Freezing swim to warm the heart and cleanse the soul

Despite Moscow's unusually warm winter, hardened ice-swimmers have been seeking out the coldest waters they can, ready to take the plunge. It's supposed to cleanse the soul, and give you a fresh, though chilly, start for the future.

“It's a very old tradition to ice-swim in Russia, very old,” says 70-year-old Ivan Pronoz. “Back in XII-XII centuries, when the Tartars conquered Russia, they were surprised to see Russians going to banyas [kind of saunas] with icy water.”

First there's a warming-up, which is a run, or a song and dance, and then – straight into the icy water!

At least once a week these swimmers, who call themselves ‘walruses’, meet to enjoy freezing water and feel fitter and younger.

They also take a swim on special occasions – birthdays and festive or religious holidays, such as the Orthodox Christmas day.

“Traditional medicine said I was to die at the age of 30,” confesses one of the “walruses”, “but I've been ice-swimming for 35 years and now my children are about 30.”

“A lot of countries ice-swim – Germany, Italy, Yugolsavia and Mongolia,” adds Ivan Pronoz. “I've taken part in international long-distance ice-swims there.  In China there are more than 2 MLN ice-swimmers. And in the USA they call themselves bears, not walruses.”