St. Petersburg Bathhouse Culture: Book Presentation
On February 2, a presentation of Igor Bogdanov's research on three centuries of St. Petersburg bathhouses will take place at the Podpisnye Izdaniya bookstore. The meeting will discuss the history and revival of bath traditions in the city.
Mar 1, 2026 0
Igor Bogdanov«s book explores the architectural evolution and cultural significance of St. Petersburg»s bathhouses over three centuries.
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A meeting dedicated to Igor Bogdanov«s book »Three Centuries of St. Petersburg Bathhouse. Washhouses, Thermae, Saunas, Steam Rooms« will take place on February 2 at Podpisnye Izdaniya. The program includes a discussion on the creation of the work, difficulties in its preparation, and the contemporary bathhouse renaissance. Admission to the event is free, with an age restriction of 18+.
The author, historian and local historian Igor Bogdanov, views St. Petersburg«s bathhouses as a significant architectural and cultural-aesthetic phenomenon. Drawing on documentary and memoir sources, he traces how the bathhouse became a daily element of city life, what role it played in urban planning, and in what form it exists today.
In the book, for example, details that were once common knowledge are mentioned: St. Petersburg residents distinguished between brooms made from «veselka» birch and «glushnyak» birch, and mixed brooms were valued exclusively when fresh. Bathhouses heated «po-chernomu» (black-style, without a chimney) were accessible to common people in the past, but have now become expensive exotics.
Participants in the discussion will include:
- Anna Polyakova (NUDE blog, author of the preface and guide to bathhouses, researcher of bathhouse culture);
- Darya Pavlyukevich (reviewer for Sobaka.ru);
- Nika Maximova (editor at Akademiki publishing house).
The event will start at 19:00 at the address: Liteiny Prospekt, 57V. Registration on the TimePad platform is required to participate.
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