Russian Traditions

If you’re in Moscow in late winter, the Maslenitsa festival is one of the most anticipated festivals of Russia. Otherwise known as Pancake week, this is the time to load a blini or two with caviar and celebrate the impending end of Russia’s long winter. Thankfully there’s also a Russian tradition for overindulgence; the banya. Russian folklore has it that the cleansing steam of these hot baths can cure colds, remove toxins from the body and strengthen the immune system, but it’s also a place to gossip or talk business, interestingly, with yet more vodka, although the traditional beverage for the banya is tea. Sanduny is the largest and most palatial banya in Moscow and the perfect place to thaw out after a cold day in Russia’s capital city.