For the inexperienced bather, the words "bath" and "sauna" may seem synonymous, but in reality they are not. The difference between a bathhouse and a sauna is predetermined by the difference in the approaches taken by the Finns and Russians when building steam rooms.
Temperature
The first obvious difference between a bath and a sauna is the temperature regime. Finnish saunas are characterized by heat, which sometimes reaches 120 degrees.. An untrained person can hardly cope with such a high load on the first call. The increased temperature is compensated for by the low humidity level, which ranges from 5 to 20%.
Russian bath offers opposite conditions - the temperature in the steam room is lower, but the humidity reaches 70%. The temperature regime does not rise above 90 degrees. Most bathers are limited to 60 at 50% humidity.
Oven
The “heart” of the Russian steam room is considered to be the stove. Due to the fact that massive stones are concentrated in the middle of the backfill, the room keeps warm for a long time. In addition to supplying dry steam, the furnace also performs a second important task - it heats up the water that is located inside the structure itself.
The saunas cannot boast of large stone-backed stoves. The functions of the stove in modern saunas are performed by electric fireplaces, equipped with open filling of stones. Electric fireplaces quickly heat up the air and maintain the temperature. In return, technological devices pick up the aromas of smoke and hot wood.
Pool
Finnish saunas are always designed taking into account the area allocated for the pool. Contrasting procedures enhance the effect of high temperature and dry microclimate. Many Russian baths do without a pool. "Artificial reservoirs" are replaced by natural ones - lakes or rivers in summer and snowdrifts in winter frost.
Construction Materials
In the construction of Finnish saunas, synthetic materials are used in addition to natural wood. Classic Russian baths do not include artificial materials. Today there are projects of brick baths, baths from cinder blocks, etc., but they are not "authentic". This is an example of eclecticism that brings together Russian and Finnish elements.
Interior decoration
The Finnish sauna has a standard layout, which consists of several zones: a changing room, a "sweating room", a washing room (pool, massage table). Russian baths are simpler: the building is divided into two zones: a locker room and a steam room.
When visiting a sauna, Finns do not use brooms. In a steam room with a low humidity level, the brooms dry instantly and can only scratch the skin.
Dried sticks are replaced with "compositions" of aromatic oils. In Russian baths, the aromatization of the steam room is carried out with the help of a diluted mug of kvass, which is poured onto the stones.
Approach to design
Finnish saunas have a penchant for luxury and the latest technology. They contain glass doors, beautiful lamps and sophisticated lighting. Decorativeness is alien to traditional Russian baths. Every detail has its own utilitarian meaning and nothing else.