Immerse yourself in the warmth of camaraderie and the steam of tradition with these ten transformative social wellness experiences at the Russian Banya. In an increasingly digital and isolated world, the timeless practices of communal steam baths offer an organic escape and a unique opportunity to strengthen social bonds. From invigorating rituals to shared meals

Korean spas and Russian banyas both focus on social wellness and sauna experiences. Korean spas provide a modern, family-friendly environment, while Russian banyas—equally welcoming to families—offer a deeply rooted tradition known for its invigorating effects, detoxification, stress relief, and rejuvenation. This article explores and compares these two unique experiences. In recent years, both Korean spas

Award-winning journalist Janice Turner received a visit to a Banya No.1 – Hoxton as a birthday present from her sons and described her experience in The Times column. Like many of our guests, she experienced a bit of cultural shock when first introduced to the intense heat and leafy branches of our signature Parenie Ritual.

I spent my gap year in Moscow learning 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

What do Justin Bieber, Kate Moss, Bridget Jones and Jamie Laing all have in common?They’ve all enjoyed getting hit with hot birch, oak and eucalyptus twigs by a lovely semi-naked Russian man at the Banya No.1 Russian Bath Club near Old Street.
We were greeted with towels and an extremely flattering felt hat and, once we’d…

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 assignment was to discover the ultimate truth about hangover cures. Who does one ask about such things? I tried Andrei Fomin. After all, I reasoned, Andrei used to run nightclubs all over London – Propaganda in Wardour Street, that was him – plus he has a lot of witchy knowledge about herbs that his

Blimey, the world of natural highs is changing. There are now nine states in America in which recreational weed is legal. Anyone over 21 can enter a smoke shop where a trained “budtender” will guide you through pre-rolled joints, marijuana flowers, weed-oil vapes, cookies, gummies or brownies each marked “giggly”, “lucid”, “sleepy” etc. This legislation

If the idea of being thwacked by branches and leaves as part of your spa treatment doesn’t scare you, consider signing up for the latest spa trend inspired by a thousand-year-old tradition out of Russia. According to trendspotters at Condé Nast Traveller UK, after Ayurvedic and Turkish baths, Russian banyas are poised to be the next

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.