In the old days, units of mass were formed according to natural patterns. So the mass of water, which filled a jug of a certain volume, was taken as a unit of mass. Based on the mass of grains or water, weights of different weight were made, which were used for weighing.

A bag of grain, flour or salt could be taken as a measure of weight.

In Russia, at different times, the following mass measures were used:

Berkovets- this measure was applied before the introduction of the metric system. It was used mostly in the wholesale trade for weighing certain goods, such as wax and honey. This was the mass of a standard barrel of wax. The measure is 10 pounds.

Spool- in our time it is 4.26 grams. This unit of measurement was used when weighing the smallest goods of great value.

Hryvnia or hryvnia- passed a difficult stage of development and formation, at the same time served as a monetary unit and a measure of mass. It got its name from jewelry made of gold or silver, which was worn around the neck (in common parlance, on the back of the neck). The weight hryvnia was equal to one pound of silver. Distinguished between small and large hryvnia, the weight of which was respectively 48 and 96 spools. In the 18th century, a new measure was introduced - the pound, while the large hryvnia was no longer used, and the small one remained in use under the name of the hryvnia (the adjective small was abolished).

Lb- appeared in the 18th century and was equal to a large hryvnia, that is, 96 spools. In 1747, this measure became the standard and for a long time was the basis for the measures of weight of Russia: according to the bronze and gilded pound made in the same 1747, the platinum pound was produced in 1835, which formed the basis of the measures of weight first of the Russian Empire, and then what that time and Soviet Russia.

Lot- equal to three spools, which corresponds to 12.797 grams. Found its application in determining the amount of postage when weighing various postal items.

The smallest unit of mass measurement is a fraction, which is equal to 0.044 grams.

In the 12th century, the measuring unit of pood appeared, which was equal to 40 pounds. In 1924, this unit of measurement went into oblivion and ceased to be used.

The unit of measurement for medicines and pearls was the gran. 1 grain = 62.209 mg.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the measure of certain goods was a quarter or a quarter. It was called the waxed quarter and was equal to 12 pounds. With its help the wax was weighed. This unit was one of the largest, only the fins were larger. The last measure appeared in the 14th century and was equal to from 90 to 120 pounds. However, starting from the 15th to the 17th century, the lasts were equated to 72 pounds. In the 18th century, this measure was generally removed from use.

In the Russian mass spectrum, there is also a clear connection with wheat grain, which in ancient times was called pie (from the ancient Russian name for wheat - pyro): pie = 42.625 mg, kidney - 4 pies = 0.1705 g.

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Since antiquity, a person has always been a measure of length and weight: how much he will stretch out his hand, how much he can lift on his shoulders, etc.
The system of Old Russian measures of length included the following basic measures: verst, fathom, arshin, elbow, span and vershok.

ARSHIN- an old Russian measure of length, equal, in modern terms, 0.7112 m. Arshin was also called a measuring ruler, on which, usually, divisions in vershoks were applied.

There are various versions of the origin of the yardstick. Perhaps, initially, "arshin" denoted the length of a human step (about seventy centimeters, when walking on a plain, at an average pace) and was the base value for other major measures determination of length, distances(sazhen, verst). The root "AR" in the word arshin - in Old Russian (and in other neighboring languages) means "EARTH", "surface of the earth", and indicates that this measure could be used to determine the length of the path traveled on foot. There was another name for this measure - STEP. In practice, counting could be done in pairs of steps of an adult ("small fathoms"; one-two - one, one-two - two, one-two - three ...), or in threes ("official fathoms"; one-two-three - one , one-two-three - two ...), and when measuring in steps of small distances, step-by-step counting was used. In the future, they also began to use, under this name, an equal value - the length of the arm.

For small measures of length the basic value was the measure used from time immemorial in Russia - "span" (from the 17th century - the length equal to the span was called differently - "a quarter of an arshin", "quarter", "chet"), from which, by sight, it was easy to get smaller lobes - two inches (1/2 inch) or one inch (1/4 inch).

Merchants selling goods, as a rule, measured it with their yardstick (ruler) or in a quick way - measuring it ‘from the shoulder’. In order to exclude measurement, the authorities introduced, as a standard, the "state arshin", which is a wooden ruler, at the ends of which metal tips with the state stamp were riveted.

STEP- the average length of a human stride = 71 cm. One of the most ancient measures of length.
SPAN(pyadnitsa) is an ancient Russian measure of length. SMALL SPAN (they said - "span"; from the 17th century it was called - "quarter") - the distance between the ends of the apart thumb and forefinger (or middle) fingers = 17.78 cm.
BIG SPIN- the distance between the ends of the thumb and little finger (22-23 cm).
P I D L WITH A FLIPPER("A span with a somersault", according to Dal - ‘n I d’ with a somersault ’) - a span with an increase in two joints of the index club = 27-31 cm

Our old icon painters measured the size of icons in spans: “nine icons - seven spans (1 3/4 arshins). Pure Tikhvin on gold - pyadnitsa (4 vershok). Icon of St. George the Great deeds in three spans (in 1arshin) "

VERST- Old Russian track measure (its earlier name was "field"). This word was originally called the distance traveled from one plow turn to another during plowing. For a long time, the two names were used in parallel, as synonyms. There are known references in written sources of the 11th century. In the manuscripts of the 15th century. there is a record: “field of plantings 7 and 50” (length of 750 sazhens). Before Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, 1,000 fathoms were counted 1 verst. Under Peter the Great, one verst was equal to 500 fathoms, in modern terms - 213.36 X 500 = 1066.8 m.
A milepost was also called a milestone on the road.

The size of a mile has repeatedly changed depending on the number of fathoms included in it and the size of fathoms. The Code of 1649 established a "boundary verst" of 1 thousand fathoms. Later, in the 18th century, along with it, a "traveling mile" of 500 sazhens ("five hundred miles") began to be used.

INTERMEDIATE VERSA- the old Russian unit of measurement, equal to two versts. A verst of 1000 fathoms (2.16 km) was widely used as a boundary measure, usually when determining pastures around large cities, and on the outskirts of Russia, especially in Siberia, and for measuring distances between settlements.

The 500-fathom verst was used somewhat less often, mainly for measuring distance in the European part of Russia. Long distances, especially in Eastern Siberia, were determined in days of travel. In the XVIII century. boundary versts are gradually being replaced by track versts, and the only verst in the 19th century. there remains a verst "track", equal to 500 yards.

SMOOTH- one of the most common measures of length in Russia. There were more than ten fathoms of various purposes (and, accordingly, size). "Swing fathom" - the distance between the ends of the fingers of the widely spaced hands of an adult man. "Oblique fathom" - the longest: the distance from the toe of the left leg to the end of the middle finger of the raised right hand. Used in the phrase: "he has a slanting fathom in his shoulders" (meaning - a hero, a giant)
This ancient measure of length was mentioned by Nestor in 1017. The name s and zhen comes from the verb to sagat (reach) - as far as you could reach with your hand. To determine the meaning of the Old Russian sazhen, a large role was played by the discovery of a stone, on which the inscription was carved in Slavic letters: "In the summer of 6576 (1068) indicta 6 days, Gleb the prince measured ... 10,000 and 4000 fathoms." From a comparison of this result with the measurements of topographers, the value of fathoms 151.4 cm was obtained. The results of measurements of churches and the value of Russian folk measures coincided with this value. There were planted measuring ropes and wooden "folds" that were used in measuring distances and in construction.

According to historians and architects, there were more than 10 fathoms and they had their own names, were incommensurable and not multiples of one another. Fathoms: city - 284.8 cm, untitled - 258.4 cm, great - 244.0 cm, Greek - 230.4 cm, government - 217.6 cm, royal - 197.4 cm, church - 186.4 cm, folk - 176.0 cm, masonry - 159.7 cm, simple - 150.8 cm, small - 142.4 cm and another untitled - 134.5 cm (data from one source), as well as - yard, pavement.

POWDER SOOT- the distance between the ends of the middle fingers outstretched to the sides of the arms is 1.76 m.
Slanted soot(originally "kosovaya") - 2.48 m.

Fathoms were used before the introduction of the metric system of measures.

ELBOW was equal to the length of the arm from the fingers to the elbow (according to other sources - "the distance in a straight line from the elbow to the end of the extended middle finger"). The value of this most ancient measure of length, according to various sources, ranged from 38 to 47 cm. Since the 16th century it has been gradually replaced by the yardstick and in the 19th century it is almost never used.

The elbow is a primordially Old Russian measure of length, known already in the 11th century. The value of the Old Russian cubit at 10.25-10.5 vershoks (on average approximately 46-47 cm) was obtained from a comparison of measurements in the Jerusalem temple made by Abbot Daniel, and later measurements of the same dimensions in an exact copy of this temple - in the main temple of the New Jerusalem Monastery on the Istra river (XVII century). The elbow was widely used in commerce as a particularly convenient measure. In the retail trade of canvas, broadcloth, linen - loko t was the main measure. In large wholesale trade - linen, woolen cloth, etc., came in the form of large cuts - "postavov", the length of which at different times and in different places ranged from 30 to 60 cubits (in places of trade, these measures had a specific, quite definite meaning)

PALM= 1/6 cubit (six-palmed cubit)
TOP equaled 1/16 arshin, 1/4 quarter. In modern terms - 4.44 cm. The name "Top" comes from the word "top". In the literature of the 17th century. there are also shares of the top - half-tops and quarter-tops.

When determining the height of a person or animal, the count was carried out after two arshins (obligatory for a normal adult): if it was said that the person being measured was 15 vershoks in height, this meant that he was 2 arshins 15 vershoks, i.e. 209 cm.

For humans, two methods were used to fully express growth:
1 - a combination of "growth *** elbows, *** spans"
2 - combination "growth *** arshin, *** vershok"
from the 18th century - "*** feet, *** inches"

For domestic small animals used - "growth *** vershoks"

For trees - "height *** arshin"

Measures of length (used in Russia after the "Decree" of 1835 and before the introduction of the metric system):

1 verst = 500 fathoms = 50 poles = 10 chains = 1.0668 kilometers
1 fathom = 3 arshins = 7 feet = 48 vershoks = 2.1336 meters
Slanting fathom = 2.48 m.
Swing fathom = 1.76 m.
1 yard = 4 quarters (span) = 16 vershoks = 28 inches = 71.12 cm
(divisions in vershoks were usually applied per arshin)
1 cubit = 44 cm (according to various sources from 38 to 47 cm)
1 foot = 1/7 fathoms = 12 inches = 30.479 cm

1 quarter (span, small span, span, span, span, span) = 4 vershok = 17.78 cm (or 19 cm - according to B.A. Rybakov)
The name п я дь comes from the Old Russian word "passt", that is. wrist. One of the oldest measures of length (since the 17th century, "span" was replaced by "a quarter of an arshin")
Synonym for "quarter" - "chet"

A large span = 1/2 cubit = 22-23 cm - the distance between the ends of the elongated large and middle (or little finger) fingers.

"Span with somersault" is equal to a small span plus two or three joints of the index or middle finger = 27 - 31 cm.

1 inch = 4 noktya (in width - 1.1 cm) = 1/4 inch = 1/16 arshin = 4.445 centimeters
- an old Russian measure of length equal to the width of two fingers (index and middle).

1 finger ~ 2 cm.

New measures (introduced since the 18th century):

1 inch = 10 lines = 2.54 cm
The name comes from the Dutch - "thumb". Equal to the width of a thumb or the length of three dry barley grains taken from the middle of the ear.

1 line = 10 points = 1/10 inch = 2.54 millimeters (example: Mosin's "three-line" - d = 7.62 mm.)
Line - width of a wheat grain, approximately 2.54 mm.

1 hundredth fathom = 2.134 cm

1 point = 0.2540 mm

1 geographic mile (1/15 degree of the earth's equator) = 7 versts = 7.42 km
(from the Latin word "milia" - a thousand (steps))
1 nautical mile (1 minute of the earth's meridian arc) = 1.852 km
1 English mile = 1.609 km
1 yard = 91.44 centimeters

In the second half of the 17th century, the arshin was used together with vershok in various industries. In the "Descriptive Books" of the armory of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (1668) it is written: "... a copper regimental cannon, smooth, nicknamed Kashpir, Moscow business, three arshins half a dozen vershok (10.5 vershok) long ... Large cast iron arm, iron lion , with belts, length three arshins three chety with a half-top. " The ancient Russian measure “elbow” was still used in everyday life to measure cloth, linen and woolen fabrics. As follows from the Trade Book, three cubits are equal to two arshins. The span as an ancient measure of length still continued to exist, but since its meaning changed due to the agreement with a quarter of an arshin, this name (span) gradually fell out of use. The span was replaced by a quarter of an arshin.

Since the second half of the 18th century, the vershok subdivisions, in connection with the reduction of the arshin and fathom to a multiple of English measures, were replaced by small English measures: inch, line and point, but only an inch took root. Lines and dots were used relatively little. The lines expressed the dimensions of lamp glasses and the calibers of guns (for example, ten- or 20-line glass, known in everyday life). The dots were used only to determine the size of the gold and silver coins. In mechanics and mechanical engineering, the inch was divided into 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 parts.

In construction and engineering, the division of the fathom into 100 parts was widely used.

The foot and inch used in Russia are equal in size to English measures.

The decree of 1835 determined the ratio of Russian measures to British ones:
Fathom = 7 feet
Arshin = 28 inches
A number of units of measurement (subdivisions of versts) are abolished, and new measures of length come into use: inch, line, point, borrowed from English measures.

Volume measures

Bucket

The main Russian domestic measure of the volume of liquids is a bucket = 1/40 barrel = 10 cups = 30 pounds of water = 20 vodka bottles (0.6) = 16 wine bottles (0.75) = 100 cups = 200 scales = 12 liters (15 L - according to other sources, rarely) V. - iron, wooden or leather dishes, mostly cylindrical in shape, with ears or a bow for wearing. In everyday life, two buckets on the yoke should be in the "lifting woman". The division into smaller measures was carried out according to the binary principle: the bucket was divided into 2 half-buckets or 4 quarters of a bucket or 8 half-quarters, as well as into mugs and cups. The oldest "international" measure of volume is "a handful".

Until the middle of the 17th century. the bucket contained 12 mugs, in the second half of the 17th century. the so-called state-owned bucket contained 10 cups, and in a mug - 10 cups, so that the bucket included 100 cups. Then, according to the decree of 1652, the cups were made three times larger than the previous ones ("cups in three cups"). The trading bucket held 8 mugs. The bucket's value was variable, and the mug's value was unchanged, at 3 pounds of water (1228.5 grams). The volume of the bucket was equal to 134.297 cubic inches.

Barrel

The barrel, as a measure of liquids, was used mainly in the process of trade with foreigners, who were prohibited from retailing wine for small amounts. Equal to 40 buckets (492 l)

The material for the manufacture of the barrel was chosen depending on its purpose:
oak - for beer and vegetable oils
spruce - under water
linden - for milk and honey

Most often, small barrels and barrels from 5 to 120 liters were used in peasant life. Large barrels held up to forty buckets (forty)

Barrels were also used for washing (beating) linen.

In the XV century. the old measures were still widespread - golvazhnya, onions and harvesting. In the XVI-XVII centuries. Along with the fairly common korobov and belly, the Vyatka bread measure, marten, Perm saptsa (measure of salt and bread), Old Russian bast and pohev are often found. The Vyatka marten was considered equal to three Moscow quarters, the saptsa contained 6 poods of salt and approximately 3 poods of rye, a bast - 5 poods of salt, and after sewing - about 15 poods of salt.

Household measures of the volume of liquids were very diverse and were widely used even at the end of the 17th century: the Smolensk barrel, the herring barrel (8 poods of herring; one and a half times less than the Smolensk one).

Measuring barrel "... from edge to edge one and a half arshins, and across - an arshin, and measure up, like a lead, half a yard".

In everyday life and in trade, they used a variety of household vessels: boilers, jugs, korchaga, brothers, valleys. The importance of such household measures in different places was different: for example, the capacity of the boilers ranged from half a bucket to 20 buckets. In the XVII century. a system of cubic units based on 7-foot fathoms was introduced, and the term cubic (or "cubic") was introduced. The cubic fathom contained 27 cubic yards, or 343 cubic feet; cubic arshin - 4096 cubic vershoks or 21952 cubic inches.

Wine measures

The Wine Charter of 1781 established in every drinking establishment to have "measures attested in the Treasury."

Bucket- Russian domestic measure of the volume of liquids, equal to 12 liters

Quarter = 3 liters (used to be a narrow-necked glass bottle)

The “bottle” measure appeared in Russia under Peter I.
Russian bottle = 1/20 bucket = 1/2 bottle = 5 cups = 0.6 liters (half a liter appeared later - in the twenties of the XX century)

Since the bucket could hold 20 bottles (20 * 0.6 = 12 liters), and in trade the account went to buckets, the box still holds 20 bottles.

For wine, the Russian bottle was larger - 0.75 liters.

In Russia, the production of glass by the factory began in 1635. The production of glass vessels dates back to the same time. The first domestic bottle was produced at the plant, which was built on the territory of the modern Istra station near Moscow, and the products were, at first, intended exclusively for pharmacists.

Abroad, a standard bottle holds one-sixth of a gallon - in different countries this is 0.63 to 0.76 liters

A flat bottle is called a flask.

Damask (from German Stof) = 1/10 bucket = 10 cups = 1.23 liters. Appeared under Peter I. Served as a measure of the volume of all alcoholic beverages. The damask was similar in shape to a quarter.

Mug (the word means - ‘for drinking in a circle’) = 10 cups = 1.23 liters.

The modern faceted glass used to be called "planks" ("planed boards"), consisting of frets-planks tied with a rope around a wooden bottom.

A cup (Russian measure of liquid) = 1/10 of a bottle = 2 scales = 0.123 liters.
Stack = 1/6 bottle = 100 grams Was considered the size of a single dose.
Shkalik (popular name - ‘kosushka’, from the word ‘mow’, according to the characteristic movement of the hand) = 1/2 cup = 0.06 liters.
Quarter (half scale or 1/16 of a bottle) = 37.5 grams.

Barrel utensils (that is, for liquid and bulk), differed in a variety of names depending on the place of production (eggplant, baklusha, bochaty), on the size and volume - badia, pudovka, magpie), its main purpose (resin, salt, wine, tar) and the wood used for their manufacture (oak, pine, linden, aspen). The finished barrel products were subdivided into buckets, tubs, vats, barrels and barrels.

Endova
Wooden or metal utensils (often decorated with ornaments) used to serve drinks. It was a low bowl with a spout. The metal valley was made of copper or brass. Wooden valleys were made from aspen, linden or birch.

Leather bag(wineskin) - up to 60 l

Korchaga- 12 l
Nozzle- 2.5 buckets (Nogorodsk liquid measure, XV century)
Ladle
Jug
Tub- vessel height - 30-35 centimeters, diameter - 40 centimeters, volume - 2 buckets or 22-25 liters
Krynki
Suddens, Misy
Tuyesa
Box- from whole pieces of bast, sewn with strips of bast. The bottom and top cover are made of boards. Sizes - from small boxes to large "chests of drawers"
Balakir- a hammered wooden vessel, with a volume of 1 / 4-1 / 5, buckets.

As a rule, in the central and western parts of Russia, measuring containers for storing milk were proportional to the daily needs of the family and consisted of a variety of clay pots, pots, milk pots, pots, jugs, throats, millers, birch bark beetroot with lids, tuesa, the capacity of which was about 1 / 4-1 / 2 buckets (about 3-5 l). The capacities of mahotoks, stavtsov, tueski, in which they kept fermented milk products - sour cream, yogurt and cream, approximately corresponded to 1/8 of a bucket.

Kvass was prepared for the whole family in vats, tubs, barrels and tubs (lags, izhemkas, etc.) with a capacity of up to 20 buckets, and for a wedding - for 40 or more poods. In drinking establishments in Russia, kvass was usually served in fermentors, decanters and jugs, the capacity of which varied in different areas from 1 / 8-1 / 16 to about 1 / 3-1 / 4 of a bucket. A large clay (drinking) glass and a jug served as a commercial measure of kvass in the central regions of Russia.

Under Ivan the Terrible, in Russia for the first time there were eagles (branded with the sign of an eagle), that is, standardized drinking measures: a bucket, an octopus, a half-eagle, a foot and a mug.

Despite the fact that valleys, buckets, staves, stacks remained in use, and for small sale - hooks (glasses with a long hook at the end instead of a handle, hanging along the edges of the valley).

In the old Russian measures and in the dishes used for drinking, the principle of the ratio of volumes is laid down - 1: 2: 4: 8: 16.

Old measures of volume:

1 cubic meter fathom = 9.713 cubic meters meters
1 cubic meter arshin = 0.3597 cubic meters meters =
1 cubic meter vershok = 87.82 cubic meters cm
1 cubic meter ft = 28.32 cubic meters decimeter (liter)
1 cubic meter inch = 16.39 cu. cm
1 cubic meter line = 16.39 cubic meters mm
1 quart is a little more than a liter.

In commercial practice and in everyday life, according to LF Magnitsky, the following measures of bulk solids ("grain measures") were used for a long time:

flipper- 12 quarters
quarter(couple) - 1/4 part of the cadi
octopus(eighth - eighth part)

Kadi(tub, shackle) = 20 buckets and more
Bigger tub - bigger tub

Tsybik- box (tea) = 40 to 80 pounds (by weight).
Details: Tea was pressed tightly in wooden boxes, "tsibiki" - leather-covered frames, in the form of a square (two feet side), braided outside with reeds in two or three layers, which could be carried by two people. In Siberia, such a box of tea was called Umest (‘Place’ is a possible option).

half-eight
tetrad

Measures of liquids ("wine measures"):

barrel(40 buckets)
boiler(from half a bucket to 20 buckets)
bucket
half a bucket
quarter bucket
dryness (1/8)
buckwheat(1/16 bucket)

Measures of the volume of liquid and bulk solids:

1 quarter= 2.099 hectolitre = 209.9 l
1 quadruple("Measure") = 2.624 decalitres = 26.24 liters
1 garnet= 3.280 liters

Weights

In Russia, the following weight measures (old Russian) were used in trade:
berkovets = 10 poods
pood = 40 pounds = 16.38 kg
pound (hryvnia) = 96 spools = 0.41 kg
lot = 3 spools = 12.797 g
spool = 4.27 g
share = 0.044 g
…

The hryvnia (later pound) remained unchanged. The word "hryvnia" was used to refer to both the weight and the monetary unit. It is the most common measure of weight in retail and craft. It was also used for weighing metals, in particular gold and silver.

BERKOVETS- this large measure of weight was used in the wholesale trade mainly for weighing wax, honey, etc.
Berkovets - from the name of the island of Bjork. So in Russia a measure of weight of 10 pounds was called, just a standard barrel of wax, which one person could roll onto a merchant boat sailing to this very island. (163.8 kg).
It is known that a Berkovite was mentioned in the 12th century in the charter of Prince Vsevolod Gabriel Mstislavich to the Novgorod merchants.

SPOOL was equal to 1/96 pound, in modern terms 4.26 g. They said about him: "the spool is small but expensive." This word originally meant a gold coin.

LB(from the Latin word ‘pondus’ - weight, weight) equaled 32 lots, 96 spools, 1/40 pood, in modern terms 409.50 g. Used in combinations: “not a pound of raisins”, “find out how much a pound of dashing”
The Russian pound was adopted under Alexei Mikhailovich.

Sugar was sold in pounds.

Tea was bought on spools. Spool = 4.266g.

Until recently, a small packet of tea weighing 50 grams was called "octopus" (1/8 lb)

LOT- Old Russian unit of mass measurement, equal to three spools or 12.797 grams.

SHARE- the smallest Old Russian mass unit, equal to 1/96 of the spool or 0.044 grams.

PUD was equal to 40 pounds, in modern terms - 16.38 kg. It was used already in the 12th century.
Pud - (from the Latin pondus - weight, weight) is not only a measure of weight, but also a weighing device. When weighing metals, the pood was both a unit of measurement and a counting unit. Even when the weighing results appeared to tens and hundreds of poods, they were not transferred to Berkovtsy. Back in the XI-XII centuries. used various scales with equal arms and unequal arms: "pood" - a kind of scales with a variable fulcrum and a fixed weight, "skalva" - equal arm scales (two-cup).

The pood as a unit of mass was abolished in the USSR in 1924.

Weights used in the 18th century:

Note: highlighted the most used at that time (XVIII century)

Area measures

The main measure for measuring areas was considered tithe, as well as fractions of tithes: half a tithe, a quarter (one - 40 fathoms in length and 30 latitude) and so on. Surveyors used (especially after the "Cathedral Code" of 1649) mainly the state-owned three-arshin fathom equal to 2.1336 m., Thus, the tithe in 2400 square fathoms was equal to approximately 1.093 hectares.

The scale of the use of tithes and quarters grew in accordance with the development of land and the increase in the territory of the state. However, already in the first half of the 16th century it became clear that when measuring lands in quarters, the general inventory of lands would drag on for many years. And then, in the 40s of the 16th century, one of the most enlightened people, Ermolai Erasmus, suggested using a larger unit - a four-sided field, which meant a square area with a side of 1000 sazhen verst. This proposal was not accepted, but played a role in the process of introducing the large plow. Ermolai Erasmus is one of the first theoretical metrologists, who also strived to combine the solution of metrological and social issues. When determining the areas of hayfields, the tithe was introduced with great difficulty, since the grounds, due to their location and irregular shapes, were inconvenient to measure. More often, a yield measure was used - a shock. Gradually, this measure acquired a value linked to the tithe, and was subdivided into 2 half-heaps, 4 quarters of a heap, 8 half-quarters of a heap, etc. Over the course of time, a hayk, as a measure of area, was equated to 0.1 tithes (i.e., it was believed that an average of 10 kopecks of hay were removed from the tithe). Labor and sowing measures were expressed through a geometric measure - tithe.

Surface area measures:

1 sq. verst = 250,000 square fathoms = 1.138 sq. kilometers
1 tithe = 2,400 square fathoms = 1.093 hectares
1 heap = 0.1 tithes
1 sq. fathoms = 16 square arshins = 4.552 sq. meters
1 sq. arshin = 0.5058 sq. meters
1 sq. vershok = 19.76 sq. cm
1 sq. ft = 9.29 sq. inches = 0.0929 sq. m
1 sq. inch = 6.452 sq. centimeters
1 sq. line = 6.452 sq. millimeter

Units of measurement in Russia in the 18th century

By the 18th century, there were up to 400 units of measures of various sizes used in different countries. A variety of measures made trade difficult. Therefore, each state sought to establish uniform measures for its country.

In Russia, back in the 16th and 17th centuries, systems of measures uniform for the whole country were determined. In the XVIII century. in connection with economic development and the need for strict accounting in foreign trade, in Russia the question of the accuracy of measurements arose, the creation of standards, on the basis of which it would be possible to organize a verification business ("metrology").

The question of choosing standards from a variety of existing ones (both domestic and "overseas") turned out to be difficult. In the middle of the 18th century. foreign coins and precious metals were weighed at customs upon receipt, and then repeatedly outweighed at mints; the weight was different.

By the mid-30s of the 18th century. there was an opinion that the scales are more accurate in St. Petersburg customs. It was decided to make model scales from the customs scales, place them at the Senate and check them using them.

The ruler previously owned by Peter I served as an example of the measure of length in determining the size of the arshin and fathom. The ruler was marked with a half-arshin. According to this semi-arshin measure, samples of measures of length were made - a copper arshin and a wooden fathom.

Among the measures of bulk solids received by the Commission, a quadruple of the Moscow Big Customs was selected, which was used to verify the measures of bulk solids in other cities.

A bucket sent from the Kamennomostsky drinking yard in Moscow was taken as the basis for the liquid measures.

In 1736, the Senate adopted a decision on the formation of the Commission of Weights and Measures, headed by the chief director of the Monetary Board, Count Mikhail Gavrilovich Golovkin. The commission created exemplary measures - standards, established the relationship of various measures to each other, developed a project for organizing a verification business in the country. A project was introduced on the decimal construction of measures, taking into account the fact that the system of the Russian money account was built on the decimal principle.

Having decided on the starting units of measures, the Commission began to establish the relationship between the various units of measurement using measures of length. Determined the volume of the bucket and the four. The volume of the bucket was 136.297 cubic inches, and the four-piece - 286.421 cubic inches. The result of the Commission's work was the "Regulations ..."

For an arshin, the value of which was determined by the Commission in 1736–1742, it was recommended in 1745 to make “arshins throughout the Russian state”. In accordance with the volume of the four, adopted by the Commission, in the second half of the XVIII century. fours, half-eight and octins were made.

Under Paul I, a decree of April 29, 1797 on the "Establishment of correct weights, drinking and grain measures throughout the Russian Empire" began a lot of work to streamline measures and weights. Its completion dates back to the 30s of the 19th century. The 1797 decree was drawn up in the form of desirable recommendations. The decree dealt with four issues of measurement: weighing instruments, measures of weight, measures of liquid and bulk solids. Both the weighing instruments and all the measures were to be replaced, for which it was supposed to cast cast iron measures.

By 1807, three yardsticks of the yardstick were made (kept in St. Petersburg): crystal, steel and copper. The basis for determining their value was the reduction of arshin and sazhen to a multiple ratio with English. measures - in fathoms 7 English feet, in arshin - 28 English feet. inches. The standards were approved by Alexander I and transferred for storage to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 52 copper tetrahedral arshins were made to be sent to each province. It is interesting that before that, the saying: "Measure by your yardstick" - literally corresponded to reality. With an yardstick, the sellers measured the length of the fabric - by a brace from their shoulder.

On July 10, 1810, the State Council of Russia decided to introduce a single measure of length throughout the country - a standard 16 vershok arshin (71.12 cm). The state branded arshin at the price of 1 ruble in silver was ordered to be introduced in all provinces, with the simultaneous withdrawal of the old arshin templates.

Stage
Stage [Greek. stadion - stages (measure of length)] - this ancient measure of distances is more than two thousand years (from it - the Stadium in other Greece; Greek stadion - a place for competitions). The size of the stage is about two hundred meters. "... directly opposite the city lay the island of Pharos, at the northern end of which stood the famous lighthouse of the same name, built of white marble, connected to the city by a long pier called the septastadion (7 stadia)" (F.A. Brockhaus, I.A. Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary)

Ancient measures in modern language

In modern Russian, the old units of measurement and the words denoting them have survived mainly in the form of proverbs and sayings.

Sayings:
"You write in arshin letters" - large
"Kolomenskaya verst" is a joking name for a very tall person.
"Slanting fathom in the shoulders" - broad-shouldered

in poetry:
You can't understand Russia with your mind, you can't measure it with a common yardstick (official). Tyutchev

Dictionary
Monetary units

Quarter = 25 rubles
Ruble = 2 half
Tselkovy - the colloquial name of the metal ruble
Poltina = 50 kopecks
Quarter = 25 kopecks
Five-point = 15 kopecks
Altyn = 3 kopecks
Dime = 10 kopecks
kidney = 1 half
2 money = 1 kopeck
1/2 copper money (half) = 1 kopeck.
A penny (copper grosh) = 2 kopecks.

Half (otherwise - half money) was equal to one kopeck. It is the smallest unit in the old money account. Since 1700 polushki were minted from copper = 1/2 copper money was equal to 1 kopeck.

Foreign names:
A pint is an old French measure of liquids, about 0.9 liters; in England and the USA - a measure of the volume of liquids and bread, approximately 0.57 liters
Eighth of a pound = 1/8 pound
English gallon - 4,546 l
Barrel - 159 L
Carat - 0.2 g, weight of wheat grain
Ounce - 28.35g
Pound eng. - 0.45359 kg
1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35 kilograms
1 small handweight = 100 lbs = 45.36 kg.
Yard -91.44 cm.
Sea mile - 1852 m
1 cable - tenth of a mile
Rumb - 11 1/4 ° = 1/32 fraction of a circle - unit of angular measure
Knot sea (speed) = 1 mile per hour

Old Russian values:
Chet - quarter, quarter
‘Quarter wine’ = one fourth of the bucket.
‘What’s the grain’ = 1/4 cadi
kad - an old Russian measure of bulk solids (usually four pounds)
Octopus, dry land - the eighth (eighth) part = 1/8
An eighth of a pound was called an eighth ("eighth of tea").
‘Quarter to eight’ - time = 7:45 am or pm
Five - five units of weight or length
A stop is a measure of paper, previously equal to 480 sheets; later - 1000 sheets
‘One hundred and fifty osmago noemvriya day of osmago’ - 188 November the eighth
Taking - a burden, an armful, as much as you can grasp with your hands.
Half a third - two and a half
Half a fifth = 4.5
Fifty = 10.5
Poltretyasta - two hundred and fifty
Field - ‘arena, lists’ (115 steps - a variant of the magnitude), later - the first name and synonym ‘versts’ (field - a million - a mile), Dal has a variant of the meaning of this word: “daily march, about 20 versts”
"Printed fathom" - state-owned (standard, with a state mark), measured, three arshins
Cut - the amount of matter in a single piece, sufficient for the manufacture of any kind of clothing (for example, a shirt)
"No estimate" - no number
Perfect, perfect - suitable, match

Further reading to read:
New domestic research

Span- a measure of length equal to the distance between the ends of the outstretched fingers - thumb and forefinger (19cm - 23cm);

1 inch is an arshin.

Vershok- a measure of length equal to a fraction of an arshine ("44.4 mm).

Verst- a measure of length equal to

500 fathoms =

1500 yards =

Antique mass measures

(In everyday life, measures of mass have long been called measures of weight.)

The image of a beam balance is found in Egyptian monuments created many centuries before our era.

Talent - weight of water filling a vessel with a capacity per unit volume.

1 talent contained 3600 skills;

1 skill= 180 grains "10 grams

By the weight of grains, and later by the weight of water, metal weights were made. The ancient peoples kept the weights, which served as a standard, either in temples (Egypt) or in government offices (Rome).

Ancient measures of mass in Russia

Hryvnia- the oldest measure of weight in Russia. Introduced from the East, from Iraq. Subsequently, the hryvnia in Russia was called the pound.

By the 19th century, the following system of measures of weight was formed in Russia, which was used before the October Revolution:

Kul- a measure of the mass of bulk solids. Depending on the type of bulk solids, the measure had a different numerical value. The rye crop was equal to 151.5 kg, for oats - 100.3 kg.

Who was in control of the measures in Russia?

The supervision of measures, including measures of weight, has been carried out for a long time. The need for such supervision was first mentioned in the "Church Charter" of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (X century). The letter of the Novgorod prince Vsevolod (XII century) says: "Trading scales, measure and thickets from the scales to watch over the bishop." The punishment for abuse was supposed to be "close to death", the guilty person was threatened with the loss of property.

Thus, weights and measures began to be kept in churches. Weighing was carried out in churches at the end of the service.

From the middle of the 16th century, the observation of measures of length, weight and capacity (volume) passed to the civil authority. In 1550, stamped ("printed") measures were made and sent to the elders and other officials.

It was a brilliant idea: the units of measurement of different quantities turned out to be connected in a certain sequence.

_____________________________

XVIII century - there is a need to introduce an international system of measures (common for all peoples).

On May 8, 1790, the French National Assembly adopted a decree reforming the system of measures. Special commissions were created, in which the largest mathematicians and astronomers of that time took part. We decided to take one forty-millionth part of the meridian as a unit of length.

By measuring the meridian passing through Paris, and finding its one forty-millionth part, scientists have obtained the length of the new measure - 1 meter.

1799 - the work on the creation of the metric system of measures has been completed. But this system of measures did not spread for a long time.

1875 - a conference was called in Paris. Representatives of the states signed the metric convention (treaty) on the recognition of the metric system as international. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures was established.

1889 - 34 standard meters and 43 standard kilograms were made. International prototypes of the meter and kilogram were deposited in France, at the premises of the International Commission for Weights and Measures in Sevres, near Paris.

1960 - at the XI General Conference, the International System of Units (SI) was adopted.

One of the basic subjects studied at school is mathematics. But the counting rules were far from always the same as modern schoolchildren go through in the curriculum. And it's not even about the formulas, laws, sequences and interdependencies discovered by the scientific community. The very measures used to measure objects used to be very different. Of course, outdated units are rarely needed in everyday life, but an educated person must understand what “elbow”, “verst” and “fathom” mean in order to understand what is at stake if faced with such a definition of the dimensions of an object or space. Ancient measurement measures take place as part of a general education course at school, and you can also familiarize yourself with it yourself - for example, from this article.

Useful, relevant, modern

Each of us, at least once in our life, has come across sayings with ancient measurements, but not everyone understood what dimensions we are talking about. To be sure that we accurately process the incoming information, in order to consider ourselves educated people, modern, but know their history, it is important to navigate what terms mean what. Despite the fact that in our time, ancient measures of measurement are found mainly in literature, it is necessary to know what the ideas about numbers were in ancient times, because it was then that the foundations of modern arithmetic were laid, as well as the ideas of proportionality.

If you get acquainted with the foundations on which the modern system of units of measurement is built, you can learn more about the historical past of the state, nation. At school age, such a general course of acquaintance makes it possible to interest schoolchildren - after all, everyone will want to shine in front of their peers with their unique knowledge about ancient measures of volume in Ancient Russia. Thus, such information is both useful and interesting, and easily digestible, as it arouses curiosity.

Information: is it that simple?

To figure out what ancient measures of measurement were in use, it is necessary to process many sources of information. A considerable amount can be gleaned from literature, and the most diverse - from classics to children's fairy tales. Useful information is provided by acquaintance with sayings, proverbs. A lot of information can be taken from conversations with older people, in the old days, resorted to ancient measures of measurement. Of course, a huge amount of information has been collected by scientists dealing with this issue.

The preservation and systematization of data on ancient measures of measurement of quantities allows you to preserve important historical information for the future, because the concepts of arithmetic that existed in former times provide data on some of the features of the structure of society. Since ancient times, wisdom has been known: the world is ruled by the one to whom the numbers obey.

Ancient history

As historians have found out, numbers were important to people in ancient times. At first, animals, fruits, products, and other representatives of society were counted. Moreover, at first, people did not even use numbers - they did not exist yet. Initially, the number of objects was compared with something characteristic of a person - the number of fingers, eyes or hands. The next step was finger counting. Describing the number of some objects, one could say "he has two arms and a leg", which meant 15 pieces. The concept of "the whole person" described a collection of 20 objects.

Humanity developed, at the same time, arithmetic also developed, which led to the invention of numbers that are generally accepted among ordinary people. The population of Ancient Rus paid particular attention to the number "seven". This can be seen from the sayings that have come down to us. For example, as you know, even if seven troubles happened, there will still be one answer to them. With the same number, there is a well-known saying about being late: seven do not wait for one. Economic activity became more complex, people felt the need for more complex measures of measurement, and in the absence of specialized terminology, concepts were invented literally from the surrounding space. For example, the original pebble counting has evolved over time to the accounts that are still in use today.

Human and measurement system

When it became clear that humanity needed more complex systems of measurement than pebbles and fingers, the first thing that was used to create the metric system was the idea of ​​the proportionality of the human body. That is why ancient measures of length measurement are indicated by parts of the human body. The smallest, commonly used unit, was equal to the distance separating the index finger from the thumb, if you spread them apart. If we compare the old measures of length measurement with modern ones, then this value is about 19 cm. In former times it was called a small span. There was also a large span, which for the modern metric system is 22.5 cm. It was calculated as the distance from the little finger to the thumb, if you spread your fingers apart. This ancient metric system is reflected in the names of the icons - "pyadnitsa" were 19-23 cm wide in size. The bricks produced in the 12th century were the same size as they were meant to be laid by hand.

More and more

Of course, the ancient measures of measurement in Russia assumed the measurement of much larger quantities than two tens of centimeters. Here, measures were also applied, which have their roots in the structural features of the human body. For example, when you need to buy fabric, they usually said how many elbows you need to measure. This measure meant the length from the tips of the straightened fingers to the elbow. However, in some cases, the hand was clenched into a fist, and only then the elbow was measured. As a rule, it was with the elbows that the canvas was measured - one of the most durable materials used in ancient times everywhere, from household purposes to the production of clothing.

An even larger ancient measure of measurement in Russia was called a fathom. This distance assumed the number of centimeters separating the foot from the fingertips of the hand extended upward. In the modern metric system, the fathom is about 215 cm.However, it was such if the height of the person by which the fathom was measured was about 171 cm.The alternative version was called a simple fathom and was officially measured on the Tmutarakan stone. The inscription on this historical monument testifies to how wide it was at the time of the conduct of ancient studies. A simple fathom was determined by average height and was equal to the distance from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other, if the arms were spread out to the sides. The fathom was divided into quarters, into 8 parts, thus obtaining an elbow, an inch. Presumably, on the basis of a simple sazhen, over time, a three-arshin was introduced.

Very big!

When it was necessary to talk about large distances, for measuring which human height was completely inappropriate, the measure of "verst" was used. Its alternative name is the field. Verst is mentioned by numerous proverbs and sayings about ancient measures of measurement. The term is known to have been in use since the eleventh century. Currently, scientists agree that the most accurate estimate of the fathom is a kilometer and 67 meters. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that during the period of feudal fragmentation, on the territory of each individual principality, its own measurement measures were established, which often did not coincide with those adopted by neighbors.

Many measures used in ancient Russia changed over time. For example, the same elbow depended on the ruler of a particular principality, who had the right to establish a standard value corresponding to the size of his body. Whatever the size of the merchants and sellers, it was necessary to use exactly that elbow, which was asked by the powers that be. What joy was in those days for the merchant class if power in the principality passed to a child or adolescent! Well, ordinary people came up with more and more new proverbs and sayings with ancient measures of measurement, designed to reflect both the wisdom of everyday life and the severity of the injustice that reigned around.

Size is not just length

Measurement of length was not the only necessity in the old days (as in other things today). No less significant were the measures that could be used to characterize bulk products. Most often, ancient mass measures were applied to crops. In Kievan Rus, in the principalities, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, rye, oats and wheat were measured with kadi, which, if necessary, could be divided into two, four or eight parts. One bag in the modern measurement system is approximately 230 kg.

From the sixteenth century to two centuries, the main ancient measure of volume in the principalities that make up modern Russia and the neighboring countries was a quarter. One quarter consisted of six poods. Initially, the formation of these values ​​was based on the amount of grain that the peasants sowed in the fields. Over time, the measures, of course, have undergone changes. Let's say, shortly before the revolution in the Russian Empire, the main measures were a quarter, tithe; the first value was half the second. As can be seen from the data collected by historians, the ancient measures of length, mass, volume are closely related to the banknotes and methods of payment for goods that were prevalent at that time.

Small spool but precious

Who has not heard this proverb? With ancient measures of measurement, there are many other folk wisdoms. Despite the fact that these units of measurement have already left our everyday life, their names will be preserved for posterity for many centuries as a storehouse of folk wisdom. True, even a modern person has little idea of ​​what the word "spool" means.

This term can be found in historical artifacts that have come down to us from the times of Kievan Rus. At the same time, a pood, a berkovets were in use. To this day, scientists do not know for sure whether the spool was a measure of weight or it meant a coin made of gold. In the same way, it is not possible to establish exactly how much pood, berkovets meant at first. Over time, the following values ​​were established: pood - 16.4 kg, Berkovets - 10 poods. One pood contained 40 pounds. Mention about these measures can be found in the proverb with the old measures of measurement "copper ruble, but pieces of paper poods."

Wisdom and compatibility

As you can see from the sayings about ancient measures of measurement, in ancient times people have repeatedly encountered difficulties associated with the system of measures. It is not surprising, because everyone had their own elbow, and everyone strove for their own benefit. Due to the incorrect description of the distance, people were confused in the maps and could not determine exactly how much time was needed for the road, and other misunderstandings were pursued in everyday life quite often. And it’s good if it just caused irritation, but you could cause the feudal lord’s discontent, which often threatened punishment. And what gentleman would want to listen to an explanation where the main blame was shifted to the imperfection of the current metric system?

There are known cases when imperfections in the measurement system provoked even mass riots. Already in those days it was clear that it was necessary to somehow streamline the current system, otherwise one should not count on the progress of society in the future. In addition, since ancient times, it has been in human nature to strive for justice. This caused, over time, the transition to the metric system that we currently use.

Fairy tales and measures of measurement

Both the measures of measurement used in antiquity and the incidents associated with them can be learned from folk tales. This category of folk art is of particular interest, since in former times fairy tales were passed from mouth to mouth, and not written down on paper, therefore they were gradually modified. The fairy tales of each locality reflect the peculiarities of life in this area. Most often in such sources one can find references to an arshin, sazhen, verst, and pood. From this, we can fairly conclude that it was precisely such units of measurement that were used by ordinary people in everyday life.

Very interesting observations about ancient measures of measuring volume, length and mass can be made from the fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse", as well as from collections of folk legends and epics. But in the legend about the sea king and Vasilisa there is a mention of the punishment for guilt - the transfer to the management of the site "thirty versts in length and across." It is difficult for a modern person to imagine how large this territory is (although it is clear from the meaning of the legend that we are talking about an impressive area). If we use information about the approximate correspondence of modern measures of length, it turns out that a square with a width and length of 32 kilometers and 40 meters is described. This is the scale!

There are no boundaries for perfection

As can be seen from history, the measurement system invented in ancient times, based on the dimensions of the human body, turned out to be quite convenient - it has been in use for almost half a millennium, despite certain imperfections. States, power, borders, structure of society changed, and arshins and poods remained in everyday use as irreplaceable parts of a person's everyday life, his ideas about the surrounding space. The most used of the quantities introduced in the 11th century could be found in everyday life even in the 20th century.

As you can see, the longest "survived" those values ​​that denote a fairly large size, dimensions, space. For example, the elbow, used in the old days, was eventually replaced by the yardstick, which remained in use for a long time. Studies show that the elbow was used for a long time in the northern regions of modern Russia, but in the south it was no longer used. And the smallest ancient value, used for a long time in various Slavic tribes, and then in Russia and Russia, was called vershok. And to this day, this word is familiar to many from sayings and sayings. The top was equal to the length of the phalanx of the index finger.

What's currently?

Today, ancient measures of measurement have lost their original meaning, but still accompany modern man. Yes, we no longer measure distance in versts, and weight in poods, we have kilometers and kilograms. Nevertheless, we are still "sharing a pound of salt" with our faithful friends, we are struggling with problems "one as a finger." Having left the practical application as a metric system, the units of measurement remained with us as phraseological units and sayings reflecting the wisdom accumulated by the people.

You can constantly see references to ancient measures in classical literature, at the same time they are rich in such phrases and folk tales, legends and epics. Most often, you can find the mention of a finger, arshin, vershok, versts. Of course, used in fiction and fathom, span, pound.

The metric system as a science

Nowadays, one of the main units for measurement is the meter. Even in the word "metric" we can see the same root - "meter". It was first proposed by French scientists in the 18th century. The word was formed from a Greek source - "measure" in Greek sounds like "meter".

Every year, Metrology Day is celebrated all over the world, which falls on May 20. An international event is usually marked with works, speeches dedicated to new inventions, developments, improvements in the measurement system and the instruments used for it. On this day, humanity pays tribute to the merits of metrologists who streamline our life and make it clearer, more correct and fair.

Proverbs and sayings

In what proverbs and folk wisdoms are systems of measures previously in circulation mentioned? Below are some good examples that we come across in our daily life.

The following folk wisdom is indicative:

• "No step back!" (the step in the previous metric system was equal to 71 centimeters).
• "There are 7 spans in the forehead" (as much as 189 cm!).
• "He conquered the kingdom in one step" (to conquer something, having walked nothing, only 71 centimeters).
• "It’s two inches from the pot, but it’s already pointing!" (some 9 centimeters, that is, nothing at all, but already controls others).
• You will save a pood of grain(One grain can save 16 and a half kilograms).

Folk wisdom for everyday life

Of course, not everyone today needs to be able to translate ancient measures of measurement into those that are familiar to us. If suddenly such information is needed, you can always find sources that reflect what corresponds to what in centimeters and grams. It is much more important for a modern person to have a general idea of ​​the metric system that existed in the past and the rules for its application, as well as the meaning inherent in sayings and proverbs, epics and fairy tales that have survived to this day.

The metric system is also important from the point of view that it helps to develop interest in mathematics among schoolchildren, and allows historians to more accurately reconstruct events, artifacts, and rules that governed the life of society in former times.

Since antiquity, a person has always been a measure of length and weight: how much he will stretch out his hand, how much he can lift on his shoulders, etc.

The system of Old Russian measures of length included the following basic measures: verst, fathom, arshin, elbow, span and vershok.

ARSHIN- an old Russian measure of length, equal, in modern terms, 0.7112 m. Arshin was also called a measuring ruler, on which, usually, divisions in vershoks were applied.

There are various versions of the origin of the yardstick. Perhaps, initially, "arshin" denoted the length of a human step (about seventy centimeters, when walking on a plain, at an average pace) and was the base value for other major measures determination of length, distances(sazhen, verst). The root "AR" in the word arshin - in the Old Russian language (and in other neighboring languages) means "EARTH", "surface of the earth", and indicates that this measure could be used to determine the length of the path traveled on foot. There was another name for this measure - STEP. In practice, counting could be done in pairs of steps of an adult ("small fathoms"; one-two - one, one-two - two, one-two - three ...), or in threes ("official fathoms"; one-two-three - one, one-two-three - two ...), and when measuring in steps of small distances, step-by-step counting was used. In the future, they also began to use, under this name, an equal value - the length of the arm.

For small measures of length the base value was the measure used from time immemorial in Russia - "span" (from the 17th century - the length equal to the span was called differently - "a quarter of an arshin", "quarter", "chet"), from which, by sight, it was easy to get smaller lobes - two inches (1/2 inch) or one inch (1/4 inch).

Merchants selling goods, as a rule, measured it with their yardstick (ruler) or in a quick way - measuring "from the shoulder." To exclude measurement, the authorities introduced, as a standard, the "state arshin", which is a wooden ruler, at the ends of which metal tips with the state stamp were riveted.

STEP- the average length of a human stride = 71 cm. One of the most ancient measures of length.

SPAN(pyadnitsa) is an ancient Russian measure of length. SMALL SPACE(they said - "span"; from the 17th century it was called - "quarter") - the distance between the ends of the apart thumb and forefinger (or middle) fingers = 17.78 cm.

BIG SPIN- the distance between the ends of the thumb and little finger (22-23 cm).

FIVE WITH KUMATSKY("a span with a somersault", according to Dal - "a span with a somersault") - a span with an increase in two joints of the index club = 27-31 cm

Our old icon painters measured the size of icons in spans: “nine icons - seven spans (1 3/4 arshins). Pure Tikhvin on gold - pyadnitsa (4 vershok). Icon of St. George the Great deeds in three spans (in 1arshin) ”.

VERST- the old Russian track measure (its earlier name was "" field ""). This word was originally called the distance traveled from one plow turn to another during plowing. For a long time, the two names were used in parallel, as synonyms. There are known references in written sources of the 11th century. In the manuscripts of the 15th century. there is a record: "field of plantings 7 and 50" (length 750 sazhens). Before Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, 1,000 fathoms were counted 1 verst. Under Peter the Great, one verst was equal to 500 fathoms, in modern terms - 213.36 X 500 = 1066.8 m.

A milepost was also called a milestone on the road.

The size of a mile has repeatedly changed depending on the number of fathoms included in it and the size of fathoms. The Code of 1649 established a "boundary verst" of 1 thousand fathoms. Later, in the 18th century, along with it, the "traveling mile" of 500 sazhens ("five hundred miles") began to be used.

INTERMEDIATE VERSA- the old Russian unit of measurement, equal to two versts. A verst of 1000 fathoms (2.16 km) was widely used as a boundary measure, usually when determining pastures around large cities, and on the outskirts of Russia, especially in Siberia, and for measuring distances between settlements.

The 500-fathom verst was used somewhat less often, mainly for measuring distance in the European part of Russia. Long distances, especially in Eastern Siberia, were determined in days of travel. In the XVIII century. boundary versts are gradually being replaced by track versts, and the only verst in the 19th century. there remains a mile "track", equal to 500 yards.

SMOOTH- one of the most common measures of length in Russia. There were more than ten fathoms of various purposes (and, accordingly, size). "Swing fathom" - the distance between the ends of the fingers of the widely spaced hands of an adult man. "Oblique fathom" - the longest: the distance from the toe of the left leg to the end of the middle finger of the right hand raised up.

Used in the phrase: "he has a slanting fathom in his shoulders" (meaning - a hero, a giant).

This ancient measure of length was mentioned by Nestor in 1017. The name s and zhen comes from the verb to sagat (reach) - as far as you could reach with your hand. To determine the meaning of the Old Russian fathom, a large role was played by the find of a stone on which the inscription was carved in Slavic letters: "In the summer of 6576 (1068) indicta 6 days, Gleb the prince measured ... 10,000 and 4000 fathoms". From a comparison of this result with the measurements of topographers, the value of fathoms 151.4 cm was obtained. The results of measurements of churches and the value of Russian folk measures coincided with this value. There were planted measuring ropes and wooden "folds" that were used in measuring distances and in construction.

According to historians and architects, there were more than 10 fathoms and they had their own names, were incommensurable and not multiples of one another. Fathoms: city - 284.8 cm, untitled - 258.4 cm, great - 244.0 cm, Greek - 230.4 cm, government - 217.6 cm, royal - 197.4 cm, church - 186.4 cm, folk - 176.0 cm, masonry - 159.7 cm, simple - 150.8 cm, small - 142.4 cm and another untitled - 134.5 cm (data from one source), as well as - yard, pavement.

POWDER SOOT- the distance between the ends of the middle fingers outstretched to the sides of the arms is 1.76 m.

Slanted soot(originally "oblique") - 2.48 m.

Fathoms were used before the introduction of the metric system of measures.

ELBOW was equal to the length of the arm from the fingers to the elbow (according to other sources - "the distance in a straight line from the elbow to the end of the extended middle finger"). The value of this most ancient measure of length, according to various sources, ranged from 38 to 47 cm. Since the 16th century it has been gradually replaced by the yardstick and in the 19th century it is almost never used.

The elbow is a primordially Old Russian measure of length, known already in the 11th century. The value of the Old Russian cubit at 10.25-10.5 vershoks (on average approximately 46-47 cm) was obtained from a comparison of measurements in the Jerusalem temple made by Abbot Daniel, and later measurements of the same dimensions in an exact copy of this temple - in the main temple of the New Jerusalem Monastery on the Istra river (XVII century). The elbow was widely used in commerce as a particularly convenient measure. In the retail trade of canvas, broadcloth, linen - loko t was the main measure. In large wholesale trade - linen, woolen cloth, etc., came in the form of large cuts - "setups", the length of which at different times and in different places ranged from 30 to 60 cubits (in places of trade, these measures had a specific, quite definite meaning).

TOP equaled 1/16 arshin, 1/4 quarter. In modern terms - 4.44 cm. The name "Top" comes from the word "top". In the literature of the 17th century. there are also shares of the top - half-tops and quarter-tops.

When determining the height of a person or animal, the count was carried out after two arshins (obligatory for a normal adult): if it was said that the person being measured was 15 vershoks in height, this meant that he was 2 arshins 15 vershoks, i.e. 209 cm.

Growth in vershoks	1	3	5	7	9	10	15
Height in meters	1,47	1,56	1,65	1,73	1,82	1,87	2,09

For humans, two methods were used to fully express growth:

1. combination of "growth *** elbows, *** spans"
2. combination "growth *** arshin, *** vershkov"

from the 18th century - "*** feet, *** inches"

For domestic small animals used - "growth *** vershoks"

For trees - "height *** arshin"

Measures of length (used in Russia after the "Decree" of 1835 and before the introduction of the metric system):

• 1 verst = 500 fathoms = 50 poles = 10 chains = 1.0668 kilometers
• 1 fathom = 3 arshins = 7 feet = 48 vershoks = 2.1336 meters
• Slanting fathom = 2.48 m.
• Swing fathom = 1.76 m.
• 1 yard = 4 quarters (span) = 16 vershoks = 28 inches = 71.12 cm
  (divisions in vershoks were usually applied per arshin)
• 1 cubit = 44 cm (according to various sources from 38 to 47 cm)
• 1 foot = 1/7 fathoms = 12 inches = 30.479 cm
• 1 quarter (span, small span, span, span, span, span) = 4 vershok = 17.78 cm (or 19 cm - according to B.A. Rybakov)
  The name п я дь comes from the Old Russian word "passt", that is. wrist. One of the oldest measures of length (since the 17th century, "span" was replaced by "a quarter of an arshin")
  Synonym for "quarter" - "chet"
• A large span = 1/2 cubit = 22-23 cm - the distance between the ends of the elongated large and middle (or little finger) fingers.
• "Span with somersault" is equal to a small span plus two or three joints of the index or middle finger = 27 - 31 cm.
• 1 inch = 4 noktya (in width - 1.1 cm) = 1/4 inch = 1/16 arshin = 4.445 centimeters
  - an old Russian measure of length equal to the width of two fingers (index and middle).
• 1 finger ~ 2 cm.

New measures (introduced since the 18th century):

• 1 inch = 10 lines = 2.54 cm
  The name comes from the Dutch "thumb". Equal to the width of a thumb or the length of three dry barley grains taken from the middle of the ear.
• 1 line = 10 points = 1/10 inch = 2.54 millimeters (example: Mosin's "three-ruler" - d = 7.62 mm.)
  Line - width of a wheat grain, approximately 2.54 mm.
• 1 hundredth fathom = 2.134 cm
• 1 point = 0.2540 mm
• 1 geographic mile (1/15 degree of the earth's equator) = 7 versts = 7.42 km
  (from the Latin word "milia" - a thousand (steps))
• 1 nautical mile (1 minute of the earth's meridian arc) = 1.852 km
• 1 English mile = 1.609 km
• 1 yard = 91.44 centimeters

In the second half of the 17th century, the arshin was used together with vershok in various industries. In the "Descriptive Books" of the armory of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (1668) it is written: "... a copper regimental cannon, smooth, nicknamed Kashpir, Moscow business, three arshins half a dozen vershok (10.5 vershok) long ... Large cast-iron squeak, The lion is iron, with belts, the length is three arshins, three chats, with a half-top. " The ancient Russian measure "elbow" was still used in everyday life to measure cloth, linen and woolen fabrics. As follows from the Trade Book, three cubits are equal to two arshins. The span as an ancient measure of length still continued to exist, but since its meaning changed due to the agreement with a quarter of an arshin, this name (span) gradually fell out of use. The span was replaced by a quarter of an arshin.

Since the second half of the 18th century, the vershok subdivisions, in connection with the reduction of the arshin and fathom to a multiple of English measures, were replaced by small English measures: inch, line and point, but only an inch took root. Lines and dots were used relatively little. The lines expressed the dimensions of lamp glasses and the calibers of guns (for example, ten- or 20-line glass, known in everyday life). The dots were used only to determine the size of the gold and silver coins. In mechanics and mechanical engineering, the inch was divided into 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 parts.

In construction and engineering, the division of the fathom into 100 parts was widely used.

The foot and inch used in Russia are equal in size to English measures.

The decree of 1835 determined the ratio of Russian measures to British ones:

• Fathom= 7 feet
• Arshin= 28 inches

A number of units of measurement (subdivisions of versts) are abolished, and new measures of length come into use: inch, line, point, borrowed from English measures.

Bucket

A bucket is the main Russian measure of the volume of liquids - a bucket = 1/40 of a barrel = 10 cups = 30 pounds of water = 20 vodka bottles (0.6) = 16 wine bottles (0.75) = 100 cups = 200 scales = 12 liters ( 15 liters - according to other sources, rarely) V. - iron, wooden or leather dishes, mostly cylindrical in shape, with ears or a bow for wearing.

In common use, two buckets on the yoke should be in the "lifting woman". The division into smaller measures was carried out according to the binary principle: the bucket was divided into 2 half-buckets or 4 quarters of a bucket or 8 half-quarters, as well as into mugs and cups. The oldest "international" measure of volume is "a handful".

Until the middle of the 17th century. the bucket contained 12 mugs, in the second half of the 17th century. the so-called state-owned bucket contained 10 cups, and in a mug - 10 cups, so that the bucket included 100 cups. Then, by decree of 1652, the cups were made three times larger than the previous ones ("cups in three cups"). The trading bucket held 8 mugs. The bucket's value was variable, and the mug's value was unchanged, at 3 pounds of water (1228.5 grams). The volume of the bucket was equal to 134.297 cubic inches.

Barrel

The barrel, as a measure of liquids, was used mainly in the process of trade with foreigners, who were prohibited from retailing wine for small amounts. Equal to 40 buckets (492 l)

The material for the manufacture of the barrel was chosen depending on its purpose:

• oak- for beer and vegetable oils
• spruce- under water
• Linden- for milk and honey

Most often, small barrels and barrels from 5 to 120 liters were used in peasant life. Large barrels held up to forty buckets (forty)

Barrels were also used for washing (beating) linen.

In the XV century. the old measures were still widespread - golvazhnya, onions and harvesting. In the XVI-XVII centuries. Along with the fairly common korobov and belly, the Vyatka bread measure, marten, Perm saptsa (measure of salt and bread), Old Russian bast and pohev are often found. The Vyatka marten was considered equal to three Moscow quarters, the saptsa contained 6 poods of salt and approximately 3 poods of rye, a bast - 5 poods of salt, and after sewing - about 15 poods of salt.

Household measures of the volume of liquids were very diverse and were widely used even at the end of the 17th century: the Smolensk barrel, the herring barrel (8 poods of herring; one and a half times less than the Smolensk one).

Measuring barrel " ... from edge to edge one and a half arshins, and across - an arshin, and measure up, like a lead, half a yard".

In everyday life and in trade, they used a variety of household vessels: boilers, jugs, korchaga, brothers, valleys. The importance of such household measures in different places was different: for example, the capacity of the boilers ranged from half a bucket to 20 buckets. In the XVII century. a system of cubic units based on 7-foot fathoms was introduced, and the term cubic (or "cubic") was introduced. The cubic fathom contained 27 cubic yards, or 343 cubic feet; cubic arshin - 4096 cubic vershoks or 21952 cubic inches.

Wine measures

The Wine Charter of 1781 established in every drinking establishment to have "measures attested in the Treasury."

Bucket- Russian domestic measure of the volume of liquids, equal to 12 liters

Quarter= 3 liters (previously it was a narrow-necked glass bottle)

The "bottle" measure appeared in Russia under Peter I.

Russian bottle= 1/20 bucket = 1/2 bottle = 5 cups = 0.6 liters (half a liter appeared later - in the twenties of the XX century)

Since the bucket could hold 20 bottles (20 * 0.6 = 12 liters), and in trade the account went to buckets, the box still holds 20 bottles.

For wine, the Russian bottle was larger - 0.75 liters.

In Russia, the production of glass by the factory began in 1635. The production of glass vessels dates back to the same time. The first domestic bottle was produced at the plant, which was built on the territory of the modern Istra station near Moscow, and the products were, at first, intended exclusively for pharmacists.

Abroad, a standard bottle holds one-sixth of a gallon - in different countries this is 0.63 to 0.76 liters

The flat bottle is called a flask.

Damask(from German Stof) = 1/10 bucket = 10 cups = 1.23 liters. Appeared under Peter I. Served as a measure of the volume of all alcoholic beverages. The damask was similar in shape to a quarter.

Mug(the word means - "for drinking in a circle") = 10 cups = 1.23 liters.

The modern faceted glass used to be called " plank"(" planed boards "), consisting of frets-boards tied with a rope, around a wooden bottom.

Charka(Russian measure of liquid) = 1/10 bottle = 2 scales = 0.123 liters.

Stack= 1/6 bottle = 100 grams Was considered the size of a single dose.

Shkalik(popular name - "kosushka", from the word "mow", according to the characteristic movement of the hand) = 1/2 cup = 0.06 liters.

Quarter(half scale or 1/16 of a bottle) = 37.5 grams.

Barrel utensils (that is, for liquid and bulk), differed in a variety of names depending on the place of production (eggplant, baklusha, bochaty), on the size and volume - badia, pudovka, magpie), its main purpose (resin, salt, wine, tar) and the wood used for their manufacture (oak, pine, linden, aspen). The finished barrel products were subdivided into buckets, tubs, vats, barrels and barrels.

Endova... Wooden or metal utensils (often decorated with ornaments) used to serve drinks. It was a low bowl with a spout. The metal valley was made of copper or brass. Wooden valleys were made from aspen, linden or birch.

Leather bag(wineskin) - up to 60 l

Korchaga- 12 l

Nozzle- 2.5 buckets (Nogorodsk liquid measure, XV century)

Bucket, Zhban,Tub- vessel height - 30-35 centimeters, diameter - 40 centimeters, volume - 2 buckets or 22-25 liters

Krynki, Sudenets, misy, Tuesa, Box- from whole pieces of bast, sewn with strips of bast. The bottom and top cover are made of boards. Sizes - from small boxes to large "chests of drawers"

Balakir- a hammered wooden vessel, with a volume of 1/4 - 1/5, buckets.

As a rule, in the central and western parts of Russia, measuring containers for storing milk were proportional to the daily needs of the family and consisted of a variety of clay pots, pots, milk pots, pots, jugs, throats, millers, birch bark beetroot with lids, tuesa, the capacity of which was about 1 / 4-1 / 2 buckets (about 3-5 l). The capacities of mahotoks, stavtsov, tueski, in which they kept fermented milk products - sour cream, yogurt and cream, approximately corresponded to 1/8 of a bucket.

Kvass was prepared for the whole family in vats, tubs, barrels and tubs (lags, izhemkas, etc.) with a capacity of up to 20 buckets, and for a wedding - for 40 or more poods. In drinking establishments in Russia, kvass was usually served in fermentors, decanters and jugs, the capacity of which varied in different areas from 1 / 8-1 / 16 to about 1 / 3-1 / 4 of a bucket. A large clay (drinking) glass and a jug served as a commercial measure of kvass in the central regions of Russia.

Under Ivan the Terrible, in Russia for the first time there were eagles (branded with the sign of an eagle), that is, standardized drinking measures: a bucket, an octopus, a half-eagle, a foot and a mug.

Despite the fact that valleys, buckets, staves, stacks remained in use, and for small sale - hooks (glasses with a long hook at the end instead of a handle, hanging along the edges of the valley).

In the old Russian measures and in the dishes used for drinking, the principle of the ratio of volumes is laid down - 1: 2: 4: 8: 16.

Old measures of volume:

• 1 cubic meter fathom = 9.713 cubic meters meters
• 1 cubic meter arshin = 0.3597 cubic meters meters
• 1 cubic meter vershok = 87.82 cubic meters cm
• 1 cubic meter ft = 28.32 cubic meters decimeter (liter)
• 1 cubic meter inch = 16.39 cu. cm
• 1 cubic meter line = 16.39 cubic meters mm
• 1 quart is a little more than a liter.

In commercial practice and in everyday life, according to L.F. Magnitsky, the following measures of bulk solids ("grain measures") were used for a long time:

flipper- 12 quarters

quarter(couple) - 1/4 part of the cadi

octopus(eighth - eighth part)

Kadi(tub, shackle) = 20 buckets and more
Bigger tub - bigger tub

Tsybik- box (tea) = 40 to 80 pounds (by weight).
Details: Tea was pressed tightly in wooden boxes, "tsibiki" - leather-covered frames, in the form of a square (two feet side), braided outside with reeds in two or three layers, which could be carried by two people. In Siberia, such a box of tea was called Umest ("Place" is a possible option).

half-eight
tetrad

Measures of liquids ("wine measures"):

• barrel(40 buckets)
• boiler(from half a bucket to 20 buckets)
• bucket
• half a bucket
• quarter bucket
• dryness (1/8)
• buckwheat(1/16 bucket)

Measures of the volume of liquid and bulk solids:

• 1 quarter= 2.099 hectolitre = 209.9 l
• 1 quadruple("measure") = 2.624 decalitres = 26.24 liters
• 1 garnet= 3.280 liters

Weights :

In Russia, the following weight measures (old Russian) were used in trade:

• berkovets= 10 poods
• pood= 40 lbs = 16.38 kg
• lb. (hryvnia) = 96 spools = 0.41 kg
• lot= 3 spools = 12.797 g
• spool= 4.27 g
• share= 0.044 g

The hryvnia (later pound) remained unchanged. The word "hryvnia" was used to refer to both the weight and the monetary unit. It is the most common measure of weight in retail and craft. It was also used for weighing metals, in particular gold and silver.

BERKOVETS- this large measure of weight was used in the wholesale trade mainly for weighing wax, honey, etc.

Berkovets - from the name of the island of Bjork. So in Russia a measure of weight of 10 pounds was called, just a standard barrel of wax, which one person could roll onto a merchant boat sailing to this very island. (163.8 kg).

It is known that a Berkovite was mentioned in the 12th century in the charter of Prince Vsevolod Gabriel Mstislavich to the Novgorod merchants.

SPOOL was equal to 1/96 pounds, in modern terms 4.26 g. They said about him: "the spool is small but expensive." This word originally meant a gold coin.

LB(from the Latin word "pondus" - weight, weight) was equal to 32 lots, 96 spools, 1/40 pood, in modern terms 409.50 g. Used in combinations: "not a pound of raisins", "find out how much a pound of dashing."

The Russian pound was adopted under Alexei Mikhailovich.

Sugar was sold in pounds.

Tea was bought on spools. Spool= 4.266g.

Until recently, a small packet of tea weighing 50 grams was called "octopus" (1/8 lb)

LOT- Old Russian unit of mass measurement, equal to three spools or 12.797 grams.

SHARE- the smallest Old Russian mass unit, equal to 1/96 of the spool or 0.044 grams.

PUD was equal to 40 pounds, in modern terms - 16.38 kg. It was used already in the 12th century.
Pud - (from the Latin pondus - weight, weight) is not only a measure of weight, but also a weighing device. When weighing metals, the pood was both a unit of measurement and a counting unit. Even when the weighing results appeared to tens and hundreds of poods, they were not transferred to Berkovtsy.

Back in the XI-XII centuries. used various scales with equal arms and unequal arms: "pood" - a kind of scales with a variable fulcrum and a fixed weight, "skalvy" - equal arm scales (two-cup).

The pood as a unit of mass was abolished in the USSR in 1924.

Weights used in the 18th century:

Note: highlighted the most used at that time (XVIII century)

Area measures

The main measure for measuring areas was considered tithe, as well as, fractions of tithes: half a tenth, a quarter (one - 40 fathoms in length and 30 latitude) and so on. Surveyors used (especially after the "Cathedral Code" in 1649) mainly the state-owned three-arshin fathom equal to 2.1336 m., Thus, the tithe in 2400 square fathoms was equal to approximately 1.093 hectares.

The scale of the use of tithes and quarters grew in accordance with the development of land and the increase in the territory of the state. However, already in the first half of the 16th century it became clear that when measuring lands in quarters, the general inventory of lands would drag on for many years. And then, in the 40s of the 16th century, one of the most enlightened people, Ermolai Erasmus, suggested using a larger unit - a four-sided field, which meant a square area with a side of 1000 sazhen verst. This proposal was not accepted, but played a role in the process of introducing the large plow. Ermolai Erasmus is one of the first theoretical metrologists, who also strived to combine the solution of metrological and social issues. When determining the areas of hayfields, the tithe was introduced with great difficulty, since the grounds, due to their location and irregular shapes, were inconvenient to measure. More often, a yield measure was used - a shock. Gradually, this measure acquired a value linked to the tithe, and was subdivided into 2 half-heaps, 4 quarters of a heap, 8 half-quarters of a heap, etc. Over the course of time, a hayk, as a measure of area, was equated to 0.1 tithes (i.e., it was believed that an average of 10 kopecks of hay were removed from the tithe). Labor and sowing measures were expressed through a geometric measure - tithe.

Surface area measures:

1 sq. verst = 250,000 square fathoms = 1.138 sq. kilometers
1 tithe = 2,400 square fathoms = 1.093 hectares
1 heap = 0.1 tithes
1 sq. fathoms = 16 square arshins = 4.552 sq. meters
1 sq. arshin = 0.5058 sq. meters
1 sq. vershok = 19.76 sq. cm
1 sq. ft = 9.29 sq. inches = 0.0929 sq. m
1 sq. inch = 6.452 sq. centimeters
1 sq. line = 6.452 sq. millimeter

Units of measurement in Russia in the 18th century

By the 18th century, there were up to 400 units of measures of various sizes used in different countries. A variety of measures made trade difficult. Therefore, each state sought to establish uniform measures for its country.

In Russia, back in the 16th and 17th centuries, systems of measures uniform for the whole country were determined. In the XVIII century. in connection with economic development and the need for strict accounting in foreign trade, in Russia the question of the accuracy of measurements arose, the creation of standards, on the basis of which it would be possible to organize a verification business ("metrology").

The question of choosing standards from a variety of existing ones (both domestic and "overseas") turned out to be difficult. In the middle of the 18th century. foreign coins and precious metals were weighed at customs upon receipt, and then repeatedly outweighed at mints; the weight was different.

By the mid-30s of the 18th century. there was an opinion that the scales are more accurate in St. Petersburg customs. It was decided to make model scales from the customs scales, place them at the Senate and check them using them.

The ruler previously owned by Peter I served as an example of the measure of length in determining the size of the arshin and fathom. The ruler was marked with a half-arshin. According to this semi-arshin measure, samples of measures of length were made - a copper arshin and a wooden fathom.

Among the measures of bulk solids received by the Commission, a quadruple of the Moscow Big Customs was selected, which was used to verify the measures of bulk solids in other cities.

A bucket sent from the Kamennomostsky drinking yard in Moscow was taken as the basis for the liquid measures.

In 1736, the Senate adopted a decision on the formation of the Commission of Weights and Measures, headed by the chief director of the Monetary Board, Count Mikhail Gavrilovich Golovkin. The commission created exemplary measures - standards, established the relationship of various measures to each other, developed a project for organizing a verification business in the country. A project was introduced on the decimal construction of measures, taking into account the fact that the system of the Russian money account was built on the decimal principle.

Having decided on the starting units of measures, the Commission began to establish the relationship between the various units of measurement using measures of length. Determined the volume of the bucket and the four. The volume of the bucket was 136.297 cubic inches, and the four-piece - 286.421 cubic inches. The result of the Commission's work was the "Regulations ..."

For an arshin, the value of which was determined by the Commission in 1736-1742, it was recommended in 1745 to make "arshins throughout the Russian state". In accordance with the volume of the four, adopted by the Commission, in the second half of the XVIII century. fours, half-eight and octins were made.

Under Paul I, a decree of April 29, 1797 on the "Establishment of correct weights, drinking and grain measures throughout the Russian Empire" began a lot of work to streamline measures and weights. Its completion dates back to the 30s of the 19th century. The 1797 decree was drawn up in the form of desirable recommendations. The decree dealt with four issues of measurement: weighing instruments, measures of weight, measures of liquid and bulk solids. Both the weighing instruments and all the measures were to be replaced, for which it was supposed to cast cast iron measures.

By 1807, three yardsticks of the yardstick were made (kept in St. Petersburg): crystal, steel and copper. The basis for determining their value was the reduction of arshin and sazhen to a multiple ratio with English. measures - in fathoms 7 English feet, in arshin - 28 English feet. inches. The standards were approved by Alexander I and transferred for storage to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 52 copper tetrahedral arshins were made to be sent to each province. It is interesting that before that, the saying: "Measure by your yardstick" - literally corresponded to reality. With an yardstick, the sellers measured the length of the fabric - by a brace from their shoulder.

On July 10, 1810, the State Council of Russia decided to introduce a single measure of length throughout the country - a standard 16 vershok arshin (71.12 cm). The state branded arshin at the price of 1 ruble in silver was ordered to be introduced in all provinces, with the simultaneous withdrawal of the old arshin templates.

Stage

Stage [Greek. stadion - stages (measure of length)] - this ancient measure of distances is more than two thousand years (from it - the Stadium in other Greece; Greek stadion - a place for competitions). The size of the stage is about two hundred meters. "... directly opposite the city lay the island of Pharos, at the northern end of which stood the famous lighthouse of the same name, built of white marble, connected to the city by a long pier called the septastadion (7 stadia)" (F.A. Brockhaus, I. A. Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary)

Ancient measures in modern language

In modern Russian, the old units of measurement and the words denoting them have survived mainly in the form of proverbs and sayings.

sayings:

"You write in arshin letters" - large
"Kolomenskaya verst" is a joking name for a very tall person.
"Slanting fathom in the shoulders" - broad-shouldered

in poetry:

You can't understand Russia with your mind, you can't measure it with a common yardstick (official). Tyutchev

Monetary units

• Quarter = 25 rubles
• Ruble = 2 half
• Tselkovy - the colloquial name of the metal ruble
• Poltina = 50 kopecks
• Quarter = 25 kopecks
• Five-point = 15 kopecks
• Altyn = 3 kopecks
• Dime = 10 kopecks
• kidney = 1 half
• 2 money = 1 kopeck
• 1/2 copper money (half) = 1 kopeck.
• A penny (copper grosh) = 2 kopecks.
• Half (otherwise - half money) was equal to one kopeck. It is the smallest unit in the old money account. Since 1700 polushki were minted from copper = 1/2 copper money was equal to 1 kopeck.

Foreign names:

A pint is an old French measure of liquids, about 0.9 liters; in England and the USA - a measure of the volume of liquids and bread, approximately 0.57 liters
Eighth of a pound = 1/8 pound
English gallon - 4,546 l
Barrel - 159 L
Carat - 0.2 g, weight of wheat grain
Ounce - 28.35g
Pound eng. - 0.45359 kg
1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35 kilograms
1 small handweight = 100 lbs = 45.36 kg.
Yard -91.44 cm.
Sea mile - 1852 m
1 cable - tenth of a mile
Rumb - 11 1/4 ° = 1/32 fraction of a circle - unit of angular measure
Knot sea (speed) = 1 mile per hour

Old Russian values:

Chet - quarter, quarter
"a quarter of wine" = a fourth of a bucket.
"even grain" = 1/4 cadi
kad - an old Russian measure of bulk solids (usually four pounds)
Octopus, dry land - the eighth (eighth) part = 1/8
An eighth of a pound was called an eighth ("eighth for tea").
"at a quarter to eight" - time = 7:45 am or pm
Five - five units of weight or length
A stop is a measure of paper, previously equal to 480 sheets; later - 1000 sheets
"one hundred and eighty osmago noemri day of osmago" - 188 November the eighth
Taking - a burden, an armful, as much as you can grasp with your hands.
Half a third - two and a half
Half a fifth = 4.5
Fifty = 10.5
Poltretyasta - two hundred and fifty
Field - "arena, lists" (115 steps - a variant of the magnitude), later - the first name and synonym for "miles" (field - a million - a mile), Dal has a version of the meaning of this word: "daily march, about 20 miles"
"Printed fathom" - state-owned (standard, with a state mark), measured, three arshins
Cut - the amount of matter in a single piece, sufficient for the manufacture of any kind of clothing (for example, a shirt)
"No estimate" - no number
Perfect, perfect - suitable, match

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