Banya & Kupala
Created by Bella LabÚque and Elena Dimitrenko, the new Kupala spa welcomes you in a warm and cozy atmosphere within a 220-square-meter space in the heart of the XVth arrondissement of Paris at 20 rue de Vouillé.
Banyas are halfway between saunas in Nordic countries and hammams in Eastern countries. Tradition dictates that one should regularly visit with friends or family to cleanse, purify, and relax the body while bringing peace, serenity, and joy to the mind through the numerous care rituals orchestrated by the steam masters who will take care of you upon arrival and during the two, three, or four hours of this unique experience that will beautify and revitalize you.
Whether private or public, incredibly luxurious or very simple, the banya is the quintessential weekly activity deeply rooted in Slavic culture. You meet friends, chat, laugh, confide, discuss love, worries, dreams, projects, work, business, and you come out unstressed and peaceful.
Originally designed for hygiene while maintaining a convivial aspect, the banya has evolved over time to become, today, a moment of magic that, thanks to its healthy, pure, and relaxing approach, cleanses the body and purifies the soul, all wrapped and charmed by the vapors and music that will transport you to the land of the senses without leaving Paris.
More than a tradition, the banya is a temple! A temple where you rejuvenate, regenerate. A temple that offers us physical and spiritual strength.
The keyword at Kupala is the comfort of our guests. The heart of the banya, called “parnaya,” is accessible to all. It combines the qualities of a sauna and a hammam, never falling into excessive heat (the temperature ranges from 65° to 80°), which is pleasantly compensated by a sufficiently high humidity level (from 40% to 60%) to provide maximum comfort and ease without ever tiring you.
To invite you on a sensory and emotional journey, Bella and Elena have imagined a fairy-tale decor composed of wood, stone, and clay, identical to those of the most famous Slavic banyas, which will transport you and enchant you. Indeed, with the banya, everything is a game: the game of vapors, the game of temperatures, alternation of hot and cold, the surprise of unexpected and unknown treatments, a profusion of scents, personalized accompaniment, a wooden swing to relive childhood, relaxation on straw, sitting by the fire, and astonishment at the decor.
Bella and Elena chose to name their spa Kupala in reference to the traditional Ivan Kupala night that Slavic peoples celebrate on the summer solstice to honor the sun, the moon, the harvest, fertility, joy, and, of course, love, which they associate with the four essential elements of nature: fire, water, earth, and air.
On that day, water acquires all the magical properties related to beauty and health; it rejuvenates, heals, eliminates, and wards off all negativity. Fire, on the other hand, has mystical powers of purification and harmonization of positive energies. As for the earth, it renders plants healing, bringing strength and vitality while protecting against evil spirits. Finally, air allows one to soar towards greater lightness to unleash inspiration and creativity.
Kupala also means bathing.
Another legend tells that during the magical night of Kupala, a fern flower exceptionally blooms for a brief moment. However, the one who succeeds in finding it and approaching it will immediately acquire extraordinary abilities. They will be able to understand the language of animals, birds, plants, see treasures buried throughout the earthly firmament, unlock all locks, control the earth, water, and impure spirits, become invisibleâŠ
For Bella and Elena, demanding and perfectionist in order to offer the best comfort to their guests, the banya combines all the elementsâfire, water, earth, air. Similar to the one who finds the fern flower, the banya brings all the powers for better physical and moral health while remaining in the sacred symbolism of the bath that cleanses the negative, the superfluous, to let in beauty, freedom, happiness, peace, serenity.
