The meaning of phraseology “Kolomenskaya verst” is of interest to everyone who wants to enrich their vocabulary. The meaning that carries this speech revolution is easy to understand, knowing the history of its origin. So, how did this stable construction appear in Russian, what does it mean, what synonyms and antonyms can be chosen for it?
Verst - what is it
The meaning of phraseology “Kolomenskaya verst” can hardly be understood without knowing what the words of which it consists. First you need to understand what a milestone is. In the old days, this word denoted a measure of length that was used in the Russian Empire. This continued until the introduction of the metric system, which happened only in 1899.
It should also be clarified that this unit of measurement for distance corresponds to today's 1066.8 meters.
Road posts
Of course, the above information does not reveal the meaning of phraseology “Kolomna verst”. However, it is worth considering that our ancestors called the milestone not only a segment whose length is 1006.8 meters. The word also denoted special pillars that in the past took on the tasks of road signs.
Why were such pointers needed? Thanks to them, travelers learned about how many miles they have already passed, how much is left. This means that the likelihood of losing their way is significantly reduced. Roads with such pillars were commonly called pillars.
For many years, milestones were painted in an inclined strip. Such a spectacular appearance made them more visible to people who used the road. The column contained information about how far away the nearest settlements are from it.
History of the village of Kolomenskoye
So, the meaning of phraseology “Kolomenskaya verst” remains a mystery. And here the village of Kolomenskoye is a question that arises for any person who is trying to solve it. The history of this village has been going on for several centuries. The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1336, dates back to the reign of Ivan Kalita.
Over the years, the village of Kolomenskoye passed from hand to hand, many Moscow princes, as well as sovereigns, managed to visit its owners. The settlement owes its prosperity to the notorious ruler Ivan the Terrible. This tsar began to use the Kolomna Palace for celebrations, the guests of which became the whole color of Moscow. The village is also mentioned in connection with the identity of False Dmitry the Second, who in 1610 used it as his own rate.
The settlement became especially popular when Alexei Romanov ascended the Russian throne, who loved to rest in Kolomenskoye with his family. It is interesting that the phraseology “Kolomenskaya verst”, the origin of which is considered in this article, owes its appearance to this tsar, who was popularly called the Quietest. The village also liked Peter the Great, whose childhood passed there. Now Kolomenskoye is a museum-reserve, this decision was made by the authorities in the first half of the last century.
Phraseologism Versta Kolomenskaya: History of Origin
So, how did a mysterious speech turn come about in Russian? Phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst", as already mentioned, appeared thanks to Tsar Alexei Romanov. It was this autocrat who issued the decree, according to which all significant roads of the Russian Empire were to acquire signposts. The main task of such devices is to prevent travelers from getting lost. Modern scholars believe that the royal decree saved a large number of people from death in the snow.
It was already mentioned above that such pillars were popularly called versts. But where does the village of Kolomenskoye? The fact is that the ruler of the Russian Empire thought of his own comfort. Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the creation of special signs designed for the road connecting the village and the Kremlin. These designs impressed because of the height, which was much larger than that of ordinary posts. It is also interesting that each of the “Kolomna versts” was endowed with an image of the state emblem.
Value
Of course, I want to understand not only how phraseology began, but also what it means. “Kolomenskaya verst” is a nickname that people began to give to very high people. Most often, offensive or ironic meaning is put into this phrase by speakers or writers. This happened due to the fact that the locals did not like the "royal" pillars. They did not stop complaining about their bulky dimensions, which complicated the process of using the road.
As a result, the representatives of the masses began to call the road leading to the village of Kolomenskoye the representatives of the masses “pillar”, and phraseologism “Kolomenskaya verst” became an integral part of the Russian language.
Synonyms and Antonyms
So, now the meaning of the speech turnover “Kolomenskaya verst” is clear. The meaning and origin of phraseologism will help to remember synonyms that can be matched to it. Lanky, kalancha, bastard - words with which this stable construction can be replaced if desired. When choosing synonyms, it must be borne in mind that ironic meaning is most often invested in this phraseology.
Of course, there are antonyms - words and expressions that have the opposite meaning. Now it is no longer a secret what origin the verbal circulation "Kolomenskaya verst" has, the meaning of phraseology. Antonyms for him are easy to pick up. For example, the following words are suitable: short, short, short.
Examples of using
The speech circulation “Kolomenskaya verst” is more often found in literary works than in colloquial speech. For examples that will help you remember it better, do not go far. Say, we can recall the historical novel "Peter the Great", authored by Alexei Tolstoy. One of the characters in this book tells the other about a teenage boy. Speaking of his height, he mentions that he stretched "from the Kolomna verst" from the moment of their last meeting.
Of course, “Peter the Great” is far from the only literary work in which one can find the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”, which was very popular in the old days. For example, there is a book called The Zvonarev Family, created by the writer Alexander Stepanov. The hero asks the heroine whether it can be carried out. She refuses, citing the fact that such a "Kolomna mile", like him, will be watched by all passers-by, which she wants to avoid. Speaking of this, the woman hints at the high growth of the alleged satellite, which will attract unnecessary attention to them.
What else do you need to remember
Does the word order have any meaning? Does the meaning that is put into speech circulation depend on it? No, one can say not only “Kolomenskaya verst”, but also “verst Kolomenskaya”. The essence of this will not change at all, anyway a very tall person will be implied.