milk, nope, the milk for her legendary baths was instead provided by donkeys. She might have had up to 700 lactating donkeys at time to keep her in milk baths. 

source: http://russkaya-banja.ru, http://www.thebathtubdiva.com

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REVIEW BY HARPER BAZAAR

“If you haven't heard of a Banya, then listen up because it is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after spa experiences in the capital”.

One of the world’s top magazines is trying to explain and describe what is a Russian Banya and what they thought about their first experience at Banya No.1 

Read the whole article here 

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Why eating after Banya is important?

Although a banya, hammam, steam room and sauna each have their own characteristics, the outcome is nearly always the same: sweating. However, there is no need to be alarmed because in fact sweating is beneficial; indeed, it is the body’s inbuilt way of keeping us cool. Of course, we have not yet developed a way of sweating pure water and the salt left behind can affect the feel of our skin and the taste on our lips. This is due to the various constituents of sweat such as sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium, small amounts of urea and lactate, as well as trace elements like copper, zinc and iron.

One of the associated disadvantages of sweating is dehydration and the importance of avoiding this has been well established down the years. As sweating causes us to lose excessive amounts of electrolytes and water, it is vital to ensure that our fluid intake always exceeds our sweat loss. Besides its obvious thirst-quenching qualities, water is essential for digestion and metabolic waste. In addition, electrolytes are important in helping the body to retain water so they must be replaced otherwise our cells will not function properly and we will be unable to maintain our energy and stability. Our body’s performance will greatly diminish if rehydration is not achieved.

At Banya No.1, sweating is part of the beneficial process but we also stress the importance of rehydration which can only be achieved if the body replaces any lost electrolytes and water. Some companies recommend drinking their special electrolyte drinks but we suggest that as long as you are eating solid foods and drinking lots of plain H20 you will be absolutely fine. With this in mind, we advise our customers to visit Banya’s lounge bar after their treatments. Our traditional menu offers variety of salty and healthy foods, which are high in electrolytes: pickled vegetables, salted fresh and dry fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Don’t forget to drink lots of water!

Nowadays, people love to work up a sweat but the majority of us rarely consider how much we sweat and consequently how much water we lose while exercising. As a result, we often do not drink enough fluids to replace it. The importance of rectifying this problem cannot be underestimated because when the body is dehydrated it does not function as efficiently as it should. This is because the blood becomes thicker and in turn the heart works harder to pump the blood around the body. As a consequence, it is much more difficult for the muscles to utilise nutrients.

For these reasons, while you are relaxing in our steam room or enjoying the benefits of Parenie, please bear in mind that you are probably losing not just weight but also important electrolytes. If you are aware of this, you will almost certainly remember the importance of treating your body like a temple and you will replace any lost electrolytes by consuming healthy and salted food and drinks. In this way, you will not only feel completely relaxed and rejuvenated but also re-hydrated. 

[gobanya]

THE ANTI-STRESS HEALTH BOOST

WHAT// Parenie(£28) and Russian massage(£35 for 30 minutes)

 WHERE// Banya No.1, London, gobanya.co.uk

 THE LOWNDOWN//Russian Banya is a full experience, not an in-out treatment, so if you’re in a rush, save this for another dy. After a relaxing cup of tea, you’ll be laid down in a steam room where the therapist uses birch, oak and eucalyptus twigs and leaves to “massage” you from head to toe for anti-inflammatory benefits. The strokes can only be describes as slaps, starting gently and increasing in impact.

The heat, fragrance and rhythm is relaxing. Then it’s a total-body plunge in cold water, followed by a deep-tissue massage

THE VERDICT//

It might take three hours, but it’s seriously good for the body, mind and soul.

Amanda Khouv

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NEWSWEEK - RUSSIANS SPICING UP LONDON RESTAURANT SCENE - BY OWEN MATTHEWS                     ON 5/30/16 AT 8:30 PM

Russians are taking over London. No, we’re not talking about high-end real estate or even Premiership football teams. We’re talking food and drink. Unlikely as it may seem, London’s newest generation of restaurateurs comes from Moscow—and their restaurants are among the most innovative and popular arrivals on London’s crowded food scene.

Most of these new restaurants don’t serve Russian food, but let’s start with the exception that proves the rule: Zima on Frith Street in Soho, which opened in April and is the brainchild of Moscow chef and food critic Alexei Zimin. Zima’s shtick is Russian street food. Truth be told, Russian street food isn’t actually a thing. For pressing climatic reasons, Russians are strongly inclined to eat indoors for most of the year. “I wanted to create a place that would fit in among the new hipster-ethnic food places,” says Zimin, whose rotund figure and luxuriant ginger beard give him the look of a Tolstoyan landowner. “But at the same time, I wanted it to be absolutely Russian in spirit.”

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A Moscow take on a club sandwich, for instance, is made with Georgian-inspired spicy chicken tabaka and salted cucumbers. Zima’s pelmeni are made with venison, while the poached salmon comes with sweet beets and sour cream and the herring with pear. You can also load up on real black Oscietra caviar in any quantity you can afford. It’s priced at 1 pound a gram—a bargain, relatively speaking—and it’s the real malossol kind, lightly salted (malossol means “little salt”) and fresh, not like the pasteurized stuff that comes in tins. Blinis, with sour cream and potatoes on the side, arrive on a cheap enameled tin plate.

Zima is reported to be inspired by Soviet ryumochnaya—literally, a shot glass joint—a kind of Soviet stand-up bar serving vodka and open-faced sandwiches. Late on weekend nights, the place has a kitschy, raucous, speakeasy feel to it. This may have something to do with the staggering collection of infused vodkas, ranging from the familiar pepper and cranberry to horseradish, sea buckthorn and curry leaves. Concerning the last: We tried it so that you don’t have to. Curry vodka is one cultural mash-up too far.

Zima is cheap and cheerful. Novikov, just off Berkeley Square, does not attract the bargain hunter. The decor is minimalist Mayfair international: Turn left for the Asian section, right for Italian and straight on for the achingly tasteful lounge bar. Moscow restaurant king Arkady Novikov opened his 19,000-square-foot emporium four years ago—and now reports that it’s turning over £25 million ($36.6 million) a year.

It’s not just bling that attracts the billionaire crowd. On the Asian side, the food is stunningly well-executed: It includes langoustine tartare that tastes of open blue ocean, umami-rich crispy moray eel, and hamachi carpaccio so fresh it almost swims into your mouth. And Novikov has embraced the farm-to-table philosophy by growing much of his produce at Brent Eleigh Hall, near Lavenham in Suffolk. Not that bling is absent, mind—Novikov London’s website features a “private jet and takeaway menu” offering marbled Australian Waygu beef at £72 ($105) a pop and Sicilian red prawns at £67 ($98).

Novikov owns 50 high-end restaurants in Moscow—all one of a kind—as well as 50 more restaurants belonging to various chains. He says he expanded to the U.K., where he now has three restaurants, because London is one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the world. “You need to show yourself you can do better,” he says.

The financial crisis in Russia has also accelerated Russian restaurateurs’ westward move. Ginza Project, another Moscow restaurant behemoth, began the expansion of major Russian restaurants overseas six years ago with branches of its unashamedly nostalgic Mari Vanna—decorated like a Soviet communal apartment and serving traditional Russian food that a babushka would make—in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and, since 2012, in London, where Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, have been spotted sipping borscht.

Zima on Frith Street in Soho, which opened in April, serves up what is calls Russian street food, where diners can feast on black caviar with traditional sides from Yaroslavl.FILIPPO L'ASTORINA

But since 2014, the ruble—and with it, Russians’ purchasing power—has fallen by half, devastating Moscow’s upmarket restaurant scene and accelerating their owners’ quest for profit abroad. Novikov has diversified into London, New York and Dubai. And Andrei Delos, whose $55 million Turandot in Moscow broke records when it opened in 2005 as the world’s most expensive new restaurant, is expanding to London later this year with a Café Pushkin, a Russian nobleman’s palace transported to Berkeley Street in Mayfair.

Russia’s uncertain business climate has something to do with it too. “A lot of Russian restaurateurs want to have a base outside Russia for safety reasons,” says Leonid Shutov, who sold his advertising business in Moscow and moved to London to open a restaurant. “Part of it is ambition—they are at the top in Russia and want to prove themselves internationally.”

Shutov’s London restaurant, Bob Bob Ricard near Soho’s Golden Square, is a deliriously strange mix of high-end American diner and 1930s Pullman dining car. The booths are fitted with conical lamps and brass rails and each features a button labeled “Ring for champagne.” The staff wear specially tailored livery of bright pink and green, making the place look like a party scene from a Terry Gilliam film. The food is Russo-British, with a phenomenal wine list featuring remarkably low markups: Reserve de Leoville Barton retails at £52 ($76), but it’s on the list at BBR for a very modest £82 ($120).  

“BBR has personality and weirdness that is very hard to come by,” says Shutov. “At the top end of the restaurant market, the risks of deviating from a tried-and-tested formula are greater, so most restaurateurs aren't willing to do eccentricity.” His next project, opening in 2017, will be Bob Bob Exchange—a 15,000-square-foot space suspended in a glass box underneath the eighth floor of Richard Rogers’s Leadenhall Building—better known as the Cheesegrater—which stands on giant stilts above a public park in London.

Part of the secret of the success of Russian restaurateurs and chefs in London, it seems, is delivering something brilliant and strange that no British entrepreneur, with bankers monitoring the books, would ever be crazy enough to attempt. Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, for instance, is the diametric opposite of old-school West End wine shops like Berry Brothers or Justerini and Brooks. Hedonism, an enormous glass-floored space, is a bar with stools carved out of giant tree stumps, banks of chandeliers made of wine glasses and a children's play area with soft toys. It was opened by Evgeny Chichvarkin, a Russian cellphone tycoon who moved to London in 2009 and opened Hedonism three years later—despite, as he cheerfully admits, knowing next to nothing about the wine trade when he started the project.

“Lots of Russians who did business in the 1990s are no longer needed in their homeland,” says Chichvarkin, whose dress sense is closer to Californian surfer than top Mayfair retailer. “I understand why business owners want to leave the thieving regime—it’s a kleptocracy run by parasites.”

Like all Russian entrepreneurs who have set up in the U.K., Chichvarkin was surprised by the tortuous regulation involved in setting up a business in central London. “But that’s OK,” he says. “This is a country ruled by law and respect for private property.” In its first year of operation, Hedonism was named London Wine Merchant of the Year in Decanter magazine’s World Wine Awards, on the strength of its eclectic selection. Among the treasures on offer in Hedonism’s vault: a bottle of Château d’Yquem 1811 for £98,000 ($141,000).

Less odd, but in its own way just as revolutionary is Moscow entrepreneur Mikhail Zelman’s Burger & Lobster chain, conceived and born in London. Burger & Lobster’s unique selling point is offering just the eponymous menu items—burger, lobster, lobster roll—each for a flat price of £20 ($29). Zelman has even penned a “mono-product manifesto,” arguing that specialization is the way forward for new restaurants; Londoners line up down the street for the privilege of enjoying a Soviet-style lack of menu choices. Zelman’s Global Craftsman Group now sells over 5,000 lobsters a day in 13 Burger & Lobster restaurants and even owns a Canadian lobster fishery to keep up with demand. His business has expanded to include Goodman steak houses, Smack Lobster Roll, Rex & Mariano, Zellman Meats and Beast—a super-high-end joint specializing in steak and giant king crab.

“When I opened Goodman, no one believed that Londoners would eat American meat cooked in Spanish ovens and brought to the table by Russians. It’s the positive effect of globalization,” says Zelman. “The strength of modern London is that people can come in with ideas that seem crazy for England—and succeed.”

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BANYA NO.1 EARNS 2016 TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

LONDON 24 May 2016  

The first Russian bath and health spa club in the UK - Banya No.1,   today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. Now in its sixth year, the achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.   

"With the Certificate of Excellence, TripAdvisor honours hospitality businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings from travellers”, said Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, TripAdvisor. “This recognition helps travellers identify and book properties that regularly deliver great service. TripAdvisor is proud to play this integral role in helping travellers feel more confident in their booking decisions.” 

The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

  About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site**, enabling travellers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travellers, and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features, with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 340 million unique monthly visitors***, and 350 million reviews and opinions covering 6.5 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide. 

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), through its subsidiaries, manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands:

www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, , www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, and www.virtualtourist.com.

 **Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, February 2016

***Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q1 2016

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Jewish history of Russian banya in London

The history of the Russian banya in London goes back to late 19th century and is connected to numerous Jewish immigrants that arrived to London during Pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe. The immigrants liked to create close-knit communities, preferring to live and work near to each other and within walking distance of a synagogue, baths and kosher food shops. In 1880 there were around 46,000 Jews in London, but by 1900 this figure had almost trebled to 135,000, and the majority of these lived in the East End.

In 1889 Charles Booth observed: «The newcomers have gradually replaced the English population in whole districts, Hanbury Street, Fashion Street, Pelham Street, and many streets and lanes and alleys have fallen before them; they have introduced new trades as well as new habits and they live and crowd together.»

As well as setting up small synagogues, the Jews opened shops selling kosher food, started publishing newspapers in Yiddish and also introduced the custom of “Russian steam baths”. In 1888 there were 5 exclusively Jewish East London Bath Houses.

The steam baths were an important part of social and religious life and were mostly used by men following work on a Friday evening at the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, before they went to synagogue for prayers. One of the most famous baths was right opposite the synagogue, in the house number 86 on Brick Lane and was called Schevzik’s Russian Vapour Baths.

The advertising sign reveals that they claimed to offer the “Best Massage in London: Invaluable Relief for Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, Neuritis, Lumbago and Allied Complaints. Keep fit and well by regular visits.” Russian Vapour Baths has breathed new life into Bethnal Green’s respecting the historic nature of the site, while also offering modern treatments which are relevant to the 21st century customer. The enterprise was closed during the war due to a fire. The sign is on display in Jewish Museum of London.

Nowadays, Banya No.1 offers to its customers immersive cultural experience and rejuvenating organic treatments as it was a century ago.

Banya No.1 is the only one traditional Russian banya in London. It was established in January 2013. This Russian banya is an authentic Bath Club & Spa which promotes health and wellbeing through a series of traditional Russian treatments and food, including such staples as: venik massage and crayfish.

Unlike conventional western saunas, Russian Banya generates high levels of steam as water is being splashed on to a tonne of cast iron heated up to 700 degrees inside an authentic brick furnace.

As soon the water drops hit the cast iron they explode into tiny particles of hot vapour close to the ceiling that gradually settles down towards the floor as it cools down. The high levels of steam cause the body to sweat profusely and detoxify.

One treatment not to miss is a traditional Venik thermal massage "Parenie", when professional practitioners (Banschiks) will heat you up by shifting vapour from the ceiling area down to your body using birch or oak branches, then lead you to our cold plunge pool for you to dip in, the extreme contrast in temperature is a very good cardio-vascular exercise, it boosts blood circulation and relives tension and stress. Once your body hits the cold water it enters a state of shock, adrenalin and stress hormones are released and you start feeling invigorated. After the treatment you may also feel a tingling sensation and even slightly light headed.

We offer traditional Russian deep tissue massage, Honey & Salt or Coffee scrubs, Aloe Vera or Mud wraps.

For Russians banya is part of a lifestyle to keep body & mind happy and healthy. The experience is healing and de-stressing.

Book online: http://www.gobanya.co.uk/ or by calling the team on: 020 7253 6723

[gobanya]

The Telegraph - The Russian way to relax: being thwacked with twigs

By Kate Weinberg 7:00AM BST 02 May 2015

Banya involves being hit by branches and having a bucket of icy water chucked over your head. Kate Weinberg visits a bathhouse in London

Kate Weinberg is massaged with twigs at a Russian bathhouse Photo: Paul Grover

It’s 9pm. I am lying face down on a wooden slab in a hot room, musing on how Russian London has become while a tattooed man called Oleg pummels the backs of my thighs with two branches of rustling oak leaves. After all: a Russian man owns Chelsea football club; a Russian has bought the house that backs on to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s in Kensington; a Russian owns London’s daily paper and Russian billionaires are battling out their commercial interests in our courts. The oak leaves rustle higher up and as Oleg whisks the branches over my back, my bikini top pings open. 

“Special Russian technique,” says Oleg impassively and keeps on pummelling. My husband and I are in a Russian banya, or bathhouse, in east London, and the special Russian technique that Oleg is employing is parenie, a whole-body thrashing or “massage” with a bundle of twigs while lying in a steamy sauna. It is a ritual best known in its homeland for stimulating the blood circulation and releasing toxins and best known here in the UK for the scandal that erupted when it emerged that the then Business Secretary Peter Mandelson had been ritually thwacked while on a trip to Siberia hosted by a Russian oligarch.

An introduction to the Russian banya 

The banya is no stranger to politics. “Many of the most important decisions in Moscow are made in the banya,” Oleg tells us, bringing to mind a vision of Putin with a towel slung around his hips, baring his pecs for a testosterone-fuelled summit with his cronies. Talking politics in the banya seems to be the Russian equivalent of an Englishman cutting a deal on the golf course.

Although we are there on a mixed boys and girls night, it certainly feels like a very male environment. The no-frills changing areas are more gym locker room than hotel spa. And having changed into our bathing kit, we are escorted through to what looks like a small clubroom bar with racing green leatherette booths. A television hanging in the corner is showcasing some Russian crooners from the Seventies. At least we assume they’re from the Seventies, though perhaps that’s just what Russian pop stars look like. 

This is the bar in which we are supposed to rest, eat and knock back vodka shots between sauna sessions. To be clear, the banya is not quite the same as a conventional Nordic sauna, although sitting between its sweltering, aspen-clad walls certainly feels like one. In fact, it is less hot. Its temperature is kept below 80C and the air is “wetter” because of water splashed on a tonne of cast iron which is baking at around 700 degrees inside a brick furnace. The steamier air is said to be more beneficial for sweating and detoxifying.

Kate knocks back a glass of vodka (Paul Grover) 

As we walk into the banya we are each handed a small felt hat like an off-white tea cosy. Not only does it strip any remaining glamour from an already sweaty situation, the hat, we are told, keeps our heads from getting too hot. There are only a couple of other people in the hot room, one of whom is a Ukrainian. We sit sweating together until a toothless old Russian guy who clearly doesn’t speak any English (or otherwise is doing a very good impression of a toothless old Russian guy who doesn’t speak any English) walks in and gestures at a slab of wood in the corner. I volunteer not to go first. 

It is like something from a James Bond film. Just as my husband gets comfortable, the old guy exits and a huge young man with a glistening bare chest and a jaw that looks like its been squared off on a butcher’s block walks in twirling two bunches of leaves like an outsize cheerleader. 

It’s funny to watch; less funny when it’s my turn. At first it feels like heavy rainfall on your calves, up the backs of your thighs, onto your back and shoulders. But as the parenie progresses the tickling turns into slapping, which turns into a Christian Grey-style thwacking. The idea is apparently not to massage the body but to increase blood circulation and bring the blood – and toxins – up to the surface of your skin. The bundle of twigs – venik – can be oak, birch or for a more aromatic experience, eucalyptus. A few minutes into the parenie the door opens and the buff man is substituted by Oleg, who is twirling a new set of branches. 

It is a 10-minute ordeal, with three different veniki. It feels strange, but only becomes unpleasant in the last minute, not because it is painful – which strangely, it isn’t – but because the twigs’ increasing tempo is moving the air at such a pace it suddenly feels claustrophobically hot.

Kate has a bucket of icy water poured over her head (Paul Grover) 

Exactly at this moment, I am helped to my feet, led out of the sauna and placed under a bucket shower which is pulled with a rope. Icy water cascades over me and I’m hard pressed not to shriek. But the punishment is not over. Oleg leads me up the stairs of a deep, wooden plunge pool and I am encouraged, well, sort-of-forced, to jump in and submerge myself. The water is 8C and I am in and out like a jack-in-the-box. My husband manages to stay in for a few seconds, but when he emerges, red-faced with his mouth gulping for breath like a goldfish, I worry for a moment he’s going to have a stroke. In fact, the heat followed by extreme cold is supposed to have the opposite effect. The old Russian man thumps his chest and says something to Oleg who translates.

“Very good for the heart,” he says. “If you do this regularly, no heart attack. No stroke.” 

We retire to the bar and order gherkins, a couple of shots of vodka and a glass of beetroot kvass. When the kvass arrives, we look at the deep purple drink. We taste it. 

“What is this?” I ask the Russian waitress. She picks up the glass. She looks at it. And she gives a Baltic shrug: “It is this,” she says. And she’s right. It is. 

Parts of the Russian ritual remain mysterious to us, but not its appeal. Two and a half hours after we walk in, we leave the banya feeling renewed. My skin is so softened that my iPhone doesn’t recognise my thumbprint for its touch ID. Tingly and energised, only partly thanks to the vodka, we emerge into the night and make our way back through the lights of Moscow-on-Thames. 

Banya, no 1, 17 Micawber St, London N1 7TB; from £30 per person, for a three-hour session

[gobanya]

GQ - Карта Русского Лондона

Редакция журнала GQ сделала подборку Top-значимых мест для русскоязычного сообщества в Лондоне (Январь 2014):

Русский Лондон – это город в городе. Помочь сориентироваться в нем мы попросили членов закрытого клуба Russians in the city.

1. Anna Davydova’s dance school Mount Park road, Ealing broadway, W5 2RS Здесь преподают классический балет, чечетку, фламенко и зумбу.

2. 321 Dental Practice 321 Finchley road, Hampstead, NW3 6EP Стоматология и ботокс – идеальная комбинация для русской клиники.

3. Русская гимназия №1 24 Haverstock Hill, NW3 2BQ Гимназия №1 держит марку субботней школы для избранных. Руководитель – Юлия Десятникова, она же делает в Москве пр��ект с подготовкой российских детей к сдаче британского аналога ЕГЭ.

4. Azerbaijan 330 Ballards Lane, N12 0EY Азербайджанский ресторан.

5. Tamada 122 Boundary road, NW8 0RH Грузинская кухня.

6. Баня №1 17 Micawber Street, N1 7 TB Русский банный клуб. Все составляющие правильной бани: русская парная, веники, раки и пиво.

7. Calvert 22 22 Calvert Avenue, E2 7YP Галлерея современного искусства.

8. Офис Rosneft Marine UK LTD One Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, W2 6BD

9. Polyclinica №1 18 Devonshire street, W1G 7AF Поликлиника №1 откроется в январе 2014 года в центре главного медицинского района города (недалеко от Harley Street). 60 врачей, включая русскоговорящих.

10. Офис Gazprom Marketing & Trading LTD 20 Triton Street, NW1 3BF

11. Pushkin House 5A Bloomsbury Square, WC1A 2TA Культурный фонд, центр русской культуры.

12. Kalinka Russian Shop 35 Queensway, W2 4QP Принадлежащий Борису Гофману знаковый русский магазин, в котором в числе прочего можно найти нехаменимую для русского человека в изгнании валерьянку.

13. Erebuni 36-37 Lancaster Gate, London Guards Hote, W2 3NA Армянский ресторан.

14. Dar education centre Hyde Park Crescent, W2 2QD Центр обучения для детей от девяти  месяцев. По субботам сюда активно привозят малышей на Bentley. Другие филиалы: Regent’s Park, St. John’s Wood, Swiss Cottage.

15. Selfridges 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB В знаменитом универмаге можно найти молочные продукты Bio-tiful, в том числе кефир, простоквашу и ряженку на органическом молоке.

16. Samarqan 18 Thayer Street, W1U 3JY Среднеазиатская кухня. Ближе к ночм казахская золотая молодёж собирается тут на плов и караоке.

17. Mr. Vladimir Nikitin Dental Surgery 7 Wimpole Street, W1G 9SN Никитин – врач с мировым именем, преподает в King’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

18. Bob Bob Richard 1 Upper James Street, W1F 9DF Высокая английская и русская кухня, в том числе пельмени с лобстером.  Владельцы – Леонид Шутов и Ричард Хоуорт.

19. Академия Rossica 76 Brewer Street Piccadilly Circus, W1F 9TX Фонд, культурная организация, проводит Фестиваль российского кино в Лондоне, Лондонскую книжную ярмарку, фестиваль русской литературы SLOVO.

20. London High Court of Justice Strand, WC2A 2LL Здание суда, где выясняли отношения Роман Абратович и Борис Березовский и другие достойные люди.

21. Goodman city 11 Old Jewry, EC2R 8DU Сеть мясных ресторанов Михаила Зельмана (два других – в Mayfair и на Canary Wharf).

22. Hedonism wines 3-7 Davies Street, W1K 3LD Винотека Евгения Чичваркина.

23. Sumosun 26B Albemarle Street, Mayfair, W1S 4HY В 1997 году Александр Волков открыл Sumosun в отеле «Radisson Славянская». Во главе лондонского – его дочь Янина.

24. Waterstones 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9HD Принадлежащая Александру Мамуту сеть книжных магазинов. На Пиккадилли теперь – огромный русский отдел.

25. Criterion 224 Piccadilly, W1J 9HP Ираклий Сопромадзе выкупил арендные права на легендарный ресторан на 109 лет.

26. Кафедральный Собор Успения Пресвятой Богородицы и Святых Царственных Мучеников 57 Harvard road, W4 4ED

27. Mimino 197C Kensington High Street, W8 6BA Грузинская кухня в Кенсингтоне.

28. Редакция газеты Evening Standatd 2 Derry Street, W8 5TT Основанная в 1827 году под название Standard газета сегодня принадлежит Евгению Лебедеву.

29. Natalia Kremen Ballet School 2-24 Kensington High Street, W8 4PT Все пять студий этой балетной школы расположены в Кенсингтон.

30. Кафедральный Собор Успения Божией Матери и Всех Святых 67 Ennismore Gardens, SW7 1NH Знаменит в том числе тем, что там служил митрополит Анатолий Сурожский, один из самых крупных интеллектуалов церкви и культовая фигура для англичан (ВВС как-то назвала его «самым значимым христианским голосом в стране»). Служба ведеться на двух языках.

31. Borshtch’n’tears 46 Beauchamp Place, SW3 1NX «Борщь и слёзы» - интерьерный и гастрономический ужас с цыганами.

32. Mari Vanna 116 Knightsbridge, SW3 1NX Русский ресторан Ginza Project с медведем, чебурашкой, достойной едой и выдающейся коктейльной картой (внимание на «Облепиховый сон»).

33. Baku 164-165 Sloan Street, W1J 8HA Азербайджанская кухня, всегда пусто, пышность в интерьере и обилие золота наводит на мысль о Баку.

34. Novikov Restaurant & Bar 50A Berkeley Street, W1J 8HA Важный ресторан Аркадия Новикова, центр притяжения русских лондонцев и не только.

35. Sake No Hana 23 St. James’s Street, SW1A 1HA Японский ресторан Евгения Лебедева.

36. Abrakadabra 91 Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6JB В большей степени стрип-клуб, в котором можно съесть котлету по-киевски.

37. McDougall’s fine art Auctions 30A Charles II Street, SW1Y 4AE Искусство от Айвазовского до Бакста. Прочное место среди гораздо более старых аукционных домов.

38. Azbuka 1 Copthall Gardens, Twickenham TW1 4HH Частный двуязычный детский сад в Ричмонде.

39. Стадион Stamford bridge Fulham Road, SW6 1HS Домашний стадион принадлежащего Роману Абрамовичу футбольного клуба «Челси».

40. Nikita’s 65 Ifield Road, SW10 9 AU Сомнительный русский ресторан. Есть тематические меню: «Петр Великий», «Распутин», «Анастасия» и «Бабушка».

41. L’ETO caffÉ 149 King’s Road, SW3 5TX Сеть кафе-кондитерских (в Mayfair, Chelsea, King’s Road, Kensington, Belgravia и Soho) – семейный бизнес Александра и Артема Логиных.

42. Лондонская Школа русского Балета 42 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ И этим все сказано.

43. Sobranie 8 Fountain Square, SW1W 9SH В этом русском ресторане присутcтвует инфернальное караоке на русском языке.

[gobanya]

OhCamely magazine: banya number one, here I come

I spent my gap year in Moscowlearning Russian. With not a jot of the language to get by on and taken aback by the freezing weather, my world shrunk to calendar-watching and English-language books. It was a difficult experience by most measures. I stayed for the winter and left in spring when the snow melted. There were many things I loved about Russia: vodka, landscape, literature. If only I‘d outlasted the winter.

  But one favourite activity on those dark nights was visiting the banya. The banya is a public bathhouse complete with a sauna, icy plunge pool, and a private café with a seating area. Moving between extremes of hot and cold; taking interludes to sup on beer and gossip with friends; getting gently beaten by birch and oak leaves and rolling in the untouched snow outside: washing is transformed into a social activity performed over a leisurely hour or three. Sweating out my sorrows in a sauna, those are happy memories indeed.

  I fear that saunas and plunge pools will never be the cheerful and edifying experiences for the British that they are for Russians, Turks and others. With our pokey showers, private bathrooms and grotty public pools, we‘re surely missing a trick. Hoping to be proved wrong, I packed my wash bag and set out to test three London baths. When it comes to sharing a shower with the Great British public, hesitation never served anyone well.

  finnish sauna: scandi functionality

London‘s Finnish sauna is in the basement of a Finnish church in Rotherhithe, south east London. I arrange to meet my Russian friend who‘s a hardened convert to public baths and a long-time banya companion of mine. She‘s been abroad and I‘ve not seen her for eight months. We meet there and then, in the sauna, naked. I want to hug her but am stuck. When you meet a friend fully unclothed, do you give them a hug? I opt for a loose arm wrap, making sure my wobbly bits don‘t touch her wobbly bits.

  This is the no frills experience: a tiny wee thing of a sauna, a shower room and a rudimentary glass door between the two. Five of us are squeezed into the sauna, each politely balancing on a disposable paper seat that‘s issued at the reception upstairs. I can‘t remember the last time I shaved my underarms and legs and a quick glance about the place confirms that, yes, I‘m officially the hairiest person in the sauna.

  Thankfully my attention is diverted by the fountain of sweat that is cascading off me from the suffocating heat. It‘s 85 degrees and it‘s glorious. Some minutes later I begin to worry my liver is cooking, and I stagger out to have a freezing cold shower, gulping desperately from the furious temperature shift. Incredible.

The Finnish Church in London / www.finnishchurch.org.uk

  banya no. 1: russian nostalgia

On the sauna grapevine, I learn that an authentically Russian banya has recently opened in London. Called Banya No. 1, it‘s located in Old Street in one of those glass-fronted new builds. If this seems an incongruous location for a sauna, fear not, dear banya hunter: dainty felt wash hats are sold behind the

counter, alongside Lithuanian mud masks and bundles of birch and oak.

  Friendly Alex at reception tells me that diplomats and civil servants—keen to relive the banyas of their Russian foreign postings—are regulars. He points towards the rapturous praise on show in the visitor book. “Getting hit with birch leaves was great and jumping in the cold water afterwards was better than my first night with a girl,“ reads one comment.

  The sauna is vast. Garage-sized. So big I wonder if the heat will pack a punch. As I lay hesitantly on the wooden bench, someone bustles in and pours more water on the hot stones. A terrifying spit of heat hisses out. The room rises in temperature. We‘re on perhaps 85-ish-degrees. I can‘t quite make out the gauge, but opt to lie back, momentarily absenting myself from the responsibilities of banya journalism.

  Then Oleg walks in. A burly man in shorts, he instructs me to lie face down on a nearby wooden table and proceeds to whip me with a bunch of wet oak leaves. Spinning the hot air from on high and bringing it gently down, it‘s a massage like no other. I am intoxicated and, with my face pressed indelicately on a bundle of oak leaves, dizzy from the searing heat. Then Oleg guides me outside to a row of ice buckets, dunks two over my head, and points towards the plunge pool. I take a dip and my skin promptly turns strawberry pink in protest. Soon after, I‘m treated to a salt and honey rub in a wonderful, womb-like cove of marble and magic. I sit back and close my eyes, feeling like I‘m back in Moscow or somewhere very close to heaven.

Banya No. 1 / www.gobanya.co.uk

  virgin active: british grit

There‘s a swingers‘ sauna in North London and plenty of male-only saunas in town. But a no-sex-please-we‘re-British public sauna? These exist within the confines of classy gyms.

  There‘s a Virgin Active near work so I sneak a visit mid-week. Upstairs in the changing room is a rudimentary row of shower cubicles and I head straight for the steam room.

  Five minutes in and someone begins a full-body exfoliation some two feet away from me. She‘s standing, fully naked, scraping the dry skin off her legs with vigour and gusto. Picturing the ugly dispersal of skin flakes and exfoliant about the place is more than I can stomach, so I make to leave but not before accidentally hitting the panic button, which flashes red and beeps like a microwave. An attendant rushes in.

  I try my luck at the sauna one room down. But unlike the Finnish and Russian saunas, which use hot stones and water to heat the room, this one has what appears to be a large radiator powering it. The temperature is a meagre 75 degrees. I feel like a wet jumper in a lukewarm airing cupboard and leave.

Come back, Oleg!

Virgin Active / www.virginactive.co.uk

words rosanna durham, photo andrea torres balaguer

[gobanya]

Curious London: AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN R&R AT BANYA NO.1

It’s rare to experience both excitement and fear before a spa day, but Banya No. 1, London’s foremost – and indeed only – Russian spa, is a bit of a special case. I was really looking forward to experiencing an authentic banya, but I was also afraid of being stripped naked, beaten senseless with birch logs and thrown into an ice cold underground lake.

I know, I know. I think I may have let my imagination run away with me a bit. It turns out that parenie, the Russian massage technique involving big bundles of leaves, is one of the most magical sensations my mortal shell has ever experienced, and you don’t even have to be naked. (And yes, there is a plunge pool, but it’s really quite nice.)

Can you blame me, though, when there are pictures like this floating around?

Terrifying, I think you’ll agree.

But I went anyway, to Micawber Street off City Road, where underground sits a small but perfectly formed spa.

The first order of the day (after disrobing and sucking down a potent cup of herbal tea) was to visit the sauna. Russian saunas are not quite as hot as their Nordic or Western counterparts, but are much more humid, which makes the heat significantly more bearable. This humidity is also better for the skin, which is why the proper way to relax in Russia is to roast, rinse and repeat, over and over.

The high humidity in a traditional banya is created by splashing water on to a tonne of cast iron heated to 700°C (!)

After my first sauna session and some epic monging out in the lounge, I was led back in for parenie. Huge bundles of fragrant, wet eucalyptus and birch were laid down for me to rest my face and feet on, and my banshik appeared in a pair of swim shorts, which threw me for a second until I realised how hot you’d get doing something so vigorous in temperatures of 80°C.

The bundles of foliage – called venik – are actually used primarily to pull the rising heat down on to the body, creating a great whoomph! of warmth before the banshik brings them down onto the skin, creating a sensation not unlike sitting in a torrential downpour. With the scent of the fresh leaves in my nose, the roar of water on the sauna’s hot coals and the wetvenik on my back, I could almost believe I was lying in a rainforest.

Once parenie was over, I stood beneath a shower while my banshik pulled a bucket of cool water over me. “Do you feel up to the plunge pool?” he asked, indicating the enormous wooden tub in the middle of the spa. Determined not to miss out on an authentic experience, I nodded. This has been the bit I was most afraid of (excluding the birch whipping, which, of course, was completely unfounded). And yeah, it was cold. Like, reallycold. But it was also amazing; I’d used plunge pools before, but none after anything like parenie. It felt electric.

7°C is chilly at the best of times…

BONUS: that eucalyptus is pretty magical stuff – it immediately cleared out my sinuses and gave my skin a lovely glow.

No filter! (I’m not 100% sure what the hat was about, but everyone was wearing them.)

After some more tea, I went to the steam room for my honey and coffee scrub, which frankly made my DIY efforts with a shower loofah look utterly pathetic. The banshik buffed my body – we’re talking almost all of it, buttocks, armpits, decollete – with the industriousness of a Victorian butler polishing the good silver. After the most intense exfoliating action of my life, I was sluiced down with a big bowl of warm water and sent on my merry way. I left as smooth as an otter, smelling faintly of breakfast.

(If you’re self-conscious about getting scrubbed down by a dude, don’t worry. They ask if you’d prefer a lady when you check in, but the staff are totally professional, and I feel like you get much more welly with a male therapist! The banshik who perform parenie are always male though, because it’s so physically demanding.)

Obviously not me! Stolen from Banya No. 1’s Facebook page. :)

Now, although nothing I experienced at Banya No. 1 was in any way painful, these Russians do not fuck about. I’ve had massages from therapists elsewhere who seem to think their clients come in for a tickle, and it does nothing for me. At Banya No. 1, however, you can expect some pretty powerful sensation.  Treatments are relatively short. A typical massage in a conventional spa might be 30 minutes at least, but both my parenie session and my scrub were just ten minutes each. It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but the heat of the sauna and the vigorousness of the scrub make both experiences quite intense.

There’s none of this discreet towel adjusting like you get in English spas either, and no whales crooning in the background. In fact, my parenie session was in the sauna while a group of four women chattered in the background. You’d think this would detract from the experience, but it actually gave the whole thing quite a relaxed, convivial vibe. It probably helped that they were speaking in Russian, though, the effect may have been different if they’d been a gaggle of Essex girls discussing the latest Celebrity Big Brother.

I emerged from the spa to blazing sunshine, feeling like a velvety smooth, tranquil goddess. Which is unusual for me, as I’m usually a flaky-skinned hotbed of stress. (That’s another thing; I suffer from pretty severe eczema, but because Banya No. 1 is super strict about all-natural ingredients, not even the scrub aggravated it.) Would I do it again? Absolutely. You can even book in to have two blokes do you over with the venik at once, and where else can you get that kind of experience?

I visited Banya No. 1 at the request of their PR team, but, as always, all views are my own. The spa costs £25 for a three hour session, with treatments at additional cost. I had the parenie (£25) and the honey and coffee scrub (£20), but there are packages available too. Read more about banya and view the full price list online. 

[gobanya]

RUSSIAN BANYA! Best for reinvigoration

NET-A-PORTER about Banya No.1

[gobanya]

Branches, beer and beetroot juice: Is this Britain’s most unusual spa?

BANYA NO. 1 is bringing the traditional Siberian spa experience to London, swapping candles and soothing music for cold water and hot leaves…

By: Ella Buchan

Published: Sat, November 8, 2014

Banya No.1 is bringing the traditional Siberian spa experience to London, swapping candles and soot

Being thwacked with bunches of wet oak leaves by huge Russian bears might not sound relaxing, but it is.

Banya No. 1, tucked away on a quiet street in London’s Clerkenwell, is a spa with a difference.

A banya is the Siberian version of a sauna – but wetter and, for those used to the Scandinavian version, probably a little bit weirder.

The water is thrown on to hot stones, creating a hot and humid atmosphere somewhere between a sauna and a steam room. 

The staff, or banschiki, are experts in the art of the parenie-venik massage. Some are even world champions – in Russia, performing this detoxifying, circulation-boosting spa treatment is a national sport.

Birch, oak and eucalyptus twigs are bunched into 'veniks' , which are then used in the massage

Birch, oak or eucalyptus twigs are bunched into “veniks”, which are then used in the massage. 

The essential oils released by the leaves are said to help prevent premature ageing of the skin, and the steam (parenie) in the banya helps absorption and relieves muscle tension.

It is certainly bracing. I watched others be gently pummelled before taking my turn on the wooden bench, in full view of others in the banya.

I soon forgot my audience as I was enveloped in a steamy blur of fragrant, fluttering forestry.

The leaves are first doused in water, which heats up in the banya and feels pleasantly invigorating. My skin was tingling under the surprisingly soft touch of the Russian muscle men who perform the ritual.

Less relaxing was the shock of cold water as I was led from the steam room by the arm and held under a waterfall of freezing cold water in an involuntary ice bucket challenge, before being marched to the cold plunge pool for another submerging. Just in case any warmth remained in my blood.

It does leave you feeling very awake and alive – it’s impossible to be sluggish after being battered by hot leaves and dunked in cold water.

The staff are experts in the art of the parenie-venik massage

Afterwards I tried the honey and salt scrub, which uses only those two ingredients to really get you glowing. The spa also offers massage treatments and mud wraps.

In breaks from the hot and cold rollercoaster, guests can pop across the corridor to the charming lounge room, serving a selection of herbal teas with honey, super-healthy beetroot juice and kvas, a natural fermented rye bread drink with honey and raisins. 

And you can end your session with a tankard of beer and traditional Russian food including pickles, smoked tongue with horseradish and dried salted fish.

It’s all served in comfy wooden booths, one of which has spectacular snowy views from footage filmed from the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Weird but wonderful – like everything else at Banya No. 1.

Prices start at £25 for a three-hour banya session, £25 for the parenie and £15 for the honey and salt scrub. See gobanya.co.uk.

[gobanya]

Breaking Travel News investigates: Some Like It Hot at Banya No.1

Banya No.1 in Old Street, London, opened in January 2013

I will admit to a little trepidation visiting Banya No.1 for the first time.

Images of the near freezing plunge pool haunted me as we arrived, while thoughts of the banya staff (banschiki) lashing my skin with birch branches were also a cause for concern.

I could not have been more wrong.

This is a place of relaxation; a temple to the body, mind, and, not least, stomach.

Common across much of Eastern Europe and especially Russia, banya is a mixture of social club, wellness spa and high-end canteen, offering a chance to catch up with loved ones, shake on business deals and enjoy a fine meal.

Still relatively novel here in the UK, banya is centred on venik massage (parenie), a kind of traditional treatment where steam is kneaded into the skin using oak leaves, exfoliating the pores.

Complemented with massage, skin scrubs and a dip in the plunge pool, the experience leaves guests feeling revitalised.

Preparations inside the banya

I had signed up for parenie and a coffee scrub. But first, drinks.

From the quietly bubbling fountains in the entrance, to the dark green leather seating and discreet staff, Banya No.1 exudes casual sophistication.

The leather bound menu is no different, offering a choice of fresh home-grown salads, seafood and caviar, as well as kvass (a fermented grain drink popular in Russia), vodka, and a range of beers. Cows tongue is also on offer for the more adventurous.

Settling for herbal tea, I prepare for the next steps.

First are a few minutes in the banya itself.

While similar in appearance to a Scandinavian sauna, banya is a great deal healthier.

The quality of the experience relies heavily on the stove, with water thrown onto extremely hot stones to provide the ideal balance of heat and humidity.

The stove at Banya No.1 includes over a tonne of cast-iron metal, with water fairly exploding on impact and rising as steam instantly.

This means, at 70 per cent humidity, banya it will not dry you out, instead exceptionally small droplets of water work to enhance the purification of the skin, while aiding relaxation.

Parenie is at the heart of the banya experience

Five minutes is enough to drive the uninitiated back to the comfort of the lounge, but experienced users sit for longer.

Felt hats are also required to protect your head, while sitting higher in the banya adds heat, withsteam rising from the stove to the top of the room.

Leaving the banya, my guide Oleg requests I stand to one side before tipping a bucket of freezing water directly onto my head. “Good for the circulation,” he explains.

A few moments of recovery in the lounge and it is time for parenie.

What I had feared to be form of ritualistic flagellation is actually a deeply relaxing massage.

Expertly handled bunches of oak leaves trap steam from the banya, rubbing it into the skin. As the temperature rises, blood vessels expand and pressure drops, relaxing the body. 

With your head also resting on a bundle of oak leaves, it is a uniquely agreeable experience, over all too quickly. 

Plunging into the pool – which at ten degrees is actually far above freezing – immediately afterward is also surprisingly refreshing. Here blood vessels contract as pressure rises once again, making banya a form of cardiovascular exercise.

Skin scrubs at Banya No.1 in London

The final stage is a skin scrub.

Here I will say, while in London, this is definitely a Russian experience.

Although Oleg is never anything except immaculately polite, the massage is far from delicate, potentially jarring with English sensibilities.

Trunks come off as the coarse coffee scrub is rubbed briskly all over the skin before being allowed to rest for a few moments. 

A quick hosing down and it is back into the sanctuary of the lounge once more. One of the more intimate experiences of my life. 

Fine dining also plays a central role in the banya experience

Back in the lounge it is time to reflect.

Opened early last year, banya is largely aimed at wealthy Russians who work in the Square Mile.

Many visit during their lunch breaks, staying for an hour before returning to the rigors of work.

But one of the wonderful things about banya is it allows guests to do things at their own pace. Although bookings are advised, the structure of the day is not rigid.

Guests move to and from the banya at their leisure, sometimes spending an entire day flitting between the lounge and the range of treatments on offer.

As owner Andrei Fomin jokes with me, it is also the ideal place to work off a hangover.

Although with a bottle of Russian Standard also on offer at a reasonable price, it might just be the place to start the process all over again.

More Information

Prices for a ten minute parenie start at £25, while a coffee scrub is £20.

More information on visiting Banya No.1 can be found on the official website.

Tags: spa travel