In recent years, the Finnish Sauna has experienced an extraordinary boom. Beautiful new public saunas have been built in prime locations in Helsinki, where both locals and tourists can make the most of these urban oases. The many health benefits of sauna have been reported. While this has brought a lot of international attention to the Finnish sauna, in Finland this is not a new phenomenon as sauna has always been at the core of the Finnish way of life.
The Embassy sauna in Warsaw got its share of the attention this summer, when Monocle magazine(Link to another website.) interviewed Ambassador Hanna Lehtinen for their "Cosy Corner" series. What better place for an ambassador of Finland to choose as her favourite corner than the sauna! The article by Annabelle Chapman, with photography by Rafal Milach, beautifully captures the spirit of the space including the classic architecture from the 1970's – the golden age of the so-called sauna diplomacy – as well as the role of sauna in Finnish way of life, including in the world of international relations.
The article in Monocle inspired the Embassy team to collect some key facts about Finnish sauna and a short introduction to sauna diplomacy.
The Finnish Sauna Culture
Although saunas and similar heated spaces are well known in many cultures throughout history, Finland is unique in the way sauna has become a key part of everyday life also in modern times. The Finnish Sauna Society(Link to another website.) has estimated that there are around 3.2 million saunas in Finland, out of which around 2 million can be found in private houses and apartments. With a total population of 5.5 million, this means 0.6 saunas per every Finn. Nearly all new apartments have a sauna built in, and even older buildings have a communal sauna for residents' use.
In previous centuries, sauna was the traditionally an important place not only for keeping clean but also because it was a more hygienic environment where childbirth would take place and the sick would be nursed. Later on, public saunas would provide a place for freshening up for city dwellers, whose small apartments did not necessarily have bathing facilities. The modern custom of weekly family sauna continues these traditions.
Cold winters are often thought to be the main reason for the popularity of saunas in Finland and warming up in the hot sauna is a great way to conclude a day of outdoor winter sports. However, for many Finns, nothing beats an evening sauna at a summerhouse, with a refreshing dip in a lake or the sea and chilling afterwards with a cold beverage while enjoying the white nights of Northern summer.
Sauna diplomacy?
Most Embassies of Finland around the world feature a sauna, like in Warsaw also. While the Finnish sauna was originally considered too exotic to be promoted abroad, the post-war years saw a boom in the so-called sauna diplomacy. The sauna has been an important meeting place in Finnish domestic politics but also for conducting international relations – a place for confidential discussion, stripped of formalities. Sauna has always been considered a peaceful space, and aggressive arguments are considered to be in breach of "sauna etiquette". One of the most famous stories of sauna diplomacy is from 1978, when a Soviet Union delegation arrived in Finland to discuss possible joint military exercises, and then-President Urho Kekkonen used the sauna evening to distract the guests and circumvent the uncomfortable topic.
Although the heyday of Finnish sauna diplomacy is already in the past, Embassy saunas are still used frequently, also in Warsaw. An invitation to a Finnish sauna evening often arouses friendly curiosity, and sauna as a tool of diplomacy requires usually good preparations so that guests who have no previous experience know what to expect. For example, most people do not know that in Finland, mixed saunas for men and women are not common outside of the immediate family circle.
At the Embassy in Warsaw, the sauna is located in the basement, complete with a swimming pool. The warm wooden structures are in line with Finnish sauna tradition and the overall design of the Ambassador's Residence. During more than four decades, the sauna has delighted Polish and international contacts, Finnish guests and also the Embassy staff. The future for sauna diplomacy looks bright!
For more information, please check 10 Sauna Tips for Beginners(Link to another website.) from the This is Finland website.