Measure of volume. Russian measure of volume. Antique Volume Measure

In the language of modern youth there is the word "stopudovo", which means full accuracy, confidence and maximum effect. That is, “one hundred pounds” is the largest measure of volume, if words have such weight? How much is this - pood, does anyone who uses this word know?

A pood of salt for two

This is an old measure of the volume of bulk products, equal to forty pounds, in kilograms it is a little more than sixteen, or more precisely - 16.38 kg by current standards. It is believed that the name came from the Latin pondus, which means "weight". In poods, honey, flour and salt were initially measured as the most popular products, but subsequently this measure of volume was extended to all solid and heavy products.

At present, the term "pound" has been preserved only by heavyweight athletes, the classic sixteen-kilogram weight is called - "pound weight".

At the same time, the pound was not considered the largest weight - ten pounds were collected in a new wholesale measure: the Berkovets, whose name came from the island of Bierk, with which the ancient merchants traded. It was the weight of one ordinary barrel filled with wax, which one worker could load on the ship. Almost 164 kilograms in one fell swoop! Indeed, in Russia every second was a hero.

Weight measures

In addition to the pud and Berkovets, there were smaller Russian measures of the volume of products:

• The pound, which was also called the hryvnia, consisted of 32 lots or 96 spools. By our standards, this is almost 410 grams. This measure of weight is one of the few that has passed the test of time - in America and Western European countries it is still used as the main one. In Russia, the hryvnia was both a measure of weight and a monetary unit, being the most common among traders.
• The lot was equated to three spools (12.8 grams) and was a very common measure: a unit of volume in cooking and in pharmacy.

• The spool (zlatnik) was originally the name of a gold coin weighing 4.26 grams in modern terms, it was used by traders instead of weights on the scales, weighing everyday goods: sugar, tea and salt. In 1899, the spool was officially ranked as a measure of weight.
• The share was considered the smallest measure of weight in ancient times - its weight is about 0.044 grams, it was used by pharmacists. Ninety-six lobes made up one spool.

Liquid Volume Measures

The leading measuring container for measuring liquids was a bucket (12 liters), which, starting from the tenth century, measured alcoholic beverages (honey, mead, kvass, beer and mash), water for preparing large quantities of food on feasts and a variety of berries, later cereals cereals, milk and small-sized fruit and vegetables. The bucket was divided into smaller components, very convenient for home use and alcohol trading in tavern establishments.

It was the “wine” measures that included more than a dozen items, and a strict arithmetic ratio nevertheless existed and was a multiple of four: 1: 2: 4: 8: 16.

The bucket was divided into ten mugs, one hundred cups or two hundred glasses. At the same time, there was a value of twenty vodka bottles, which was also equal to one bucket (modern boxes with vodka also include exactly twenty bottles, which means one bucket), which, in turn, was divided into half and a quarter (three liters). For some time a “korchaga” was still used, which was equated to one and a half buckets (according to some reports, a bucket and three quarters).

The largest measure of volume was considered a barrel, which contained forty buckets, it was mainly used for wholesale trade with foreigners, since retail trade in alcoholic beverages was prohibited for them. There were also small barrels of five liters.

In addition, a large number of “home” measuring tanks were used in everyday life, which were not constant, but were often used: a boiler, jug, endova, tues and box, tub, tub and tub, wineskin (this volume most likely came from eastern countries ), measures of dairy products were still actively used: krynka, jug, and a milker.

All these containers often differed slightly in size, so they did not have exact proportions.

How alcohol was measured

The heyday of "wine measures" fell on the era of Peter the Great and reached large-scale sizes: drinking establishments and taverns offered a wide selection of drinks on tap:

• A quarter was three liters, also called a large glass bottle with a long neck.
• The bottle (it was also called the Russian bottle) contained six hundred milligrams of liquid.
• The mug was large (by today's standards) - 1.23 liters - and contained exactly ten cups.
• Charka was equated to 0.123 liters and was a running container for lovers of "hot", in everyday life there was a slang name: korets (hook).
• Pile - it was considered the permissible norm for a single intake of alcohol, its volume was exactly one hundred grams.
• Shkalik - it was popularly called the “scythe” and equated to half a cup - 60 grams.
• Damn passed from the Germans and firmly established, was equal to a tenth of a bucket or two bottles (1.2 liters) and contained ten glasses. Proceeding from this, the half-bottle, equal to half the bottle, was also in demand.
• The quarter was the smallest measure of the volume of liquids, containing only 37 and a half grams.

All these volume measures were approved by the Charter of Wine in 1781 and have survived to this day.

Written in arshin letters

The most commonly used measure of length and width was fathom and arshin. Fathom was equal to one and a half meters - this is the span of the hands of the average person, and arshin - to seventy-two centimeters (they say this size was originally taken from the dimensions of Peter the Great’s ruler, which he often carried with him), that is, two arshins is almost a fathom. These measures calculated growth, small distances, sizes during the construction of objects - it was convenient and practical, because the "line" was always with you.

There was also in use oblique fathom - this is the distance between the toe of the foot and the opposite brush raised above the head: the distance was within two and a half meters. And another measure competed with arshin - a step that equated almost the same length - 72 centimeters.

For measuring small objects

The elbow, according to data from various sources, was 38 or 47 centimeters, this is the length of the arm from the end of the middle finger to the elbow joint. This size was ideally suited for cloth merchants whose rolls totaled up to 60 cubits of length.

The palm was considered the sixth part of the elbow and was used to miscalculate small areas during construction.

The span was divided into several options:

• The small span (in some areas it was called the “quarter”) was counted between the widely extended thumb and forefinger and was equal to 17.78 centimeters.
• The big span is between the thumb and the little finger (23 cm).
• Span with a somersault - the length of the first two joints of the index finger was added to the usual span, which equated to nearly thirty centimeters.
• Top - in modern terms it is 4.44 centimeters, which equaled one sixteenth arshin. Tops often measured growth.

Versta - this measure was applied to measuring long distances, its second name is “field”, which denoted the length of one strip from the edge of the field to the first turn of the plow. Later they began to apply for calculating the length of the path, roads and distances between settlements. At different times, there were a different number of fathoms in the verst: before Peter the Great - 500, and from the reign of Alexei - already a thousand.

Area Counting Measures

To account for the plowed and sown lands, tithing (which was divided into smaller components) and a square seedling was used. One tithe was equal to 2400 square fathoms (1,093 hectares) and was divided into half a half and a quarter tithe. The square fathom consisted of four and a half square meters, which amounted to 16 square meters. arshinov. Also, a mop was added to these calculus methods - this is one tenth of the tithe, in this way the amount of grain and hay harvested in stacks (mocks) was calculated.

Monetary units

The Old Slavic monetary system characteristically emphasized the identity and uniqueness of the Russian nation: quadruple (25 rubles), virgin (the second name of the metal ruble), altyn (3 kopecks) and five-altynny (three × five = 15), dimes worth 10 kopecks and a half (the smallest change coin , equated to one penny) - what a name that pleases the ear!

Under Peter the Great, the wages of an ordinary worker ranged from five to eight kopecks per day, this amount was equal to the cost of half a pound of bread — eight kilograms! This is a lot like for that time.

Proverbs and sayings about measures

Russian color is clearly traced in proverbs, revealing to the world all the subtleties of psychology, the life wisdom of the Slavs in simple words accessible to everyone.

“Eat a pound of salt for two” means that you need to spend a lot of time with a person in order to know him from all sides.

“Spool is small, but expensive” - size does not matter.

“To find out how much a pound of dare” means to feel the weight of grief and suffering.

“There are two points from the pot, and already a pointer” - about young people who do not have their own life experience, but who are trying to teach others how to live.

"Measure on your arshin" - use your personal measure, and not generally accepted, to be subjective.

“Seven miles to a good fellow is not a hook” - that a real man can do everything and distance is not a problem for him.

“Seven spans in the forehead” - this is what they said about wise and well-read people.

Poverty of modern measured quantities

The table of measures and volumes of modernity presented below shows how all quantities were crushed and made easier.

The highlight of the national language and the variety of options disappeared, the desire to systematize everything and push the “Russian soul” into the framework won the creative flight of a great and powerful language. Only the "costs of the past" remain - magnificent proverbs that still hold the lost greatness.