Ethan Pollock - Without the Banya We Would Perish A History of the

Description: About this Item The item is a book Hardback The Author Name is Ethan Pollock The Title is Without the Banya We Would Perish : A History of the Russian Bathhouse Condition New Other Comments Pages Count - 360. Category - History Product 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. Combining the ancient elements of earth, water, and fire, the banya paradoxically cleans bodies and spreads disease, purifies and defiles, creates community and underscores difference. Here, 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 theirnewfound 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. Through the communal bathhouse, Without the Banya We Would Perish provides a unique perspective on the history of the Russian people. We Use Stock Images Because we have over 2 million items for sale we have to use stock images, this listing does not include the actual image of the item for sale. The purchase of this specific item is made with the understanding that the image shown in this listing is a stock image and not the actual item for sale. For example: some of our stock images include stickers, labels, price tags, hyper stickers, obi's, promotional messages, signatures and or writing which may not be available in the actual item. When possible we will add details of the items we are selling to help buyers know what is included in the item for sale. The details are provided automatically from our central master database and can sometimes be wrong. Books are released in many editions and variations, such as standard edition, re-issue, not for sale, promotional, special edition, limited edition, and many other editions and versions. The Book you receive could be any of these editions or variations. If you are looking for a specific edition or version please contact us to verify what we are selling. Gift IdeasThis is a great Christmas gift idea. Hours of ServiceWe have many warehouses, some of the warehouses process orders seven days a week, but the Administration Support Staff are located at a head office location, outside of the warehouses, and typically work only Monday to Friday. Location ID 9000z iHaveit SKU ID 167251234

Price: 105.41 USD

Location: US

End Time: 2025-01-21T08:40:53.000Z

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