A smoke sauna (Estonian: "Savvusann") is a traditional wood-burning sauna which lacks a chimney, allowing the smoke to fill the room as it heats and before use. The smoke is vented, leaving behind a residual heat, said to have curative properties. It is UNESCO-listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and was at the heart of the award-winning 2023 docu-movie "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood."

Primarily a South Estonian and particularly Võru County phenomenon, smoke saunas can be found elsewhere in Estonia too, both newly built ones and very, very old smoke saunas.

To what extent was not known, something the census aims to address. Sauna census taker Marko Puksing said the survey has yielded some interesting finds.

"After all, a smoke sauna is very old and archaic and black and smoky, and can be 150 to 200 years old. But there are also some very modern, newly built saunas with ship-plank flooring and underfloor heating. Then there's even a separate cat flap, so the cat can get in – all kinds of things that people in the past couldn't even have imagined," Puksing said.

The saunas also bring their tales, both happy and sad. The Kakuveski family's smoke sauna, for instance, now belongs to the state, as it is located in the zone earmarked for the Nursipalu military training area expansion.

"My husband is from Võru County, and he was certain that a Võru County man is born in a smoke sauna and must die in a smoke sauna. He had a firm wish to have one of his own. And in the end he did get it, but now it will of course go to the state – but maybe in the future it will be possible to build a new one," the sauna's owner, Helika Pung, said.

They had a slate roof installed and moved the heating components outdoors, which, Pung said, aided in cleanliness.

"Yes, it's heated from outside, because first of all it's easier to fire it up from outdoors, you don't bring that mess inside, and secondly the anteroom stays clean. Some smoke does come in to some extent, but it's still a clean space," Pung added.

Estonia's highest-altitude smoke sauna has also been identified, in Haanjamaa, on the slope of Papisöödu Hill, at an elevation of 281 meters. The site also commands fine views of Suur Munamägi, Estonia's highest point (317 meters).

Elsewhere, smoke saunas have been registered on the islands, including the smaller, less well-known islands. For example, as many as six saunas were counted on Piirissaar, which lies in Lake Peipus.

At first, only saunas which were self-reported to the census takers, by owners or anyone in the know about a local smoke sauna. Now, fieldwork is also being carried out. "It looks like this: I drive around with a big sign on my car saying 'smoke sauna census' and pull into the yards.

If there's anyone there, I announce myself and what I'm doing, and ask whether I may record the sauna," Puksing explained. Smoke saunas can be registered on the savvusann website here (link in Estonian and Võru languages).

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