Phraseologism "Verst Kolomenskaya": origin and meaning. The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “Kolomna Versta Versta” Phraseologism antonym for Kolomenskaya Versta
The meaning of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst” is of interest to anyone who wants to enrich their vocabulary. The meaning that this turn of phrase conceals is easy to understand if you know the history of its origin. So, how did this stable construction appear in the Russian language, what does it mean, what synonyms and antonyms can be found for it?
Versta - what is it?
The meaning of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst” can hardly be understood without knowing what the words of which it consists mean. First, it’s worth understanding what a mile 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 distance measurement corresponds to today's 1066.8 meters.
Road pillars
Of course, the above information does not reveal the meaning of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”. However, it is worth considering that our ancestors called a mile not only a segment whose length is 1006.8 meters. The word also denoted special poles that in the past took on the task of road signs.
Why were such pointers needed? Thanks to them, travelers learned how many miles they had already covered and how many remained. This means that the likelihood of them going astray was significantly reduced. Roads with such pillars were usually called pillar roads.
For many years, mileposts were painted with slanted stripes. This striking appearance made them more noticeable to people who used the road. The pillar contained information about the distance from it to the nearest populated areas.
History of the village of Kolomenskoye
So, the meaning of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst” still remains a mystery. And here is the village of Kolomenskoye - a question that arises in any person who is trying to solve it. The history of this settlement has been going on for several centuries. The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1336, dating 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 become its owners. The settlement owes its prosperity to the notorious ruler Ivan the Terrible. This tsar began to use the Kolomna Palace to hold festivities, the guests of which were the entire city of Moscow. The village is also mentioned in connection with the personality of False Dmitry II, who in 1610 used it as his own headquarters.
The settlement gained particular popularity when Alexei Romanov ascended the Russian throne and fell in love with vacationing in Kolomenskoye with his family. It is interesting that the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”, the origin of which is discussed in this article, owes its appearance to this particular king, who was popularly nicknamed the Quietest. Peter the Great also liked the village, whose childhood was spent there. Now Kolomenskoye is a museum-reserve; this decision was made by the authorities back in the first half of the last century.
Phraseologism “Verst Kolomenskaya”: history of origin
So, how did a mysterious speech pattern arise in the Russian language? The phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”, as already mentioned, appeared thanks to Tsar Alexei Romanov. It was this autocrat who issued a 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 researchers 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 what does the village of Kolomenskoye have to do with it? The fact is that the ruler of the Russian Empire also thought about his own comfort. Alexey Mikhailovich ordered the creation of special signs intended for the road connecting the village and the Kremlin. These structures were impressive because of their height, which was much greater than that of ordinary pillars. It is also interesting that each of the “Kolomna versts” was endowed with an image of the state coat of arms.
Meaning
Of course, I want to understand not only how the phraseological unit appeared, but also what it means. “Kolomenskaya Versta” is a nickname that people began to give to very tall people. Most often, the speaker or writer puts an offensive or ironic meaning into this phrase. This happened because the local residents did not like the “royal” pillars. They continued to complain about their bulky dimensions, which complicated the process of using the road.
As a result, representatives of the masses, dissatisfied with the tsar’s decision, began to call the road leading to the village of Kolomenskoye “pillar”, and the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst” became an integral part of the Russian language.
Synonyms and antonyms
So, now the meaning of the phrase “Kolomenskaya verst” is clear. The meaning and origin of a phraseological unit will help you remember the synonyms that can be selected for it. Lanky, kalancha, big man - words that can replace this stable structure if desired. When selecting synonyms, it is necessary to keep in mind that this phraseological unit most often has an ironic meaning.
Of course, there are also antonyms - words and expressions that have the opposite meaning. Now it is no longer a secret what the origin of the phrase “Kolomenskaya verst” is, the meaning of the phraseological unit. It's easy to find an antonym for it. For example, the following words are suitable: short, short, short.
Examples of using
The phrase “Kolomenskaya verst” is more common in literary works than in colloquial speech. You don’t have to look far for examples that will help you remember it better. Let's say, we can recall the historical novel "Peter the Great", the author of which is Alexey Nikolaevich Tolstoy. One of the characters in this book tells another about a teenage boy. Speaking about his height, he mentions that he has stretched “a mile and a half” since 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 “The Zvonarev Family”, the creator of which is the writer The hero asks the heroine if it is possible to see her off. She refuses, citing the fact that all passers-by will look at such a “Kolomenskaya mile” like him, which she wants to avoid. Speaking about this, the woman hints at the tall stature of the intended companion, which will attract unnecessary attention to them.
What else do you need to remember?
Does the order of words matter in any way, does the meaning that is put into the speech depend on this? No, you can say not only “Kolomenskaya verst”, but also “Kolomenskaya verst”. The essence will not change at all; it will still mean a very tall person.
Verst- a Russian measure of length that existed in Russia before the introduction of the metric system. (The metric system was adopted in Russia since 1899 as a recommendation, and it was approved as mandatory in 1917 by the Provisional Government, and since 1925 it has become mandatory for the USSR).
A mile was equal to 500 fathoms. The fathom, in turn, consisted of three arshins of 72 cm (or 16 vershok). The length of the fathom was 2 meters 16 centimeters. Thus, a mile in modern terms was equal to 1 kilometer 80 meters, that is, almost one kilometer.
In Russia, versts were called not only this length segment, but also special poles that were installed on large roads and designated versts. The roads on which such “miles” were placed were called pillar roads. “Versts” or mile posts were usually painted with inclined stripes to make it easier to see, and the number of miles from or to a certain point was written on the post.
No fire, no black house...
Wilderness and snow... Towards me
Only miles striped
Come across alone.
A.S. Pushkin “Winter Road”
How did it stand out from all the miles? Kolomna verst? And why a mile Kolomenskaya?
The fact is that the installation of milestones in Russia began under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676) and on the way to his country residence in the village of Kolomenskoye, these same milestones were especially high. This is where the expression comes from Versta Kolomenskaya, which in a figurative sense characterizes very tall and thin people.
By the way, if you are interested in the difference between a nautical mile and a land mile, an oblique fathom from a simple fathom, twins from twins, and a pond from a lake - go to the site about the differences, you will find answers to how concepts that are similar in meaning differ from each other.
Other interesting phrases from Russian speech:
Incense is the general name for incense that smoked not only in front of altars
Interesting expression - scapegoat. The phrase is unsaid, but everything is fine
An interesting expression is to buy a pig in a poke. It can be classified as intuitive
The nightingale is the most pleasant songbird living in the vastness of Russia. Why of all
Kuzka's mother(or show Kuzka’s mother) – a stable indirect phrase
Expression mutual responsibility- this is an expression of direct meaning, that is, it means that
Since ancient times, many peoples have believed that a crocodile cries when
Toughie- this expression is usually associated with the capture of Sweden by Peter the Great
the expression with a red thread has nothing to do with ideology. And it has a relation
The great Wall of China - the largest architectural and construction work
Leavened patriotism – a short, straight-to-the-target ironic definition for
Expression to Caesar-Caesarean biblical origin, like many others
Do not be confused by this idiotic formulation, compiled specifically for
Chinese ceremonies – we often use this phraseological unit in conversation. How
By expression cast bells it is absolutely impossible to guess what other meaning
Colossus with feet of clay - this is a kind of characteristic or assessment of something
About the origin of the expression Columbus egg different sources report approximately
An interesting expression is to buy a pig in a poke. It can be classified as intuitive
If this expression let the red rooster fly read by a foreigner studying
Expression no bones to collect quite familiar to our Russian ears. His
Since ancient times, even before the advent of geometry, people tied measures of length to parts of their
It seemed like a well-known expression, you can't get there on a crooked goat . It means that
Orphan Kazan
Orphan Kazan - a very interesting expression. Orphan - understandable, but why exactly?
It turns out that the emergence of this phraseological unit is directly related to religion, more precisely to
Got it like chickens in cabbage soup they say when they unexpectedly find themselves in extremely unpleasant situations
Orphan Kazan - a very interesting expression. Orphan - understandable, but why exactly?
Like a goat's milk (to receive) - they talk about a person from whom there is no benefit,
King for a daythey talk about leaders or bosses who find themselves in power
Expression sink into oblivion familiar and understandable to everyone. It means to disappear from memory,
Name of the city-state Carthage we know from history books
Pulling chestnuts from the fire - this expression will gain complete clarity if we add to
This expression - squaring the circle, you've probably come across it somewhere. And that's what it is
Like looking into the water - an expression that is clear in meaning, but not immediately clear in meaning
The expression at the top of Ivanovo, or rather, to yell at the top of Ivanovo, is very well known
The expression or phrase and there are spots on the sun emphasizes that in the world
The expression even when an old woman suffers a hole speaks for itself. According to the dictionary
And you Brute! - an expression familiar to almost every educated person, even
Ivan, who does not remember his kinship, is a purely Russian expression rooted in our
Word candles in Russian has several meanings: first of all, these are candles for
Expression to make mountains out of molehills completely clear, does not contain any
Expression a hut on chicken legs Probably everyone knows it from childhood.
Kolomna verst Iron. A very tall man; big guy. - I can take you for the first time for safety,” Boreyko suggested. - No no! - Olga Semyonovna resolutely objected. - Firstly, everyone will pay attention to a Kolomna verst like you, and secondly, there is no one to babysit the children(A. Stepanov. The Zvonarev family). - The expression arose from an unflattering likening or comparison of a lanky man with high mileposts placed between Moscow and the village of Kolomenskoye, the royal summer residence, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. Lit.: Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language / Edited by prof. D. N. Ushakova. - M., 1935. - T. 1. - P. 254.
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.
Synonyms:See what “Kolomenskaya verst” is in other dictionaries:
Kolomna verst- fire tower, verst, uncle, with fire tower, tower, brute Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Kolomna verst noun, number of synonyms: 7 big guys (36) ... Synonym dictionary
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST- KOLOMENSKAYA VERST. see mile. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Kolomenskaya verst.- (from the old, seven hundredth versts). See MAN... IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people
Kolomenskaya verst- People's Joking. About a man of excessive height. DP, 309; FSRY, 60; Mokienko 1986, 35; BTS, 120; Yanin 2003, 54; BMS 1998, 76 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST- Milestone on Repin Square. From the town of Kolomna near Moscow, where for the first time in Russia, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, mileposts were installed... Petersburger's Dictionary
Kolomna verst- about a mile away, joke. About a very tall man. From the original name of the high mileposts placed from Moscow to the village of Kolomenskoye, where the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was... Dictionary of many expressions
verst- See couple, tall a mile, stand a mile, stand a mile, fifty (seven, one hundred) miles (drive) eat jelly (sip), about a mile... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999.… … Synonym dictionary
verst- Kolomenskaya verst or with Kolomenskaya verst (height) (colloquial) extremely tall, tall [from milestones placed along the road to the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in the village of Kolomenskoye, 18 km from Moscow]. The tall guy grew up like... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language
verst- s; pl. versts, versts; and. 1. An ancient Russian measure of length equal to 500 fathoms or 1.06 kilometers (used before the introduction of the metric system). Calculation of distance in versts. Lives two miles from here. I walked a mile (about that much)… encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
The antonym “verst Kolomenskaya” is a humorous form of designating a tall (long) person. According to legend, this phrase was first uttered by the father of Peter 1, Alexei Mikhailovich, who was popularly called “The Quietest.” He signed a decree that special pillars should be placed along all the main Russian roads, which would indicate the distance in miles. Later they began to be called " mileposts", or simply miles.
- , . Since the founding of the workshop 15 years ago, its activities have been devoted to the painting of canonical icons, the restoration of church paintings, as well as the painting of monastery premises. 15th anniversary... Buy for RUB 5,763
- Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Icon painting and restoration workshop of St. John of Damascus, Rybakova O. (eds.). Since the founding of the workshop 15 years ago, its activities have been devoted to the painting of canonical icons, the restoration of church paintings, as well as the painting of monastery premises. 15 year anniversary...
And the whole point is that it was precisely at that time that the so-called " little ice age"As a result, the weather was very cold, and the winters were very harsh and snowy. Therefore, so that the traveler would not get lost on the road in winter, wise villagers installed special bundles of straw or thick rods between their settlements.Therefore, the fact that milestones began to be erected cannot be called a special innovation; this matter was simply elevated to the state level. However, this was still a very smart decision and saved many lives in the endless Russian steppes.
The autocrat did not forget about himself; it was decided to significantly modernize the road from the Kremlin to Kolomenskoye, which was subsequently done. In the swampy areas, roads were laid, where the road needed to be leveled, wooden bridges were erected along the entire length so that His Highness would not cross the ford in a carriage, and mileposts were placed much higher (two fathoms) than on simple roads, and all of them were decorated with the coat of arms of Russia - a 2-headed eagle.It is worth noting that in those troubled times, one fathom was equal to 2 meters or a little more, which means the royal Kolomna pillar was a little more than 2 meters high
Village Kolomenskoye
This settlement belonged to various princes from Moscow. Historians believe that the very first mention of this village dates back to the time of the Great Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita.By the way, he received the nickname “Kalita” due to the fact that he constantly carried with him a small belt bag for money, which at that time was called “Kalita”
Much later, the Tsar of All Rus' John, nicknamed the Terrible, gave the order to build an amusement palace in Kolomenskoye, that is, a place for entertaining the nobility. The second Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty decided to make this building his summer residence or, as they say now, a dacha.
Young Peter 1 did not forget about this place, where he spent his entire childhood lifting up the skirts of his maids.
Nowadays, this palace is part of the historical heritage which houses a natural landscape and historical and architectural museum-reserve.Read also: what does Arshin swallow mean?
In Russia, the metric measurement system was established relatively recently, namely on June 4, 1899. However, this innovation was not mandatory. After the revolution on September 14, 1918, the metric system was made official, as evidenced by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, and until that moment we used the Russian system of measures
Vershok- equaled 4.44 cm, or 1/4 quarter or 1/16 arshinArshin- equaled 0.7112 m or 16 vershoks. At that time, an arshin was considered the length of an average human step, approximately 70 cm, if you walk at an average speed. Was the standard from which other measures of large quantities were based (verst, fathom)
Elbow- equal to the length of the arm from the elbow to the fingers, that is, 46-47 cm or 10.25-10.5 vershoks
Fathom- this word comes from the verb “to reach”, “to reach”, that is, how far you can reach with your hand. Previously there was a large number of fathoms, more than ten:
oblique- equaled 2.48 meters
mossy- equaled 1.76 meters. This length between the middle fingers of outstretched hands
no name- equaled 134.5 centimeters
small- equaled 142.4 centimeters
simple- equaled 150.8 centimeters
boat- equaled 159.7 centimeters
folk- equaled 176.0 centimeters
church- equaled 186.4 centimeters
royal- equaled 197.4 centimeters
state-owned- equaled 217.6 centimeters
Greek- equaled 230.4 centimeters
great- equaled 244.0 centimeters
no name- equaled 258.4 centimeters
policewoman- equaled 284.8 centimeters
Boundary mile- equaled 2.16 kilometers. It was used for boundary measures, for example, to measure pastures near large cities, and in Siberia it was used to measure between villages
Verst- over time, its size changed, for example, the number of fathoms included in it and the length of the fathom itself changed. By decree of 1649, the size of the verst was established at 1000 fathoms. Already Peter the Great invented another mile, which was called “travel”. It was equal to 500 fathoms.
Somersault span- equaled 27-31 centimeters and was a designation of the distance between the little finger and thumb
Small span- equaled 17.78 cm and indicated the distance between the spaced middle (or index) and thumb
Span- This is an old Russian measure of length. After the 17th century, the length that was equal to one span was called a “quarter” or “quarter arshin”
Step- equaled 71 cm, and was a designation of the average length of a human step
Use of the expression verst Kolomenskaya in literature
“At school they didn’t immediately fall in love with her, but later realizing that she was a sunny and gentle person, they began to treat her very well. However, her nickname was still “Verst Kolomenskaya” for her great height.”
("Versta Kolomenskaya" by O. Kuzmin)“He is almost sixteen years old. He has grown in size and become like the Kolomna verst.”
("Peter the Great" by A. N. Tolstoy)“If you want, I’ll go with you for your safety,” Boreyko asked.
“Under no circumstances,” said Olga Semyonovna. “Understand, at such a mile from Kolomna, everyone in the district will begin to pay attention, especially since there will be no one to babysit the children.”
("Port Arthur" by A. Stepanov)Why do we say this, Kolomna verst, etc.
The village of Kolomenskoye is located not far from Moscow and has always historically belonged to the ruling dynasty - first the Rurikovichs, and then the Romanovs. Ivan the Terrible loved to organize feasts there for those close to him; for False Dmitry the Second, the village served as a military headquarters, and in later and calmer times, as they would say now, as a dacha.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov really loved spending time there with his family. Therefore, the warmest childhood memories of Peter I are associated with this place.
So, we figured out the meaning of the first word of our phraseological unit. As for “verst”, everyone already knows that this is a measure of length that is slightly more than 1 km. It was used until the end of the 19th century, until a reform of measures was carried out.
So, miles were used to determine the distance, first of all, from one settlement to another. Please pay attention to the following points:
- In those days, roads between settlements were not illuminated.
- People rode horses (rarely), often in carriages and on foot.
- The distance between settlements was not small.
In such a situation, one could easily get lost, and this could even lead to death. Imagine what it’s like to lose your way in winter, in severe frost and blizzard. This is certain death.
That is why the decision was made at the state level to mark the road with poles. The distance between them was exactly 1 mile. They were painted with slanted stripes and had signs. Thanks to such pillars, a person did not lose sight of the road and understood how much distance was left behind.
There was a special road along the route "Moscow - Kolomenskoye". During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, pillars were installed along the route of the royal family, higher than usual. Each of them had a double-headed eagle attached to it. The distance between such pillars was standard - 1 verst.
But, due to the fact that these pillars were strikingly different from the usual ones, people did not really like them - too tall, very large, they cause inconvenience to ordinary people, etc.
Expression value
So the expression “Kolomenskaya verst” came into being, which means a tall man.
In ordinary, colloquial modern speech, this phrase is no longer used. It can be found in the works of, well, at most, authors until the middle of the last century.
In order to correctly understand the meaning of one or another speech pattern present in the Russian language, one often has to look into the distant past and delve into historical chronicles. This also applies to the mysterious phraseological unit “Verst Kolomenskaya”. Fortunately, Russian history provides answers to questions about what it means and where it came from.
“Versta Kolomenskaya”: the origin of the phraseological unit
So, how did this expression become part of the Russian language? To begin with, it’s worth understanding the meaning of each of the words that are present in the speech construction “Vesta Kolomenskaya”. The history of the village of Kolomenskoye began many centuries ago; it was first mentioned in chronicles during the reign of Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita, or rather in 1336. At different times, the village was owned by various princes of the capital, then the kings paid attention to it.
The village of Kolomenskoye began to play an important role with the accession to the throne of Ivan the Terrible. It was he who first began to celebrate his name day, where all the capital’s nobility began to flock to the feasts. In 1610, the village became the headquarters of the notorious False Dmitry II, but only for a short time. However, it reached its greatest prosperity during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, who loved to spend the summer months there with his family and associates. Peter the Great lived there for most of his childhood, indulging in fun activities. Nowadays, the village plays the role of a museum-reserve; this status was assigned to it in the first half of the last century.
What is verst
Versta is another word that is an integral part of the expression “Kolomenskaya verst”. This is what was used throughout the Russian Empire before the metric system was introduced, which only happened in 1899. For reference, a mile is 1.006680 km.
At that time, it was customary to call a mile not only the above-mentioned length segment, but also the pillars, which played the role of a kind of road signs informing travelers about the miles traveled, thanks to which they could not get lost and die. The roads on which such signs were placed were called pillar roads. Traditionally, mileposts were painted with slanted stripes, this was done so that they would attract the attention of travelers. The post indicated the exact number of miles that remained to be walked to (or from) a certain settlement.
Emperor's decree
So, where did the expression “Kolomenskaya verst” come from? This happened thanks to the autocrat Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest by his subjects. The Tsar issued a decree in which he ordered the erection of special pillars along all important Russian roads. The distance in miles was indicated on the pillars. Subsequently, these structures began to be called versts or milestones. History claims that this innovation saved many inhabitants of the Russian Empire from death in the snow.
What does “Kolomenskaya verst” have to do with it? The fact is that the autocrat, taking care of his subjects, did not forget about his own convenience. By his order, the road that allowed access to the village from the Kremlin was decorated with special pillars. They were much taller than those installed on “simple” roads and looked more impressive. Moreover, each pillar was decorated with a drawing depicting the country’s coat of arms.
The meaning of phraseology
Surprisingly, the local residents did not like the “imperial” pillars, endowed with impressive dimensions. They constantly complained that they made it difficult to use the road. The road was immediately renamed “pillar”, and then the phrase “Kolomenskaya verst” appeared. Its meaning turned out to be quite unexpected. After all, this is what they began to call people of very tall stature. The new phraseological unit quickly took root in the Russian language.
So, what does “Kolomenskaya verst” mean? To better understand this, synonyms that fit this turn of phrase will help: big man, kalancha, lanky. In most cases, this stable construction is used in an ironic sense, whether we are talking about written or spoken language.
Usage examples
Phraseologism, the meaning of which is discussed in this article, is often found in the literature. For example, one can recall the work “The Zvonarev Family”, written by the author. The heroine points out to the hero, who offers to accompany her, to the fact that all people will pay attention to such a “Kolomna mile” as he does, and she does not want this. The implication is that the man is very tall, which allows him to stand out from the crowd without making any effort.
In the Russian language there are a large number of popular expressions, the meaning of which is not obvious. Sometimes even the use in context does not help to correctly interpret this or that phrase. Among such phraseological units is the well-known “Kolomenskaya verst”.
The expression “Kolomenskaya verst” has been known in Russian for a long time. However, not everyone will be able to correctly answer the question of what it means. Usually “Kolomenskaya verst” is used to describe very tall people. The best way to understand the meaning of a phraseological unit is its synonyms, which include the words: kalancha, lanky, etc. The phraseological unit quickly took root in the Russian language and became widespread. As a rule, the popular expression “Kolomenskaya verst” is ironic. It is still often found both in written and oral speech of the people.
Another rather interesting question is the origin of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”. Well-known historical information will help you get an idea of how the phrase appeared in the Russian language. But first, let's look at the components of the expression. As for the word “verst”, it is only necessary to note that this is an ancient measure of length, equal to a segment of a little more than a kilometer. However, in ancient times, “verst” was also called pillars that played the role of original road signs. Thanks to these pillars, travelers found their way around the roads.
The phraseological unit also owes its origin to the village of Kolomenskoye, whose history began many years ago. The first mention of it was found in the chronicles of the reign of Prince Ivan Kalita. This village has had many rulers, but it began to play a significant role during the time of Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar made a decision according to which the celebration of his name day took place in the Kolomna Palace. Of course, this entailed that all the nobility began to come here.
Somewhat later, Kolomenskoye was noted in history thanks to the famous False Dmitry the Second. The village truly flourished when Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov reigned. The Emperor really enjoyed spending the summer months in this picturesque place. Nowadays, Kolomenskoye has turned into a museum-reserve. Tsar Romanov issued a decree according to which similar signs appeared on all important Russian roads.
But Alexey Mikhailovich paid special attention to the pillars that went from the Kremlin to the previously mentioned village: they were noticeably higher and looked surprisingly impressive. In addition, these signs were decorated with the state coat of arms. It was the height of these pillars that served as the reason for the appearance of the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”.
Kolomna verst Iron. A very tall man; big guy. - I can take you for the first time for safety,” Boreyko suggested. - No no! - Olga Semyonovna resolutely objected. - Firstly, everyone will pay attention to a Kolomna verst like you, and secondly, there is no one to babysit the children(A. Stepanov. The Zvonarev family). - The expression arose from an unflattering likening or comparison of a lanky man with high mileposts placed between Moscow and the village of Kolomenskoye, the royal summer residence, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. Lit.: Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language / Edited by prof. D. N. Ushakova. - M., 1935. - T. 1. - P. 254.
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.
Synonyms:See what “Kolomenskaya verst” is in other dictionaries:
Kolomna verst- fire tower, verst, uncle, with fire tower, tower, brute Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Kolomna verst noun, number of synonyms: 7 big guys (36) ... Synonym dictionary
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST- KOLOMENSKAYA VERST. see mile. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Kolomenskaya verst.- (from the old, seven hundredth versts). See MAN... IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people
Kolomenskaya verst- People's Joking. About a man of excessive height. DP, 309; FSRY, 60; Mokienko 1986, 35; BTS, 120; Yanin 2003, 54; BMS 1998, 76 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings
KOLOMENSKAYA VERST- Milestone on Repin Square. From the town of Kolomna near Moscow, where for the first time in Russia, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, mileposts were installed... Petersburger's Dictionary
Kolomna verst- about a mile away, joke. About a very tall man. From the original name of the high mileposts placed from Moscow to the village of Kolomenskoye, where the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was... Dictionary of many expressions
verst- See couple, tall a mile, stand a mile, stand a mile, fifty (seven, one hundred) miles (drive) eat jelly (sip), about a mile... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999.… … Synonym dictionary
verst- Kolomenskaya verst or with Kolomenskaya verst (height) (colloquial) extremely tall, tall [from milestones placed along the road to the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in the village of Kolomenskoye, 18 km from Moscow]. The tall guy grew up like... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language
verst- s; pl. versts, versts; and. 1. An ancient Russian measure of length equal to 500 fathoms or 1.06 kilometers (used before the introduction of the metric system). Calculation of distance in versts. Lives two miles from here. I walked a mile (about that much)… encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- , . Since the founding of the workshop 15 years ago, its activities have been devoted to the painting of canonical icons, the restoration of church paintings, as well as the painting of monastery premises. 15th anniversary... Buy for RUB 5,763
- Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Icon painting and restoration workshop of St. John of Damascus, Rybakova O. (eds.). Since the founding of the workshop 15 years ago, its activities have been devoted to the painting of canonical icons, the restoration of church paintings, as well as the painting of monastery premises. 15 year anniversary...
0
Since ancient times, there have been nicknames for people who in some way stand out from the crowd. However, not all of them are easy to interpret and understand the meaning and origin of such expressions and jargon. Add our resource site to your bookmarks, and you will be able to find answers to most of your questions. Today we’ll talk about another catchphrase, this Versta Kolomenskaya, you will learn the meaning of the phraseological unit a little below.
However, before continuing, I would like to recommend you a couple more sensible publications on the topic of sayings and proverbs. For example, what does the saying mean: Those who want, look for ways; those who do not want reasons; meaning: Fight and search, find and not give up; what does it mean? If I knew where to fall, I would spread straws; the meaning of the phraseological unit Shirt guy, etc.
So, let's continue, the meaning of phraseology?
Versta Kolomenskaya- this is what they say in a joking tone about a very tall person
Synonym Versta Kolomenskaya: Uncle Styopa.
The origin of Versta Kolomenskaya has deep historical roots. At one time, the Tsar of All Rus', Alexei Mikhailovich, who was also the father of Peter the Great, decided to engage in the improvement of the vast Russian expanses. Instead of laying asphalt or concrete on the broken primers, he limited himself to an order that indicated the installation of poles on the roads. These poles were supposed to be in verst from each other.
The fact is that in winter there was so much snow on the ground that the road literally disappeared under it, and it was impossible to find the way home. There were often cases when peasants or coachmen got lost in the snowy expanses and froze to death.
The pillars themselves were poles with bundles of straw tied on top. Of course, the king could not ignore his person, and having done a good deed for the people, he decided to pamper himself. By his order, the road leading from the Kremlin to the village of Kolomenskoye was handed over to professional contractors who built bridges, filled in swampy sections of the route, and of course did not forget about the fashionable novelty - mileposts. By the way, these posts turned out to be higher than on a simple road, and had a height of about two fathoms (4 meters), decorated on top not with straw, but with royal eagles carved on wood.
In general, the idea turned out to be quite popular, and these columns are still used in our time, although the distance between them is not a mile, but a kilometer.
After the “cutter” of windows to Europe took over the kingdom, he continued his father’s work in arranging roads. Milestones were placed along all significant roads, especially where postal carriages ran. True, the distance between them was already only 500 fathoms, and the Kolomna versts have since been associated among the people with something tall and lanky. It’s no joke, their height, I repeat, was about 4 meters, which was quite a lot at that time.
After reading this article, you learned What does Versta Kolomenskaya mean?, meaning
In order to correctly understand the meaning of one or another speech pattern present in the Russian language, one often has to look into the distant past and delve into historical chronicles. This also applies to the mysterious phraseological unit “Verst Kolomenskaya”. Fortunately, Russian history provides answers to questions about what it means and where it came from.
“Versta Kolomenskaya”: the origin of the phraseological unit
So, how did this expression become part of the Russian language? To begin with, it’s worth understanding the meaning of each of the words that are present in the speech construction “Vesta Kolomenskaya”. The history of the village of Kolomenskoye began many centuries ago; it was first mentioned in chronicles during the reign of Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita, or rather in 1336. At different times, the village was owned by various princes of the capital, then the kings paid attention to it.
The village of Kolomenskoye began to play an important role with the accession to the throne of Ivan the Terrible. It was he who first began to celebrate his name day, where all the capital’s nobility began to flock to the feasts. In 1610, the village became the headquarters of the notorious False Dmitry II, but only for a short time. However, it reached its greatest prosperity during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, who loved to spend the summer months there with his family and associates. Peter the Great lived there for most of his childhood, indulging in fun activities. Nowadays, the village plays the role of a museum-reserve; this status was assigned to it in the first half of the last century.
What is verst
Versta is another word that is an integral part of the expression “Kolomenskaya verst”. This is what was used throughout the Russian Empire before the metric system was introduced, which only happened in 1899. For reference, a mile is 1.006680 km.
At that time, it was customary to call a mile not only the above-mentioned length segment, but also the pillars, which played the role of a kind of road signs informing travelers about the miles traveled, thanks to which they could not get lost and die. The roads on which such signs were placed were called pillar roads. Traditionally, mileposts were painted with slanted stripes, this was done so that they would attract the attention of travelers. The post indicated the exact number of miles that remained to be walked to (or from) a certain settlement.
Emperor's decree
So, where did the expression “Kolomenskaya verst” come from? This happened thanks to the autocrat Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest by his subjects. The Tsar issued a decree in which he ordered the erection of special pillars along all important Russian roads. The distance in miles was indicated on the pillars. Subsequently, these structures began to be called versts or milestones. History claims that this innovation saved many inhabitants of the Russian Empire from death in the snow.
What does “Kolomenskaya verst” have to do with it? The fact is that the autocrat, taking care of his subjects, did not forget about his own convenience. By his order, the road that allowed access to the village from the Kremlin was decorated with special pillars. They were much taller than those installed on “simple” roads and looked more impressive. Moreover, each pillar was decorated with a drawing depicting the country’s coat of arms.
The meaning of phraseology
Surprisingly, the local residents did not like the “imperial” pillars, endowed with impressive dimensions. They constantly complained that they made it difficult to use the road. The road was immediately renamed “pillar”, and then the phrase “Kolomenskaya verst” appeared. Its meaning turned out to be quite unexpected. After all, this is what they began to call people of very tall stature. The new phraseological unit quickly took root in the Russian language.
So, what does “Kolomenskaya verst” mean? To better understand this, synonyms that fit this turn of phrase will help: big man, kalancha, lanky. In most cases, this stable construction is used in an ironic sense, whether we are talking about written or spoken language.
Usage examples
Phraseologism, the meaning of which is discussed in this article, is often found in the literature. For example, one can recall the work “The Zvonarev Family”, written by the author. The heroine points out to the hero, who offers to accompany her, to the fact that all people will pay attention to such a “Kolomna mile” as he does, and she does not want this. The implication is that the man is very tall, which allows him to stand out from the crowd without making any effort.
You can also turn to the famous historical novel “Peter the Great,” which was created by the writer Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy. The hero of the work describes the growth of a teenage boy, says that he has already managed to stretch out “as big as Kolomna’s mile” during the time he has not seen him.
What else do you need to know
It is obvious that the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst” has not only synonyms. The antonym that works best is shorty. You can also use other words - short, short.
It is also necessary to take into account that the order of words in this case does not play a significant role. “Kolomenskaya verst” or “Kolomenskaya verst” - the meaning remains the same, no matter what option the speaker uses.
"Uncle Styopa was coming home from work,
It was visible a mile away."
Who doesn't remember these poems from childhood? Why are very tall people called “Kolomenskaya verst”, like Uncle Styopa was, a very tall man?
“Kolomenskaya Versta” is the name given to tall, thin people. This expression came into use in the 18th century, when Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great, was Tsar. The Tsar began arranging the road to the royal summer residence in the village of Kolomenskoye and ordered the distance from Moscow to Kolomenskoye to be re-measured.
Installed all along the road mileposts unusually high altitude. That is why such roads began to be called pillar roads, and the phraseology “Kolomenskaya verst” began to be used to designate something very large, going beyond the limits, including very tall people.
Milestones began to be installed later in St. Petersburg and its environs.
During the time of Catherine II, the southern border of St. Petersburg ran along the Fontanka River, so the first mileposts were installed on the embankment of the Fontanka River on the banks of the river: along the Tsarskoye Selo road at the Obukhovsky Bridge, and along the Peterhof road at the Kalinkin Bridge. The last milestones were installed - in Tsarskoe Selo at the Orlov Gate and in Peterhof at the Upper Garden.
It is believed that the author of the “marble milestone pyramids” project is the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi (1709-1794), the author of numerous architectural projects for St. Petersburg and its suburbs, both implemented and those that remained unrealized. A. Rinaldi worked in St. Petersburg from 1754 to 1779. There is another version of the creation of the pillars: the author is J. Vallin-Delamot, and the construction was carried out by A. Rinaldi. Be that as it may, mileposts are an interesting landmark of our city.
Milestone on the Fontanka (Moskovsky Prospekt). Sundial. (My Photo)
In St. Petersburg, several marble milestones have been preserved, which were installed during the time of Catherine the Second on the road leading to Tsarskoe Selo, starting from the city border, which then ran along the Fontanka. All of them were equipped with a sundial, the simplest chronometer in the world: the shadow from a special stick falls on the dial and moves with the sun.
Milestone on the Fontanka, Moskovsky Avenue. Indicates distance.
It's a long way from Moscow! On the left side is a sundial on a pole. (My Photo)
Milestone in Peterhof near the Upper Park. (Photo from the Internet)
Milestone on Stachek Avenue, at the intersection with Trefoleva Street
Here it is - Kolomna Mile
Versta Kolomenskaya is a very tall man (jokingly). The origin of the expression is due to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great. Alexey Mikhailovich, nicknamed “The Quietest,” ordered the installation of pillars along the roads, indicating the distance in miles (these pillars were called either “versts” or “milestones”), because at that time in Rus' it was customary in winter, when snow covered the road , place milestones along it - poles with a bunch of straw so that the traveler does not lose his way. So the king’s decision was an innovation, a kind of revolution in road construction. Well, the tsar took special care of the road leading from the Kremlin to Kolomenskoye: they filled it up, laid roads, built bridges and installed higher pillars (two fathoms with eagles on top) than anywhere else.In those days, a fathom was a little more than two meters, that is, the Kolomna pillar was 4 meters high
Village Kolomenskoye
It belonged to the Moscow princes. The first official mention of it is considered to be the will of Ivan Kalita, in which he assigned Kolomenskoye to his youngest son Andrei. Ivan the Terrible built an amusing palace in Kolomenskoye, that is, a pleasure palace. Alexey Mikhailovich made Kolomenskoye his summer residence. Peter I spent his childhood in Kolomenskoye. Today Kolomenskoye is a state art historical, architectural and natural landscape museum-reserve.
Russian measures of length
***
Step - average human step length = 71 cm.
***
The span is an ancient Russian measure of length (since the 17th century, a length equal to a span was called “a quarter of an arshin”, “a quarter”)
***
Small span - the distance between the ends of the spread thumb and index (or middle) fingers = 17.78 cm.
***
Large span - the distance between the ends of the thumb and little finger = 22-23 cm.
***
A span with a somersault - a span with the addition of two joints of the index club = 27-31 cm
***
Verst - its size changed several times depending on the number of fathoms included in it and the length of the fathom. The Code of 1649 established a “boundary mile” of 1 thousand fathoms. In the 18th century, through the efforts of Peter the Great, along with it, a “way mile” of 500 fathoms began to be used
***
The boundary mile is 2.16 km. It was used as a boundary measure, usually when determining pastures around large cities, and in Siberia - and to measure distances between settlements
***
Fathom (comes from the verb to reach (reach) - as far as one could reach with one’s hand). There were more than ten different fathoms
- policewoman - 284.8 cm,
- without name - 258.4 cm,
- great - 244.0 cm,
- Greek - 230.4 cm,
- breech - 217.6 cm,
- royal - 197.4 cm,
- church - 186.4 cm,
- folk - 176.0 cm, k
- palm - 159.7 cm,
- simple - 150.8 cm,
- small - 142.4 cm
- no name - 134.5 cm
- moss (the distance between the ends of the middle fingers of arms outstretched to the sides is 1.76 m.
- oblique - 2.48 m
***
Elbow (equal to the length of the arm from fingers to elbow) = 10.25-10.5 vershoks (approximately 46-47 cm)
***
Palm = 1/6 cubit
***
Arshin = 16 vershoks or 0.7112 m. Arshin denoted the length of a human step (about seventy centimeters, when walking on the plain, at an average pace) and was the base value for other large measures of determining length, distances (fathom, verst)
***
Vershok - 1/16 arshin, 1/4 quarter - 4.44 cm
The metric system for measuring length was introduced in Russia on June 4, 1899, but was not mandatory; it was adopted as official by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of September 14, 1918
Use of the phraseological unit verst Kolomenskaya
-
“I can take you for the first time for safety,” Boreyko suggested. - No no! - Olga Semyonovna resolutely objected. “Firstly, everyone will pay attention to a Kolomna verst like you, and secondly, there is no one to babysit the children.”(A. Stepanov “Port Arthur”).
-
“He is already fifteen years old. Stretched out a mile from Kolomna"(A. N. Tolstoy. “Peter the Great”)
-
“The group loved her: not immediately, but eventually appreciating her soft, sunny character. But they still nicknamed me for his height – Verstaya Kolomenskaya.”(O. Kuzmina “Versta Kolomenskaya”)
And the whole point is that it was precisely at that time that the so-called " little ice age"As a result, the weather was very cold, and the winters were very harsh and snowy. Therefore, so that the traveler would not get lost on the road in winter, wise villagers installed special bundles of straw or thick rods between their settlements.
Therefore, the fact that milestones began to be erected cannot be called a special innovation; this matter was simply elevated to the state level. However, this was still a very smart decision and saved many lives in the endless Russian steppes.
The autocrat did not forget about himself; it was decided to significantly modernize the road from the Kremlin to Kolomenskoye, which was subsequently done. In the swampy areas, roads were laid, where the road needed to be leveled, wooden bridges were erected along the entire length so that His Highness would not cross the ford in a carriage, and mileposts were placed much higher (two fathoms) than on simple roads, and all of them were decorated with the coat of arms of Russia - a 2-headed eagle.
It is worth noting that in those troubled times, one fathom was equal to 2 meters or a little more, which means the royal Kolomna pillar was a little more than 2 meters high
Village Kolomenskoye
This settlement belonged to various princes from Moscow. Historians believe that the very first mention of this village dates back to the time of the Great Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita.By the way, he received the nickname “Kalita” due to the fact that he constantly carried with him a small belt bag for money, which at that time was called “Kalita”
Much later, the Tsar of All Rus' John, nicknamed the Terrible, gave the order to build an amusement palace in Kolomenskoye, that is, a place for entertaining the nobility. The second Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty decided to make this building his summer residence or, as they say now, a dacha. Young Peter 1 did not forget about this place, where he spent his entire childhood lifting up the skirts of his maids.
Nowadays, this palace is part of the historical heritage which houses a natural landscape and historical and architectural museum-reserve.
Read also: what does Arshin swallow mean?
In Russia, the metric measurement system was established relatively recently, namely on June 4, 1899. However, this innovation was not mandatory. After the revolution on September 14, 1918, the metric system was made official, as evidenced by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, and until that moment we used the Russian system of measures
Vershok- equaled 4.44 cm, or 1/4 quarter or 1/16 arshin
Arshin- equaled 0.7112 m or 16 vershoks. At that time, an arshin was considered the length of an average human step, approximately 70 cm, if you walk at an average speed. Was the standard from which other measures of large quantities were based (verst, fathom)
Elbow- equal to the length of the arm from the elbow to the fingers, that is, 46-47 cm or 10.25-10.5 vershoks
Fathom- this word comes from the verb “to reach”, “to reach”, that is, how far you can reach with your hand. Previously there was a large number of fathoms, more than ten:
oblique- equaled 2.48 meters
mossy- equaled 1.76 meters. This length between the middle fingers of outstretched hands
no name- equaled 134.5 centimeters
small- equaled 142.4 centimeters
simple- equaled 150.8 centimeters
boat- equaled 159.7 centimeters
folk- equaled 176.0 centimeters
church- equaled 186.4 centimeters
royal- equaled 197.4 centimeters
state-owned- equaled 217.6 centimeters
Greek- equaled 230.4 centimeters
great- equaled 244.0 centimeters
no name- equaled 258.4 centimeters
policewoman- equaled 284.8 centimeters
Boundary mile- equaled 2.16 kilometers. It was used for boundary measures, for example, to measure pastures near large cities, and in Siberia it was used to measure between villages
Verst- over time, its size changed, for example, the number of fathoms included in it and the length of the fathom itself changed. By decree of 1649, the size of the verst was established at 1000 fathoms. Already Peter the Great invented another mile, which was called “travel”. It was equal to 500 fathoms.
Somersault span- equaled 27-31 centimeters and was a designation of the distance between the little finger and thumb
Small span- equaled 17.78 cm and indicated the distance between the spaced middle (or index) and thumb
Span- This is an old Russian measure of length. After the 17th century, the length that was equal to one span was called a “quarter” or “quarter arshin”
Step- equaled 71 cm, and was a designation of the average length of a human step
Use of the expression verst Kolomenskaya in literature
“At school they didn’t immediately fall in love with her, but later realizing that she was a sunny and gentle person, they began to treat her very well. However, her nickname was still “Verst Kolomenskaya” for her great height.”("Versta Kolomenskaya" by O. Kuzmin)
“He is almost sixteen years old. He has grown in size and become like the Kolomna verst.”
("Peter the Great" by A. N. Tolstoy)
“If you want, I’ll go with you for your safety,” Boreyko asked.
“Under no circumstances,” said Olga Semyonovna. “Understand, at such a mile from Kolomna, everyone in the district will begin to pay attention, especially since there will be no one to babysit the children.”
("Port Arthur" by A. Stepanov)
Why do we say this, Kolomna verst, etc.
