A Review of Perfect Sweat: from Tyrol to Russia
In a new broadcast series titled Perfect Sweat, author and photographer Mikkel Aaland documents the current state of sauna around the world. He examines the turnover of generational trends and makes the point that the experiences that put us most in touch with our own humanity endure. Here, I continue my reviews of each of the seven episodes. Streaming info here.
The Aufguss master is a celebrated figure, an organizer. He takes the guests, in that moment, on a journey, a journey with music, a journey with the scented infusions, and with the heart, and with the mind.” –Arnold Thum
Aufguss
This episode is called Aufguss after the cross-border sauna ritual that is gaining momentum in the world of sweat bathing. Aaland and his host Christine Rose, an Aufguss performer or Aufgussmeister, begin with visits to spas and saunas in the stunning Alpine landscapes of Northern Italy where towel waving to distribute steam in the hot room has become a performance art, known as Aufguss. They attend sauna events, led by costumed Aufgussmeisters, that artfully incorporate music and movement, lighting, props and the important infusion of scent into storytelling performances.
In South Tyrol province, they visit Cron4 and meet Arnold Thum, “the inventor of modern Aufguss.” We see him perform with intensity, rhythmically waving a towel and adding snow infused with herbal oils to the hot rocks. Rose goes on to explain how important the use of essential oils is, often involving several different scents for different phases of the sauna. They visit a renowned essential oil producer called Bergila where steam extraction is used to get oils from pine branches. Aaland and friends take a “hot mountain pine bath” where they get buried in the process’s residual warm woody mulch.
Rose also takes Aaland on a tour of Roman bath ruins and then the modern counterpart to demonstrate the ancient roots of sweat bathing in this part of Europe. Terme Taurine (The Taurine Baths) date to the first century BC. This public amenity was spring fed and offered a variety of bathing experiences for the general public 2000 years ago. It is not unlike today’s Aquardens Terme in Verona, where Aaland and Rose visit next. It is the biggest thermal park in Italy featuring pools, five different kinds of saunas and Aufguss shows. Is it so different from water parks with slides and hot tubs at American resorts?
The final part of this journey sees Aaland and Rose attending the Aufguss World Championship (I believe this was in 2018) at a spa in Germany called SATAMA. There, performances take place in one of the largest saunas in Europe, accommodating up to 200 people. The experience, to my eye, is quite different from the quiet intimacy of sitting in a sauna in the forest. It is more like a night out at the theatre except the audiences are unclutching their pearls and shedding their dress-up clothes to sit and sweat in the nude as they applaud the entertainment. (It is pointed out that Germans are pretty comfortable with nudity but strict about hygiene in the sauna.) Aufguss illustrates the diversity of experiences one can have in a hot space. Not one to be left behind in such trends, Minneapolis offers Aufguss experiences. Check out scheduled events at venues such as 612 Sauna Co-op and at the Hewing Hotel.
Russia
“The banya is our mother, it aligns our bones and puts right our whole body.” –Russian saying
I loved this episode because it contained most of the elements I want in my sauna experience, a sense of nakedness (not nudity), history and ancient magic all set in the gritty, snowy background of a northern winter–something I can relate to! Note that this episode was filmed before the invasion of Ukraine. I wonder if the episode would even have been filmed post invasion. It opens with Aaland enjoying a traditional banya in St. Petersburg with men of his generation. He observes that this is the kind of sauna he remembers from 1975. They steam, they beat each other with veniki (vihta) and take cold water bucket showers. Over locker room tea, one of the men explains that the banya is like socialism, “In banya everyone is equal.”
Then the episode’s focus turns to the young and lovely host Anna Artemieva, banya blogger. Her blog titled Nude (this beats Bad Sauna for its bold hook) is published in Russian and English and features artful photos (check out her Instagram, too). Aaland explains that she represents the shift to the next generation that views banya as ritual, with friends or alone, “to heal the mind and cleanse the soul.” She takes Aaland to Banya Skat in Sestroretsk, the sauna she would visit as a child with her mother and grandmother. The banya sits on the edge of a lake so Aaland and Artemieva take a daring dip through a hole in the ice.
They also visit Degtyarnie Banya, the epitome of the 90’s banya. After the fall of the Soviet Union, such saunas became known as hang outs for the mobsters and the nouveau riche. During Aaland’s and Artemieva’s visit, they get a St. Petersburg style whisk and wash. I know this as platza, a big part of the Russian banya experience. They also go to B.O.R. 812, a private resort with 8 types of banyas. Artemieva invites a group of girlfriends to join her. Later they reflect on the experience of nakedness and community in the sauna, how it demands kindness and respect for self and others.
Finally, they travel to Sochi, a resort town on the Black Sea. There they go to the British Banya, where banya attendants customize the experience for people, moving them progressively from room to room, each with its own sensory experience. I was fascinated with the wood fired cauldron filled with herbs, a sort of hot tub for the bathers. It reminded me of the Slavic fairy tales of the hungry witch Baba Yaga who threatens to cook children in her huge oven only to be foiled as they transform into heroes.
Stay tuned for reviews of the final three episodes in Perfect Sweat: Turkey, Norway and Burning Man
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