It was said in the past that banya was as a second mother for the Russians. It brought them ablution, clarification and refreshment. The Russian banya was believed to have its own spirit Bannik, who was dissatisfied and angry when the bath procedure was unproper. In the past the Russians spoke about the Birth Bania and the Death Bania.

The Birth Bania
The bania was an ideal place for the Russian women to deliver a child. Surely, it was a warm and comfortable place, but only if the Bannik did not interfere. It was believed that he could carry the unbaptized infant away. So, the mother and newly born child must be carefully observed.

The main task of the midwife was not only to assist with the birth, but also to defend woman in childbirth or woman recently confined and a child from the Bannik interfering. The common method of guarding was to dip four stones from the oven in water and throw them into a corner while muttering, "Into the corner with you stones! And smack the Devil in the forehead!" Then the same midwife scooped water from a bucket and lifted her hands to her face, chanting: "Just as this water slides off my arms, so should the evil eye slide off the servant of the Lord" (then she said the name of the pregnant woman). 27 times she scooped handfuls of water, chanting, then took water in her mouth and sprayed the mother. The mother also had to behave in a proper way. After birth she had to beat herself with birch twigs and washed herself. And the same ritual was repeated with the child (mother with a help of old ones who had assisted in the birth).

Tereschenko, a 19th century Russian writer, wrote, "This custom (of giving birth in the bania) was not only followed by women of the Bojar (the nobility), but also among the Royal families."

The Death Bania
The Russians had also a Bania tradition connecting the death. Early Russian writers described the requium bania. The people believed that the soul of the dead man must be properly prepared for its journey to the next land. A pillow for the coffin was stuffed with birch leaves and the coffin itself was sprinkled with birch twigs. In this way the soul was then equipped with a vennik for banias in the afterlife. After the funeral relatives periodically visited the grave and left the fresh venniks. By bathing together after the funeral, mourners were assured that the beloved soul would be warmed for its long journey. Taking the communal bath also affirmed the lives of mourners and helped them overcome their grief.