The Correspondcicle
Published: 20 January, 2011, 15:58
Edited: 20 January, 2011, 16:00
Edited: 20 January, 2011, 16:00
In the Russian Orthodox Church the Epiphany falls on the 19th of January. This is due to the Church using the Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian used in western Christianity. The feast day celebrates the baptism of Jesus into the Christian faith. Followers believe that water takes on sacred properties that can be in turn transferred to believers who submerge themselves into the water.
Of course most of Russia’s fresh water lies under a thick layer of ice at this time of year, which means holes have to be cut into it to allow access. Although it is one of the most sacred feast days in Orthodoxy, in recent times the ceremonial submergence has been co-opted by those who believe in the health giving properties of a subzero swim. This results in large crowds of people gathering at specific ice holes to take the plunge into the icy waters, and among them this year one RT correspondent, wondering why he drew the short straw.
Now in the interest of fairness I am now in my 6th winter in Moscow working for RT, and have greeted the previous five winters wondering if it was going to be my year to take the plunge. Therefore when the call came it was no surprise.
We drove about thirty minutes outside of Moscow to a place where a hole had been cut out of the frozen solid river. I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to stripping down and jumping in. It’s not that I have any problems with the cold, it’s just that if I do have to be out in subzero temperatures I prefer to be wrapped up and if possible have hot drinks on standby, just in case. My worries were alleviated somewhat by the presence of a large team of lifeguards and safety personnel (in the past my swimming ability has been compared to that of a brick). However, the fact they were wearing survival suits that looked like they should be rescuing stricken sailors from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, left me with no illusions as to the temperature.
Being brought up in the Catholic faith in Britain, this religious celebration was quite different to anything I had seen in the past. There was a very jovial atmosphere as we awaited the arrival of the priest who would bless the pool. Some couldn’t wait and tested the temperature early; others waited and drank hot tea at kiosks that had been erected. Following a short ceremony where the rites of the day were said it was time for the majority to get in.
The air temperature was a brisk -14 Celsius, not as cold as it can get in the capital at this time of year. And when I was told that the water was 4 degrees I was wondering what the fuss had been about. Aside from the odd initial shriek, the bathers went about the ritual as calm as if it were the waters of a tropical ocean, not a hole which had to be skimmed after every few people to stop it freezing over.
It is a strange feeling standing in the middle of winter wearing just a pair of swimming shorts, and the moment my foot touched the water it did feel quite considerably warmer than the air. After deciding that the only way to do it was to jump straight in I took the plunge. After the almost total silence of being submerged the return into the freezing air seemed deafening, with the sound of my cameraman laughing clearly audible (to me anyway). After getting out of the pool my breath was completely taken away, and thankfully a towel was near at hand. With huge clouds of steam rising from me in the Moscow night I felt incredibly refreshed and exuberant, all be it with ice forming all over my hair.
Certainly an experience I would recommend to anyone. However, perhaps not one I will be in too much of a rush to repeat anytime soon. When I first arrived in Russia the guide book I had said “Russian winters aren’t cold, they are exhilarating.” I think taking part in the Epiphany celebrations has left me exhilarated enough for now.
Of course most of Russia’s fresh water lies under a thick layer of ice at this time of year, which means holes have to be cut into it to allow access. Although it is one of the most sacred feast days in Orthodoxy, in recent times the ceremonial submergence has been co-opted by those who believe in the health giving properties of a subzero swim. This results in large crowds of people gathering at specific ice holes to take the plunge into the icy waters, and among them this year one RT correspondent, wondering why he drew the short straw.
Now in the interest of fairness I am now in my 6th winter in Moscow working for RT, and have greeted the previous five winters wondering if it was going to be my year to take the plunge. Therefore when the call came it was no surprise.
We drove about thirty minutes outside of Moscow to a place where a hole had been cut out of the frozen solid river. I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to stripping down and jumping in. It’s not that I have any problems with the cold, it’s just that if I do have to be out in subzero temperatures I prefer to be wrapped up and if possible have hot drinks on standby, just in case. My worries were alleviated somewhat by the presence of a large team of lifeguards and safety personnel (in the past my swimming ability has been compared to that of a brick). However, the fact they were wearing survival suits that looked like they should be rescuing stricken sailors from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, left me with no illusions as to the temperature.
Being brought up in the Catholic faith in Britain, this religious celebration was quite different to anything I had seen in the past. There was a very jovial atmosphere as we awaited the arrival of the priest who would bless the pool. Some couldn’t wait and tested the temperature early; others waited and drank hot tea at kiosks that had been erected. Following a short ceremony where the rites of the day were said it was time for the majority to get in.
It is a strange feeling standing in the middle of winter wearing just a pair of swimming shorts, and the moment my foot touched the water it did feel quite considerably warmer than the air. After deciding that the only way to do it was to jump straight in I took the plunge. After the almost total silence of being submerged the return into the freezing air seemed deafening, with the sound of my cameraman laughing clearly audible (to me anyway). After getting out of the pool my breath was completely taken away, and thankfully a towel was near at hand. With huge clouds of steam rising from me in the Moscow night I felt incredibly refreshed and exuberant, all be it with ice forming all over my hair.
Certainly an experience I would recommend to anyone. However, perhaps not one I will be in too much of a rush to repeat anytime soon. When I first arrived in Russia the guide book I had said “Russian winters aren’t cold, they are exhilarating.” I think taking part in the Epiphany celebrations has left me exhilarated enough for now.
Peter Oliver, RT
