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 Wedding Bania.

After the wedding ceremony the groom had to carry his new wife over the threshold of the bania. There was a superstition that the stillborn children were buried under the threshold and if the groom wanted to prevent his first born from suffering the same fate. So, they came in the bania, undressed and tossed water on the rocks. At the same time the wedding guests outside threw rocks and pottery at the bania to scare away the lurking Bannik and prevent the married couple from his bad plans.

Among all the cries of "good luck!" the couple might hear: "Remember a couple that sweats together, stays together!" This has a figurative meaning as “sweats together” means “work”, “solve the problems”, “suffer” and “rejoice” together. Whether or not sweating had anything to do with creating a viable marriage, at least the Russian Church sanctified it as one of the few permissible pagan rituals of the bania. The bride and the groom had also to begin the purification ritual the night before taking separate banias.

The groom's night before bania was more a cheerful, drunken fling than a solemn ceremony. Bania for the bride-to-be had to be heated with birch, pine or Siberian cedar, but never aspen as it was regarded as a sorrowful tree. The bride brought with her the engagement present from the groom - a fresh birch whisk and a piece of soap, and used them during the bath.

Her sweat was collected by pouring milk over her body and then dough was plastered over her. Later the dough was kneaded and made into bread and cakes that then are offered at the wedding feast. The bride-to-be's sweat were mixed with vodka, wine, and grains, and then poured on the bania rocks to enhance the scent. Honey and hops were added to give the bride-to-be a rich sweet life.

Sometimes a poor peasant family could not afford a regular bania. But the wedding bania was considered so important that the household baking oven was used instead. Before all preparations the oven was cleaned and the bride-to-be was shoved in on a wooden platter. The door was locked until she sweated and washed alone. Only then all the cakes and breads for the feast were prepared.