Russian bath houses have a long history that dates back to medieval times. Both villagers and noblemen would use the bathouse under strict cultural guidelines that varied somewhat depending on the class of the user. Noblemen had their own steam houses, and kept them even after Peter the Great imposed heavy taxes on bath houses as he was concerned with immoral behavior that sometimes took place. He preferred western style bathrooms, yet the nobility and their court continued to utilize the bathhouses into the end of the seventeenth century.

For villagers, the Russian bath house was located a ways off from the village near water. Each bath house was believed to have a resident bannik, a hostile domestic goblin, therefore visiting a bathhouse alone was not advisible. Five to seven hours before midday was considered the most safe. After the third session, and especially after sundown, peasants avoided the bathouse as not to face the bannik.

Whether a particular Russian bathhouse existed near a river or in the palaces and mansions of noblemen, much of the superstition remained. Customs included going to the bathhouse to get rid of illness, women being washed by maids before marriage to assure purity, and going to the bathhouse to deliver babies.

Today, Russian bath houses function similar to a sauna with some specific guidelines. While some culture's saunas are very hot and dry or have nearly 100% humidity, Russian bath houses strive for a happy medium by keeping humidity levels around 60% with smaller droplets to help users come out feeling refreshed.