In Barcelona, Russian and Ukrainian exiles cross paths at the baths: ‘We don’t talk about the war, not even at the banya’.
2 August 2026
For the past year, traditional steam baths from Eastern Europe have been springing up across the Catalan capital.
Popular with both Russians and Ukrainians – who arrived by the thousands at the start of the war in 2022 – the establishments have become an unexpected place for the two communities to coexist.
Popular with both Russians and Ukrainians – who arrived by the thousands at the start of the war in 2022 – the establishments have become an unexpected place for the two communities to coexist.