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Holidays in a Soviet Sanatorium

Oct 06, 2017 - 05:30 pm

Once a favorite destination for high-ranking Soviet officers, Tskaltubo, a spa town in west-central Georgia, is now but a shadow of its former self. Here patients exercise in mineral water at Bathhouse 6, which once included a private room for Stalin. Tskaltubo, Georgia Claudine Doury

Guests bathe in the silky smooth crude oil for up to ten minutes at a time before being scrubbed down by an attendant and then showering. Naftalan, Azerbaijan Claudine Doury

A hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber. This therapy is used to treat decompression sickness, carbon-monoxide poisoning and even autism. Rodnik, Russia Dmitry Lookianov

The National Speleotherapy Clinic in Belarus. Here guests eat, drink and sleep in a working salt mine, 420 metres underground. The purifying layers of sylvanite and rock salt can be seen in the walls. The tunnels contain doctors’ offices and consultation rooms as well as gym apparatus and leisure areas. Salt mine, Belarus Egor Rogalev

A guest relaxes during a luminotherapy session. Naftalan, Azerbaijan Claudine Doury

For patients unable to endure the heat of a full mineral-water bath, this topical treatment allows the submersion of just arms and legs. Matsesta, Sochi Dmitry Lookianov

A guest undergoes magnetic therapy. Considered a pseudo-treatment in the western world, this is a popular therapy in sanatoriums where it is used to alleviate symptoms of pain across a range of diseases. Belarus, Sochi Egor Rogalev

While some sanatoriums offer mud baths or mineral-water therapies, Kolkhida’s main attraction is its magnetic sand. The glittery black powder that coats the beach is believed to alleviate various ailments related to the heart, blood, joints, circulation and bones. Kolkhida, Georgia Claudine Doury

Ultraviolet-light-emitting sterilization lamps are placed in the ear, nose or throat to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. Aurora, Kyrgyzstan Egor Rogalev

"Holidays in Soviet Sanatoriums" is a collection which illustrates the architecture and treatments of surviving Soviet health spas.

For more, visit the FUEL website.

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