You need to eat before diving, but you can’t drink

The holiday of Epiphany with traditional immersions in fonts or ice holes is approaching. In order for bathing to take place in the safest possible environment, the mayor of the city, Sergei Sobyanin, ordered the installation of special places for Epiphany bathing with safe approaches and descents to the water. “There will be changing rooms, lighting, parking, a place to warm up and drink tea. Look at the list of fonts,” writes Sobyanin on his official page on the social network. In addition, doctors and rescuers will be on duty near the swimming areas (there are 59 in total) to provide timely assistance to those who overestimated their strength before entering the water. Experts remind that it is better to refuse to follow the tradition for people with chronic diseases (especially the cardiovascular system), diabetes, pregnant women and young children. It is also not recommended to take risks for those who suffer from chronic colds, bronchitis, or have recently suffered from pneumonia.

The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated from January 18 to 19 - as the Gospel says, on these days the thirty-year-old Jesus entered the waters of the Jordan River, and the world learned about his divine origin. Since then, every Christian can follow his example - it is believed that Epiphany water washes away any sins. Diving into an ice hole or plunge pool on the night of January 19 has become a tradition. A suitable ice hole will be found in every metropolitan district - doctors on duty and hot drinks will be waiting for swimmers.

Muscovites were promised that on the night of Epiphany they should expect snow and blizzards, and the temperature would drop to 7–9 degrees below zero, although the wind might make it seem to some that it was minus 18 outside. This is by no means a weather record for Moscow, but everything - Epiphany bathing can be a serious test.

As government officials note, it is thanks to the high level of security organization during Epiphany bathing that there have been no tragic incidents in Moscow over the past few years. Those who needed it were provided with assistance immediately, near the font or Jordan. But in those cities where the level of organization is not so high, every year there are reports of several drownings during Epiphany bathing - for example, in 2017, victims darkened the bright holiday in Kirov region and in the Stavropol region. The cause of the tragedies was swimming in the wrong places and non-compliance with safety precautions.

Places for Epiphany bathing will be installed in each metropolitan district. So, for example, residents of the Central Administrative District will be invited to plunge into the font in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chisty Vrazhek, and in the North-Eastern District - in the Palace Pond; Chernoe and Shkolnoe lakes will be equipped for swimming for residents of Zelenograd. Muscovites living in the west or north-west are luckier: they will have several swimming pools equipped right in the Moscow River. Several places for swimming will be equipped in the South-Western Administrative District, Southern Administrative District, Eastern Administrative District and other districts, and the most enviable prospects for the residents of TiNAO are: more than a dozen places for Epiphany bathing will appear on the territory of New Moscow.

As the head of the capital's housing and communal services complex, Pyotr Biryukov, said, places for swimming are provided taking into account the condition of the ice and weather conditions and will be equipped near the shores of reservoirs, excluding mass access to dangerous ice. Bathing areas will also be equipped with special flooring. If the approach to the ice hole seems too dangerous, you can take a dip in the plunge pool - alternative places for swimming will also appear throughout Moscow.

Where ice holes and fonts are equipped near temples, ceremonial services will be held simultaneously with the dives. According to the capital's Department of Regional Security and Anti-Corruption, an increased level of security control will be provided in these places.

“Order during Epiphany bathing on the night of January 18-19 at bathing places, as well as at churches (more than 400), where they will take place holiday services, will provide more than 8 thousand law enforcement officers - police officers, traffic police inspectors, military personnel national guard and members of the people’s guard and private security organizations,” according to representatives of the department.

The capital expects about 100 thousand people to take part in Epiphany bathing this year. Anyone wishing to take a dip is advised to bring a cap, shoes that will not slip on the ice, and a large terry towel for rubbing the body after swimming. The immersion time, according to medical advice, should not exceed one minute.

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• Epiphany fonts in Moscow will be open until...

16.01.2017

The church holiday of Epiphany 2017 will be celebrated on January 19, 2017. On the eve of the holiday, January 18, a strict fast was established. The Feast of the Epiphany is considered one of the most ancient holidays Christian Church. It was established on the occasion of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

According to folk tradition, on Epiphany it is customary to swim in the ice hole/font on the night of January 18-19, 2017. The material on the site will talk about the list of places for swimming on January 18-19 for Epiphany 2017. 60 baths will be located in Moscow.

Fonts in Moscow for Epiphany 2017: the list of places for swimming on January 18-19 (Jordan addresses) is as follows:

Epiphany bathing in Moscow 2017 - list of places (fonts) where you can take a dip at Epiphany on January 18-19 (01/18/19/2017):

We remind you about the warning from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The Ministry of Emergency Situations recommends against Epiphany bathing in Jordans that are not included in the official list of equipped fonts. Rescuers and doctors are on duty at the fonts specially prepared for Epiphany 2017, so in an emergency all necessary assistance will be provided. Unauthorized Jordanians are life-threatening. Be careful!

For reference: Epiphany bathing, according to tradition, is held after the evening service on January 18 and on the night of January 18-19. Access to the fonts is usually open on January 19 throughout the day.

On the eve of the Epiphany of the Lord - on the evening of January 18 - Orthodox Christians all over the world attend solemn services in churches, and take blessed water there. The custom of consecrating water on Epiphany was performed in order to prepare it for those who would be baptized in it.

“Today people take sacred water and use it at home to strengthen themselves physically, believing that it can have some healing, strengthening properties,” Georgy Kochetkov, a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate and rector of the St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute, told Gazeta.Ru. .

As for baptismal mass bathing, it arose from the combination of two traditions: performing the sacrament of baptism on the feast of Epiphany (as on Christmas and Easter, this used to be one of the most popular days for the ritual) and going to the places where the events described in Gospel events. “Since baptism on this day is now rarely performed, people seem to imitate the ancient custom a little, and if they don’t get baptized, they at least take a dip,” added Georgy Kochetkov.

In pre-revolutionary times, the Epiphany of the Lord was celebrated according to the old style - that is, on January 6. In the central provinces Russian Empire the eve of this religious holiday was called “candles”, since after the service on this day the townspeople placed candles intertwined with colored threads or ribbons near the vessel in which the water was blessed. Although after Christmas and until the end of Maslenitsa one could eat whatever one wanted, it was on January 5 that Orthodox Christians kept a strict fast - even children were not allowed to eat until the first star.

In the evening there was a real crush in the churches, as people believed that the sooner you draw consecrated water, the “holier” it will be. But in some provinces it was forbidden to take water from the well until the morning of January 6.

After the blessing of water, each family member took a sip of water. The remains were scattered throughout the house, thereby protecting the home from harm and the evil eye. Mass bathing was not practiced: people preferred to simply go up to the pond and watch the water sway in the ice hole. This was a sign that the Lord plunged into the water, which means that after this the water even in the most musty swamp became holy.

In the modern church, Epiphany bathing is treated without fanaticism, calling for going to the liturgy, and not to Jordan, if “immersion in the ice hole is accompanied by drinking alcoholic beverages and using swear words.”

“From the point of view of the church, a person who has immersed is no different in nature from one who has not been immersed. The Church rejoices when people feel that something is changing in their lives, when they want to be washed away from their sins. But if for a person immersion in water is simply a health procedure, hardening or entertainment, then this has nothing to do with faith or the feast of Epiphany,” said priest Georgy Kochetkov.

And yet many cannot imagine Baptism without bathing. For them in the city 59 sites are equipped, both in natural reservoirs and in artificial swimming pools. At each point there is a safe descent to the water with handrails, warm changing cabins, heating points and places where you can drink hot tea.

You can plunge into the icy water from 18.00 on January 18 until noon on January 19. Please note that although Epiphany in Moscow will be relatively warm (-9...-7°C), due to winds of 12-17 m/s and snowstorms, the weather will feel much more severe - 10 degrees below the predicted value.

Residents of the Central Administrative District, according to tradition, are offered either to go to another district, or to use the only swimming area in the center. Previously, the font was located on Revolution Square, but now for the second time they decided to install it near the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chisty Vrazhek (Kyiv metro station). Muscovites from North-East Administrative District will be able to take a dip in the Palace Pond, residents of the north of the capital - in the Bolshoi Garden Pond, at the Dynamo water stadium, as well as at the address: Pribrezhny Proezd, property 7.

Citizens living in the Northwestern Administrative District, as usual, have the widest choice of places for swimming, which is explained by the wide and clean Moskva River in this part of the capital. The following points will be open for them: on the Baryshikha pond in Mitino, on the pond in Rozhdestveno, the Derivation Canal, in the Severnoye Tushino recreational park, in the Stroginskaya and Kirovskaya floodplains, on Lake Bezdonnoye, Karamyshevskaya embankment (houses 13-15), Aviatsionnaya streets ( house 79) and Lodochnaya (possession 19).

IN western district capital, Epiphany bathing will take place in Meshchersky Pond and the Moscow River near the village of Rublevo, house 40a on Filevskaya Street, as well as Filevsky Boulevard (house 21). For residents of the South-Western Administrative District, bathing points will operate on Vorontsovsky, Troparevsky, Chernevsky ponds, as well as on the pond of the Uzkoye sanatorium, on Nakhimovsky Prospekt (house 8) and near the temple in Zakharyin.

In the Southern District, sites will be installed on the Beket, Tsaritsynsky and Borisovsky ponds. By the way, as part of the experiment, security at Borisovsky Pond will also be ensured by a rescue drone; we hope it will not be blown away that evening. As for the South Eastern District capital, then points for Epiphany bathing will be opened on the Upper Kuzminsky, Nizhny Lyublinsky and Shibaevsky ponds. On the territory of the Eastern District there will be one font - “Vernisage” in Izmailovo - and several natural sites (Holy and White Lake, Terletsky, Babaevsky and Oleniy ponds).

As usual, an online broadcast will be organized from the venues using the Window to the City service so that Muscovites can choose the least busy hot tub.

In order not to confuse the diving believers, the cameras will show only the general picture, and not close-ups of the swimmers. By the way, these broadcasts are the most popular among foreign Internet users.

At each bathing site there will be an information board with the rules for conducting a religious ritual. But it’s still better to learn about such things not two meters before the font. So, it’s worth taking with you, in addition to a towel, a set of dry clothes, as well as non-slip rubber slippers. Before the ritual, it is advisable to consult a doctor, because swimming is contraindicated for people with kidney problems, as well as those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes. Pregnant women are also advised to avoid swimming.

Experts advise having a good meal before diving into the ice hole, but it is better to eat at least an hour before swimming.

Before throwing yourself into the pool (in no case with your head - a spasm of blood vessels in the head is possible, and, in addition, there will be nowhere to dry your hair), it is recommended to sit down several times and do a couple of bends.

This will warm up the muscles and circulate blood throughout the body.

For safety reasons, you should not crowd on the approach to the ice hole, because the ice may not withstand a large crowd of people. Rescuers ask extreme sports enthusiasts in advance not to dive into the hole head first. After being immersed in Epiphany water three times, they recommend that the townspeople do not linger and make room for the next believers.

On the night of January 18-19, 2018, Muscovites will take part in traditional Epiphany bathing, which will take place throughout the city. Six special places will be equipped in the South-Western Administrative District, reported the Office for the South-Western Administrative District of the Civil Defense and Emergency Safety Department.

Addresses where you can find the fonts:

Vorontsovsky pond (temple Life-Giving Trinity in Vorontsovo, Academician Pilyugin Street, building 1, 21.00 - 6.00);

A pond on the territory of the temple in Zakharyin (Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” in Zakharyin, Nikolai Sirotkin Street, building 28 A, will be open during the day on January 19);

Pond on Nakhimovsky Prospekt (Church of St. Euphrosyne of Moscow in Kotlovka, Nakhimovsky Prospekt, building 8, 21.00 - 3.00).

Troparevsky Pond (recreation area “Troparevo”, Academician Vinogradova Street, building 7, 23.00 - 6.00);

Pond of the sanatorium “Uzkoe” (Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in “Uzkoe”, Profsoyuznaya street, building 123B, 22.00 - 6.00);

Chernevsky pond (upper pond) (Church of the Nativity in Chernev, Yuzhnobutovskaya street, building 62, 21.00 - 4.00).

Residents of the capital are reminded that winter swimming is contraindicated for people with the following diseases: inflammation of the nasopharynx, paranasal cavities, otitis media; of cardio-vascular system; central nervous system; peripheral nervous system; endocrine system; organs of vision and breathing; genitourinary system and gastrointestinal tract, as well as skin and venereal diseases.

It is necessary to plunge into an ice hole only in specially equipped places and under the supervision of rescuers. First you need to warm up your body: go for a run or do a warm-up. It is better to do this in comfortable, non-slip and easily removable shoes, and to reach the ice hole, boots, woolen socks or rubber slippers will be useful.

It is best to plunge up to your neck without getting your head wet. When entering the water for the first time, try to quickly reach the desired depth, but do not swim. It is recommended to stay in the ice hole for no more than one minute.

“When sinking to the bottom in a small hole, the danger also consists of the following. Not everyone knows how to descend vertically. Many descend at an angle, moving towards the edge of the ice. At a depth of 4 m, the displacement from the starting point can reach 1 - 1.5 meters. When ascending with your eyes closed in a small ice hole, you can “miss” and hit your head on the ice. If you have a child with you, keep an eye on him as he dives into the hole. A frightened child can easily forget that he knows how to swim,” noted the Office for the South-Western Administrative District of the Civil Defense and Emergency Safety Department.

How to get out of the hole? When leaving, you can scoop up handfuls of water and, leaning on the handrails, quickly and energetically rise. It is not recommended to hold onto the handrails directly; it is better to use a dry towel or a handful of snow. Insurance and mutual assistance will be useful.

After swimming, you need to rub yourself with a terry towel and put on dry clothes. You should also drink hot tea.

In Moscow, 60 places have been designated for Epiphany bathing - 62 lanes and 10 fonts. All places will be illuminated, equipped with changing rooms, tea tents, observation posts for rescuers and entrances for ambulances.

Epiphany bathing takes place on the night of January 18-19 and during the day in special baths (Jordans), which are made in the shape of a cross and consecrated. Rescuers ask citizens to follow the rules of winter swimming.

In order not to risk their health, swimmers are not recommended to swim and limit themselves to a minute stay in the water. After bathing, you need to rub your body with a terry towel, put on dry clothes and drink hot tea.

This year, about 120 thousand people are expected to take part in Epiphany bathing. The number of bathing participants varies annually. So, in 2016, 105.3 thousand people plunged into the water, and in 2015 - 112.1 thousand people.

List of places in Moscow where Epiphany bathing will be organized in 2017

Safe swimming in an ice hole at Epiphany

Before you decide to swim, you should familiarize yourself with the basic rules for bathing at Epiphany. It is not recommended to dive into the ice hole for more than 2 minutes. You must wear shoes before reaching the ice hole, as your feet begin to freeze first.

It is better to undress before swimming gradually: first remove your outerwear, after a few minutes your shoes, and only then your swimsuit. After swimming, you first need to rub yourself well with a towel, then get dressed and drink something hot.

Immersion in cold water is especially dangerous for people with bronchopulmonary diseases, weak hearts, and blood pressure problems. If it is high, then a person may experience vasospasm or a micro-stroke, and if it is low, convulsions may occur.

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