If it weren't for the bathhouse, we would all be lost

For a Russian person, the bathhouse is certainly not just an opportunity to wash and steam (though what is a Russian bath without steam?). It is also a space where the sacred meets the sinful, the spiritual meets the physical,... and this world touches that world. In different eras, city bathhouses have served as places where moonshine was distilled, as dives where one could find a host of dubious pleasures, as clubs where free-thinking speeches were held, as unique forums where business deals could be made, and as social elevators helping one advance in their career or make a political career. Professor of Slavic Studies Ethan Pollock wrote a detailed and fascinating history of the Russian bathhouse, based on archival materials, literary texts, paintings, memoirs, and of course, personal experience.