In our travels around Siberia, we have experienced many aspects of the Siberian way of life. The living arrangements have been mostly comfortable but certainly different from what we are used to. In Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude, we stayed in hotels that were full of Western comforts. In Ust-Barguzin we had homestays, and on the island of Olkhon we were in a camp-like hotel that is much closer to an authentic Siberian home than the other hotels.
One thing all Siberians hold dear is the Banya. Much like a sauna, the Banya is a small room with a pechka (more on that later) covered in rocks, onto which water is poured producing hot steam. Sitting in the hot Banya is traditionally alternated with dousings of freezing water (or jumping in Lake Baikal). Another Banya tradition is birch-branch lashings, said to improve circulation. Banyas were first mentioned in The Russian Primary Chronicle of 1113, in which the apostle Andreas from the Holy Land traveled to Kiev and experienced bathhouses, an already established tradition. He called the process of alternating hot steam with douses of frigid water and lashing oneself with reeds “voluntary torture” (Sacred Sea p. 36). Another Slavic tale tells of God using a Banya, drying himself off and creating humanity out of the towel (p. 36). Siberians believe the Banya can cure all kinds of ailments, physical or spiritual. In our experiences, we felt very clean and soft after the Banya. We both tried lashing ourselves and our friends with the birch branches but didn’t really see the point. The Banya was very relaxing and Mary felt significantly healthier after the Banya.
A major change for us is the lack of plumbing. In America we are used to always having running water available. Here, it is a gift. Real, flushing toilets are extremely rare. Instead, we have been using outhouses. They are rarely more than just a wooden shed with a hole in the ground. Toilet paper is a luxury. We experienced the lack of toilet paper first in Moscow. At our University, there were toilets but no toilet seats, toilet paper, or soap. We are not exactly sure if Russians just always carry toilet paper or don’t use it.
Along with outhouses, sinks are very simple. Instead of running faucets, a bucket is suspended over a basin. One must fill the bucket from another bucket and in order to make the water flow, push up on a small nozzle. At first, we had no idea how to use this sink. Now we are pros at both the sink and the outhouse.
A large comfort in cold Siberian nights is the pechka. Essentially a wood burning stove, the pechka has been present in Russian life for ages. We first learned of the pechka in our Carleton Russian class when we read the story of Emelia, the Russian hero/fool. He loved to sit on the pechka because it was so cozy and refused to do any work. Luckily, he met a magic pike who did everything for him. Dylan loves sitting on the pechka and we are both very grateful for the warmth. 
The cuisine of Siberia is fairly basic but very hearty. The biggest part of a Siberian diet is undoubtedly fish. Dylan, as a vegetarian, has limited options. A lot of the food we have been eating was grown or caught locally and prepared from scratch. No microwave pizzas here (much to Mary’s dismay).
Omul is a freshwater white fish found only in Lake Baikal. The markets here are full of them and they can be prepared in many ways. The fish themselves can live to be up to 30 years old. We saw an example of an elder omul in the aquarium section of a museum near Irkutsk. There are more than 50 kinds of fish in Lake Baikal, including salmon, trout and perch, but also about 25 types unique to Baikal, including the three subspecies of omul. They are relatives of salmon and trout, which Mary can support with the taste test (Sacred Sea + Museum). Mary has eaten a lot of omul: raw omul, omul in soup, fried omul, baked omul, broiled omul, smoked omul, and dried omul. Raw omul is presented at nearly every meal. It is delicious but honestly, Mary is getting pretty sick of it.
Dylan has been eating potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes. He has had them mashed, boiled, baked, fried and cooked on a fire, in soups, salads and alone. Since the diet here is so reliant on fish, Dylan has been subsisting mostly on potatoes, bread and cucumbers. He has eaten a few beet salads, but from our previous studies of Russian food, we expected a lot more beets. We thought borscht would be served at every meal but we haven’t eaten any borscht in Siberia.
Unlike in America, where water at restaurants is always on the table, water is rarely served. Usually, tea is the only beverage present at meals. Sometimes, there is nothing to drink. Russians don’t usually drink beverages. Our guide was surprised when Dylan asked for drinking water. In a state of desperation, Dylan turned to the lake. Lake Baikal is notorious for its clear, pure, clean water. However, we have been learning a lot of about the pollution of Lake Baikal and the possible presence of toxins. Despite this, native Siberians insist it is good to drink and even claim it has medicinal powers. Dylan has not gotten sick from drinking the water but is also not cured of his cold. He reports that it tasted very good and was very cold.
At one of our group lunches, kasha was served at dessert. This is not strange. Kasha, a hot pudding dish made of rice or other grains and milk, is served often for breakfast. However, Mary was very surprised and pleased to see this particular kasha because it resembled what her family calls “rice pudding.” Mary’s family eats rice pudding at every Christmas and it is our tradition to hide an almond in one bowl and whoever finds it is lucky for the rest of the year. Mary thought this was a Swedish tradition and a Swedish dish, but the presence of rice pudding/kasha in Siberia was a pleasant reminder of home.
On a excursion exploring the island of Olkhon, we had a delicious picnic lunch prepared by our drivers. They served us “ukha,” fish soup. We remember having learned this word long ago in Russian class. Rasputin is known to have often eaten ukha and believed fish to have healing powers. He is reported to have slurped the soup greedily and plucked out the fish with his fingers. We have estimated a recipe of ukha so you may prepare it in your American kitchens!
Serves 4 people:
8 Omul (But you don’t have Omul in America. Trout will do. Do not debone the fish or remove the heads or fins. You may scale them, but do not do so thoroughly. They should probably be dead, but this is not necessary. Fresher is better.)
4 onions, chopped and peeled.
8 potatoes, chopped and peeled.
Dill, to taste. Water 10 carrots
Combine all ingredients in large soup vat. Throw in whole fish. Stir slightly. Suspend vat over fire. Cook for a while. Do not season soup further. Eat.