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...

"I take a bath. I wash myself with my washcloth, and Mom washes my hair. I play some more, and then I wrap my soft, warm towel around me! Next, I put on my pajamas. I drink my bottle of milk and read my book. I go to sleep with my sweet teddy bear! A cheerful book full of recognizable illustrations of bathtime and bedtime rituals. For toddlers ages 12 months and up, with a focus on the child's daily life."--