Without the banya we would perish : a history of the Russian bathhouse
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2019].
Status
Central - Adult Nonfiction
391.64 POLLO
1 available

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Central - Adult Nonfiction391.64 POLLOAvailable

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Published
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2019].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
x, 343 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
When so much in Russia has changed, the banya remains. For over one-thousand years Russians of every economic class, political party, and social strata have treated bathing as a communal activity integrating personal hygiene and public health with rituals, relaxation, conversations, drinking, political intrigue, business, and sex. Communal steam baths have survived the Mongols, Peter the Great, and Soviet communism and remain a central and unifying national custom.0Combining the ancient elements of earth, water, and fire, the banya paradoxically cleans bodies and spreads disease, purifies and defiles, creates community and underscores difference.0Here, Ethan Pollock tells the history of this ubiquitous and enduring institution. He explores the bathhouse's role in Russian identity, following public figures (from Catherine the Great to Rasputin to Putin), writers (such as Chekhov and Dostoevsky), foreigners (including Mark Twain and Casanova), and countless other men and women into the banya to discover the meanings they have found there. The story comes up to the present, exploring the continued importance of banyas in Russia and their0newfound popularity in cities across the globe. Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient chronicles, government reports, medical books, and popular culture, Pollock shows how the banya has persisted, adapted, and flourished in the everyday lives of Russians throughout wars, political ruptures, modernization, and urbanization. 0Through the communal bathhouse, Without the Banya We Would Perish provides a unique perspective on the history of the Russian people.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Pollock, E. (2019). Without the banya we would perish: a history of the Russian bathhouse . Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Pollock, Ethan, 1969-. 2019. Without the Banya We Would Perish: A History of the Russian Bathhouse. Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Pollock, Ethan, 1969-. Without the Banya We Would Perish: A History of the Russian Bathhouse Oxford University Press, 2019.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Pollock, Ethan. Without the Banya We Would Perish: A History of the Russian Bathhouse Oxford University Press, 2019.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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