Russian banya (RussianDose Podcast — for people who are learning Russian) Banya rusa (Podcast RussianDose — para personas que están aprendiendo ruso) 俄罗斯俄式桑拿 (RussianDose 播客 — 面向学习俄语的人) Russische Banja (Podcast RussianDose — für Menschen, die Russisch lernen) Bania russe (Podcast RussianDose — pour les personnes qui apprennent le russe) Friends, today we're talking about something essential to understanding Russia — the Russian banya. If you've ever heard Russians say, "S lyogkim parom!" ("Enjoy your steam!") — or seen movies where people run out of a banya and dive into a snowdrift — that's all about the banya. So what exactly is the Russian banya, and why do foreigners first get scared, and then fall in love with it? What does banya mean for a Russian person? For a Russian person, the banya is much more than just washing. Of course, we shower every day. But the banya is a ritual, it's rest, it's meeting with friends, it's a way to cleanse the body and soul — maybe even achieve some kind of zen.