Religious ice swimming

Ice swimming has been practiced in Russia for centuries and some historians suggest that the practice was a popular pagan tradition. The most common form of ice swimming however, is the religious ice baptism. Every year on the Epiphany (19 January in Russia) Russian Orthodox believers are plunged into a blessed section of frozen water three times in remembrance of Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. It is also believed that being submerged into the water on this day will cleanse the body's sins and ensure a healthy year.

This icy baptism was once a very popular practice for the devout, even the Tsars used to take part, traipsing down from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg every year to their own personal prorub, or ice hole in the nearby Neva river. During the time of communism the tradition all but disappeared with the rest of public religious practice, but in recent years this way of marking the Kreschenie (Epiphany) has again become popular. Last year more than 30,000 thousand people in Moscow alone took the plunge.

This year dozens of locations across Moscow will be welcoming believers, who usually turn up at night to take the plunge. The largest gatherings are expected at Strogino yacht club with Kolomenskoe park also expected to be a popular location (directions to the pond can be found here).



Walruses

However, it is not only the religious jumping into freezing water. We previously mentioned the morzh or walruses whose numbers are increasing every year and are not exclusively religious. These Russian ice-swimmers simply believe in the health benefits of ice-swimming and can be found splashing about every week at their local morzh club.

In Moscow the largest morzh club like to meet at the lakes of Serebranny bor. Here old women, young men and even children can all be seen taking the plunge, which is said  to be a good way to cure depression, improve circulation and generally strengthen the body’s immune system. Currently their oldest swimmer is an 86 year old woman who says she’s never felt better and the youngest swimmers they’ve had haven’t even grown their first teeth yet!

How to ice swim

The main thing to remember when ice swimming is that unless you are a very experienced walrus more than 3 minutes spent in the water will prove extremely dangerous or even life-threatening for the body. Body heat is lost 25 times faster in water than in air and it is largely the body’s increased adrenaline which keeps it functioning during the plunge into cold water.  Rapid cooling of the skin triggers various heart and breathing responses, usually manifesting in gasping and an increased heart rate.

During a dunk under, the heart rate can increase by 50% and blood pressure increase can rise to around 175/93. Although a substantial strain on the heart, these changes are not likely to be a problem for a healthy, fit person but may be dangerous for those with underlying heart disease or hypertension.

The second thing to remember is to be prepared. First time swimmers should only go along with experienced ice-swimmers who can pull you out after and offer advice to help you enjoy the experience more. Absolutely no alcohol should be drunk before hand - it increases the chances of hyperthermia, and warm clothing should only be removed at the last moments and kept to hand to immediately dry the water off afterwards.

Cold Plunge for the Homeless

Interested in having a try? On Saturday 28 January the Australian and New Zealand expat community of Moscow is organizing it own charity ice plunge. All interested people of any nationality are welcome to sign up, the only main requirement is that you raise at least 2,000Rbl and are prepared to sign a liability waiver form. Ice-swimming in costume or national dress is also more than encouraged. All the proceeds raised by the sponsored ice-swimmers will be distributed by the philanthropic department of the Moscow International Women’s Club to various homeless charities in Moscow.

There are estimated to be some 100,000 homeless people in Moscow who through loss of family, documentation, health problems or due to their criminal record find it impossible to find a home and job in Moscow. Unknown numbers die every winter as they struggle to find shelter in the city’s freezing streets, doorways and underpasses. Many of them are also suffering from malnutrition and simple health problems that have been accelerated due to lack of treatment.

The money raised by the Cold Plunge event will be poured into a number of projects running in Moscow to help the homeless, such as the Mother Teresa Street Clinic; a walk-in street clinic offering medical assistance, a soup kitchen and bathing/laundry facility for the homeless, various charity funded temporary shelters for homeless people and the night bus soup kitchen; a volunteer run project which travels around Moscow during the winter nights offering hot meals and drinks to those sleeping rough. To sign up for the event email the Auskis at taketheplungeinmoscow@gmail.com or join their facebook group Cold Plunge for the Homeless.

Russian ice-swimmers