“Dopo aver lasciato le posizioni vai con i tuoi fratelli nello stabilimento balneare e ti siedi lì, fumando insieme. Quel relax è molto buono”: ‘Viking’ sulla sauna che i soldati si costruirono da soli

Soldiers of the “Pomsta” (Ukr. – “Vengence”)  brigade can spend up to 100 days at a frontline position on the Lyman front in the Kharkiv region, says Nazar Yakovlev, deputy commander of the “Sribna Triika” (Ukr – “Silver Three”) unit. According to him, troops currently have no opportunity to shower while carrying out missions. After rotation, however, they can visit a bathhouse built by the unit deputy commander together with his comrades.

>“People don’t have the opportunity to wash, change clothes, or take care of their belongings. We send them thermal underwear and socks, especially now in winter. But at the same time, they constantly remain in conditions where there’s no possibility to wash or do laundry,” says Yakovlev, call sign “Lucky.”

The bathhouse is heated before the soldiers leave their positions. Everything is prepared: there is a shower and a washing machine. When a soldier comes off position, the first step is a medical check for injuries, and if needed, they are sent to a hospital. If their health is satisfactory, the first thing they do is bring them here. They wash, do laundry, rest, and rest. 

>“Our commander said – use it whenever you need to. Just give a heads-up so it can be heated. For one person it’s a bit impractical, but we gather together. If people feel the need to wash, we arrange it. There are no restrictions. On the contrary, sometimes the boss calls himself: ‘The sauna is ready — hurry up and wash!’” says soldier “Dorsai.”

>“You steam up, step outside – there was snow, I tried it myself — you go out and rub yourself with snow. God, it’s such relief, honestly. A person comes out as if reborn. A shower is great, but a sauna is incredible. It’s incomparable.”

Another serviceman, call sign “Viking,” says he was brought to the bathhouse the day after leaving his position.

>“It was minus 7, minus 10, even minus 15 degrees. We kept warm with trench candles and chemical warmers that you put in your boots, pockets, gloves. We also lit small candles — like the ones you’d have at home — just so it would smell a little like home, remind us. We warmed up, took off our heavy winter clothes, winter pants, boots,” the serviceman says.

>“Usually we have a break of 7 to 14 days between rotations. They always try to bring us to the bathhouse so we can rest a bit, relax, steam, wash up, and then go back to position clean and in good spirits. And when you’re with good company – you go into the bathhouse with your brothers after coming off position – you sit there, steaming together. That relaxation – it’s very good,” says “Viking.”

[https://suspilne.media/kharkiv/1233820-sauna-gotova-bigom-mitisa-na-harkivsini-za-20-km-vid-frontu-vijskovi-zbuduvali-sobi-laznu/](https://suspilne.media/kharkiv/1233820-sauna-gotova-bigom-mitisa-na-harkivsini-za-20-km-vid-frontu-vijskovi-zbuduvali-sobi-laznu/) 

The longest period I’ve spent stuck in our position was 18 days and I`ve actually went for a shower with a 1,5l bottle of water and a few packs of dry shower around day 14. That was in the middle of January. Still felt better than staying dirty