In modern spoken Russian there are many expressions that arose 100-200 years ago and did not lose their original meaning. "Seven on the benches" is one of such phraseological units. What does he mean? Who is the author of this phraseology?
Value
Phraseologism "Seven on the benches" arose long before the 1917 revolution. The first time he was uttered was by no means in aristocratic circles. Are there any synonyms for the phrase "Seven by the benches"? The meaning of this phraseology is easier to understand, having an idea of the life and life of Russian peasants. This will be discussed below.
This expression is often used today when it comes to a person who has dependents. In the old days, it had a similar meaning. “Seven on the benches” - that’s what they said about a peasant who had to work hard to feed a large family. In relation to the nobleman such words were not uttered, even if he was a father with many children. The nobles did not work, and, as the Bolsheviks later announced, only exploited ordinary men.
How Russian peasants lived
Why "on the benches"? A large peasant family huddled in a tiny hut. There were no beds. Someone was sleeping on the stove, and someone on the bench. Hence the expression, which is often used today, dimly understanding its original meaning.
“She has seven in the shops” - this can be said today about a woman who has three children. However, a hundred years ago, so many dependents scared few people. A simple Russian woman could give birth to 10 children, however, few of them survived to adulthood. Mortality rates in villages were extremely high.
Peasant families were large not only because of the lack of contraception. Each child saw a future assistant.
Peasants were not concerned about the choice of profession for their children. Literacy most of the peasants were not trained. It was assumed that, having matured, sons should shoulder the burden of obligations and provide for elderly parents. But first it was necessary to feed the children, which was not easy. Hence the expression "Seven by the benches", the meaning of which we examined.