Inside a nondescript suburban Calgary strip mall, Ivan Kniazkov grunts as he slides into a wooden pool filled with ice water.

For Kniazkov, this frigid bath is just part of a weekly ritual that includes a withering steam, and a "massage" that involves lashing his body with an oak branch known as a venik.

"I am so happy, this is banya, Russian, European culture," sighs Kniazkov as he emerges from the icy waters.

For Kniazkov and others, this experience connects them to an ancient tradition which has been practiced in Russia and across parts of Europe for at least a thousand years.

Ivan Kniazkov stands with his oak branch, known as a venik, inside the European Club Oak Leaf. (Erin Collins/CBC)

That connection with the past is only part of the reason Kniazkov comes here. He also believes the combination of scorching heat and freezing water comes with huge health benefits.

"I have some bad colds, some stress a little bit, so this is like massage, acupuncture massage, you just release your muscles against trigger points, against spasms."

Close-knit community

This banya, the only one in Western Canada, is small. In addition to the wooden sauna and cold tub, two change rooms, a massage room and a small lounge make up the entire facility.

But owner Dr. Igor Voropanov says he likes it that way. Voropanov, who previously served as a surgeon and a Colonel in the Soviet Navy, says it is difficult to book a time at his private "European Club Oak Leaf."

An appointment and membership are needed to stop in for a plunge, a steam or an oak leaf massage, an exclusivity that has lead to a tight-knit community of patrons.

"People come with their friends, with their family, with their business partners, to discuss business, to relax."

Dr. Igor Voropanov stands outside of his private Russian sauna club in SE Calgary. (Erin Collins/CBC)

It is a sense of belonging that Voropanov found more easily when he moved to Ontario from Russia 14 years ago. Voropanov says there are around half a dozen Russian banyas in the Toronto area but found none when he moved to Calgary.

"I can't live without this — it is like I don't know, the breakfast, something you are doing often or periodically, like yoga."

Numbness, 'but it's OK'

About 95 per cent of the club's patrons are Russian, according to Voropanov, but he says there is a smattering of Germans, Finns, Poles, Swedes and Canadians who frequent the sauna as well.

Voropanov says that everyone is welcome, provided they are in good health and abide by the club's rules, which include not being intoxicated and wearing a felt hat to protect against the heat of the sauna.

And he says the physical and mental health benefits of plunging into freezing water after a good sweat and swat are undeniable.

"This is the most tremendous experience, you will feel like numbness, but it's OK because it is actually the training for the vessels — it is very good for osteoporosis, for stress release, for depression."