Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794855874

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-179223

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Polner, Tichon I. http://d-nb.info/gnd/172311195

Title:: Russian local government during the war and the Union of Zemstvos

Place of publication:: New Haven

Publisher:: Yale Univ. Press

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: XXV, 317 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XI. Work in the army

Collection:: Economics Books

WORK IN THE ARMY 219 Bathing Stations and Laundries. No other establishment maintained by the Zemstvo Union at the front enjoyed such popularity as did the bathhouses. As we have seen already, attempts had been made by the field detachments to open bathhouses for the soldiers. Needless to say, the committees of the front were only too well aware of the importance of proper bathing facilities for the troops from the hygienic standpoint; but it was very soon discovered that a bath was likewise one of the best means of maintaining the morale of the men. To witness but once the pleasure shown by those who had been given an opportunity of a bath after the appalling filth of the trenches, was sufficient to con- vince one of the importance of properly organized bathhouses in the life of the army. In spite of their primitive equipment, the bath- houses at the front rang all day long with banter and merriment of the splashing soldiers. There were instances when entire companies, having had their bath and received clean underwear insisted upon giving a rousing cheer in honor of the Zemstvo Union before march- ing off again. The commanding officers likewise fully appreciated the benefits derived by their men from the bathing stations. The history of the organization of the first bathing station at the front was as follows. One of the first measures undertaken by the Warsaw committee of the Zemstvo Union, which was established in December, 1914, was to study the conditions which would permit the opening of bathing stations on a vast scale. One of the zemstvo commissioners was accordingly instructed to visit the front, to make a careful study of local conditions, discuss the subject with military authorities, and to report to the committee. The Central Committee approved the report submitted by the commissioner, and in March, 1915, the first detachment for the organization of bathing stations was equipped in Moscow and set at work on the western front. This detachment was expected to erect ten bathhouses and laun- dries. The intention was to use such buildings as were already avail- able on the spot, chiefly peasants’ cottages, in order to save ex- penses. The idea was to make the bathhouses easy to move, for which purpose a transport including sixty-five horses was attached to the detachment. The equipment of both bathhouses and laundries was very simple. In the case of the former, it was limited to a large water 2 Jzvestia (Bulletin), Nos. 12-18, p. 75.

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