How to wash in a Russian stove: where did the custom to wash in a stove come from, who washed in a stove, how to wash, photo

The life of our ancestors was ideally adapted to the conditions in which they lived. The Russian stove rightfully occupied a key place. No wonder - the harsh climate with long and frosty winters set fuel supplies on a par with food supplies. And the woods, like the bread, were given oh, how hard it was.

Where did the custom go to wash in the oven?

Just imagine, a tree (usually a birch, it has excellent heat capacity, almost twice as much as spruce, second only among oak species, perhaps only to oak) grows at least a kilometer, or even two or three. This is because everything around the Russian village is uprooted and plowed. Need to get, of course, not on foot, but on a cart. The tree needs to be dumped. Now using a chainsaw is an easy task, but before that I had to wave a fair amount with an ax. Then the dumped tree had to be divided into parts in order to be loaded. Then cut the logs delivered to the house into log blocks, which should be chopped and carefully folded, if possible covering from above from the rain. Two strong workers spent one day on one cart.

For winter, the average peasant family needed at least 10-15 carts of firewood. And if at the same time drown the famous Russian bathhouse, then all 25.

IMPORTANT! Custom helped significantly save resources and, thus, had a significant impact on many aspects of life in the village in the old days.

Who washed in the oven?

It is clear that the bathhouse was a luxury that only very strong households could afford. As for the rest, they were once again rescued by a miracle stove, which does not require any additional firewood to wash the whole family. Just using the heat left from cooking.Due to its rationality, this custom was distributed throughout the territory of Russia, about which there is a lot of evidence.

As previously washed in a Russian stove

It all started at the construction stage.The furnace was built in such a way that an adult and one or two gangs of water should fit freely in it. There still had to be a place to wave a broom. Therefore, the heart of the Russian hut came out so big that sometimes it could occupy almost a third of the entire room. To imagine how such an oven looked, you can see the photo. But this made it possible to sleep on top of it, in the warmth, when the whole hut was slowly cooling down. In the cold season, large size was a significant advantage.

The furnace was heated, of course, in the morning. The hostess got up before everyone else, made a fire and cooked food. Cast iron with water was heated. When the coals burned out, the remaining ash was swept out. They washed the already laying oven. And there was no need to wash the arch, due to the high temperature, when the wood was burning, all the soot fell off itself, almost without a trace. The so-called under lined with straw for added comfort. In gangs, always wooden, so as not to get burned, water and pre-prepared decoctions of medicinal herbs were poured.

REFERENCE. Some herbs that were used in Russia for the preparation of bath decoctions.

Sagebrush. The dried and ground plant rubbed the skin. This was done to heal from wounds, bruises and ulcers. In addition, the procedure relieved headaches, nervous tension and increased efficiency.
St. John's wort. Also used in dried and crushed form. The body was sprinkled with powder to get rid of skin diseases and gout.
Field mint. Used more to cheer up, because it has a very pleasant smell. But there is also evidence that it has a positive effect on the body with a cold.
Chamomile. The plant, widely known for its healing properties, contains a large amount of vitamins and essential oils. It has a positive effect on skin health.
Linden blossom. Being steamed, it emits a very pleasant smell, calming the nervous system, contributes to a strong refreshing sleep.
Horseradish. In any form, it fights well with the common cold. Strengthens the immune system.
Blackcurrant leaves act in a similar way.
Needles of pine and spruce, boiled in boiling water, infused, being splashed out on stones and turning into steam, can have a positive complex effect on the body.
Green hop cones can cause a surge of strength. They should be used if you still have a lot to do after the bath.

At first, those who loved the hot were washed. It is clear that in temperature the Russian stove could give odds to any steam room. Therefore, caution should be exercised. Well, as you cool, and everyone else. The smallest were washed at the end, when the heat subsided, planting them on a wooden shovel, and feeding inward to the mother waiting there. If the heat began to be missed, the pharynx of the furnace was closed outside by a damper. In this case, all the procedures had to be done by touch. Which, of course, required some skill. If it was necessary to wash ailing or weak, then it was just like a child served inside, but not on a shovel, but put on a wide board. She was bound to be fake. Since the spirit of linden is pleasant and there is no tar like spruce or pine.

Instead of modern shampoos and gels, ash or a chicken egg was used. And often, they didn’t use anything at all. Hot water, and even with a perfumeful blast of all kinds of herbs, washed everything off perfectly, not draining the skin, but leaving it soft and silky.

Another interesting custom is related to washing in a Russian stove. The fact is that only married women could go to the bathhouse. The ancestors sincerely believed in the “banner” - a kind of brownie that the red girls and widows should seriously fear. Here, perhaps, there is also a rational kernel. The girl before the wedding needed to grow in purity and purity, and the bath usually stands in the distance, and solitude, you never know. It’s better to steam in the oven, everything is calmer.

It is curious that the water, which, quite abundantly, was poured by the steam workers, was utilized practically without external interference. Most of it, passing through the straw and laid closely together without mortar, bricks and a layer of sand simply flowed into the underground or directly onto the earthen floor.

In addition to washing, the stove was also on guard of health.Imagine a situation. November. Rain. Wind. Very chilly on the street. Towards evening, a tired, drenched and cold-tempered worker bursts into the hut. Trouble! Tomorrow will fall down with heat! But an experienced housewife makes him throw off all his wet clothes and - bask in the oven, still drowned in the morning, without losing a minute. And then, steamed and red, changed into dry and clean, he sits at the table. The next morning, a man is cheerful and oar, there is no talk of any cold or speech.