Published: 15 January, 2008, 08:29
Edited: 15 January, 2008, 08:29
While most in Russia are trying to keep warm, one group is not afraid to dive into icy waters. With the religious feast day of Epiphany approaching, an unusual theatre show has been held in the Moscow River.
It is the kind of behaviour you would expect of polar bears, sea-lions – and walruses. Walrus is what Russians call the nearly naked swimmers whose unusual winter pastime involves jumping in the water surrounded by snowdrifts.
But it was more than just a chilly dip, but a theatrical performance in the ice-hole. The ‘walruses’ staged scenes from famous fairy tales in the cold waters of the Moscow river.
“Everyone goes mad in his own way. But this is not genuine madness. It's more like an art which inspires people to take a risk,” Sergey Bykov, theatre director, said.
Getting hooked
They say that swimming in the icy reaches makes them feel lightly intoxicated. That’s because the extremely cold water shocks the body into producing endorphins, the hormone that lifts your mood.
Also, it's believed that ice-swimming can rejuvenate your body and make you more resistant to stress and disease.
“Russians are used to varied weather conditions, living in both the snow and the hot sun,” Igor Rudakov, show participant, thinks.
But it comes with a health warning some doctors say you should never try it if you have chronic heart or kidney disease. They add that ice-swimming is like a drug – you get hooked on the feeling of euphoria from the icy water, something which you need to experience again and again.
Baptised in frozen waters
The roots of cold water swimming stem from the Christian feast of the Epiphany. It's celebrated in Russia on January 19 when the water is usually frozen.
Followers thought that after the baptism of Jesus on the Jordan River, diving in water helped cleanse sins and brought spiritual healing.
And whether you do it for your faith or for your health, the tradition of ice swimming will continue to raise eyebrows among observers, who might just see it as an act of madness.