The village of Kolomenskoye is located near Moscow and has always historically belonged to ruling dynasty- at the beginning of the Rurikovich, and then the Romanovs. Ivan the Terrible liked to arrange feasts for his close associates there, for False Dmitry II the village served as a military headquarters, and in later and quieter times, as they would say now, a dacha.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov was very fond of spending time there with his family. Therefore, the most good memories childhood of Peter I are associated with this place.
So, we figured out the meaning of the first word of our phraseological unit. As for the "verst", everyone already knows that this is such a measure of length, which is a little more than 1 km. It was used until the end of the 19th century, until the measures were reformed.
So, versts determined the distance, and above all from one settlement to another. Please pay attention to the following points:
- In those days, roads between settlements were not illuminated.
- People traveled on horseback (rarely), often in a carriage and on foot.
- The distance between settlements was not small.
In such a situation, it was easy to get lost, and this threatened even death. Imagine what it's like to lose your way in winter, in hard frost and blizzard. This is certain death.
That is why a decision was made at the state level - to mark the road with poles. The distance between them was exactly 1 verst. They were painted with a slanted stripe and had signs. Thanks to such pillars, a person did not lose sight of the road and understood what distance was left behind.
A special road was along the route "Moscow - Kolomenskoye". During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, pillars were installed along the route of the royal family, higher than usual. On each of them was attached a double-headed eagle. The distance between such pillars was standard - 1 verst.
But, due to the fact that these pillars were strikingly different from the usual ones, the people did not really like them - too high, very large, from them an inconvenience to ordinary people, etc.
Expression value
Here comes the expression " Kolomna verst", which means - a person of high stature. 
In ordinary, colloquial modern speech, this phrase is no longer used. It can be found in the works, well, maximum, of authors until the middle of the last century.
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Since ancient times, there have been nicknames for people who somehow 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 can find answers to most of your questions. Let's talk about another one today. catchphrase, This Versta Kolomenskaya, you will learn the meaning of phraseology a little lower.
However, before continuing, I would like to recommend you a couple more sensible publications on the subject of sayings and proverbs. For example, what does the saying mean Who wants, looks for ways, who does not want reasons; meaning To fight and seek, to find and not to give up; what does it mean If I knew where to fall, I would lay straws; the meaning of the phraseological unit Shirt guy, etc.
So, let's continue, the meaning of phraseology?
Versta Kolomenskaya- so in a joking tone they say about a very tall person
Synonym of Versta Kolomenskaya: Uncle Styopa.
The origin of Verst 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 start ennobling the vast Russian expanses. Instead of laying asphalt or concrete on broken primers, he limited himself to an order that ordered the installation of poles on the roads. These poles should have been in verst from each other.
The fact is that in winter so much snow fell on the ground that the road literally disappeared under it, and it was impossible to find the way home. There were frequent 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 bypass his person, and having done a good deed for the people, he decided to treat himself to his beloved. By his order, the tract leading from the Kremlin to the village of Kolomenskoye was given to professional contractors who built bridges, covered the marshy sections of the route, and of course did not forget about the fashionable novelty - milestones. By the way, these columns 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 in demand, and these columns are used in our time, though the distance between them is not a verst, but a kilometer.
After the "cutter" of windows to Europe entered the kingdom, he continued his father's work of arranging roads. milestones were placed along all significant routes, especially where mail coaches plyed. True, the distance between them was already only 500 fathoms, and the people of Kolomna Versts have since been associated with something tall and lanky. It's no joke, their height, I repeat, was about 4 meters, which at that time was quite a lot.
By reading this article, you have learned What does Versta Kolomenskaya mean?, meaning
The meaning of the phraseological unit "Kolomenskaya verst" is of interest to everyone who wants to enrich their lexicon. The meaning that this speech turnover is fraught with 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?
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. To begin with, it is worth understanding what a verst is. IN old days this word denoted a measure of length, which was used in 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 corresponds to today's 1066.8 meters.
road poles
Of course, the above information does not reveal the meaning of the phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst". However, it should be borne in mind that our ancestors called a verst not only a segment, the length of which is 1006.8 meters. The word also denoted special poles, which in the past took over the tasks of road signs.
What were the pointers for? Thanks to them, travelers learned about how many miles they had already traveled, how much was left. This means that the probability of going astray for them was significantly reduced. Roads with such poles were called pole roads.
For many years, milestones were painted with slanted stripes. So spectacular appearance made them more visible to people who used the road. The pillar contained information about the distance from it to the nearest settlements.
History of the village of Kolomenskoye
So, the meaning of the phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst" is still a mystery. And here the village of Kolomenskoye is a question that arises in any person who is trying to unravel it. The history of this settlement has been going on for several centuries. The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1336, during the reign of Ivan Kalita.
For many 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 heyday to the infamous ruler Ivan the Terrible. This king began to use the Kolomna Palace for festivities, the guests of which were the entire color 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, who fell in love with relaxing in Kolomenskoye with his family. Interestingly, the phraseological unit “Kolomenskaya verst”, the origin of which is considered in this article, owes its appearance to this particular king, who was popularly called the Quietest. Liked the village and Peter the Great, whose childhood was spent there. Now Kolomenskoye is a museum-reserve, this decision was made by the authorities in the first half of the last century.
Phraseologism "Kolomenskaya Verst": history of origin
So, how did the mysterious speech turnover come about in the Russian language? Phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst", as already mentioned, appeared thanks to Tsar Alexei Romanov. It was this autocrat who issued a decree according to which all important roads The Russian Empire had to acquire signposts. the main task such devices - not to let travelers get lost. Modern researchers believe that the royal decree saved from death in the snow a large number of of people.
It has already been mentioned above that such pillars were popularly called versts. But what about the village of Kolomenskoye? The fact is that the ruler of the Russian Empire thought about his own comfort. Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the creation of special signs intended for the road connecting the village and the Kremlin. These structures made an impression due to the height, which was much greater than that of ordinary pillars. It is also interesting that each of the "Kolomensky miles" was endowed with the image of the coat of arms of the state.
Meaning
Of course, I want to understand not only how the phraseologism appeared, but also what it means. "Kolomenskaya Verst" - a nickname that the people began to give very tall people. Most often, an offensive or ironic meaning is put into this phrase by the speaker or writer. This happened because local residents did not like the "royal" pillars. They never ceased to complain about their bulky dimensions, which complicated the process of using the road.
As a result, representatives of the masses, dissatisfied with the tsarist 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 speech turnover “Kolomenskaya verst” is clear. The meaning and origin of a phraseological unit will be remembered by synonyms that can be selected for it. Lanky, tower, tall - words with which this stable structure can be replaced if desired. When choosing synonyms, it must be borne in mind that ironic meaning is most often invested in this phraseological unit.
Of course, there are antonyms - words and expressions that have the opposite meaning. Now it is no longer a secret what origin the speech turnover "Kolomenskaya verst" has, the meaning of phraseology. It is easy to find an antonym for him. For example, the following words are suitable: short, short, short.
Examples of using
The speech turnover "Kolomenskaya verst" is more common in literary works, than in colloquial speech. For examples that will help you remember it better, you don’t have to look far. For example, we can recall the historical novel "Peter the Great", the author of which is Alexei 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 out "from the Kolomna verst" 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 verst" as he does, which she wants to avoid. Speaking of this, the woman alludes to high growth a supposed companion that would draw unwanted attention to them.
What else to remember
Does the order of the placement of words matter, does the meaning that is embedded in speech depend on this? No, one can say not only "Kolomenskaya verst", but also "Kolomenskaya verst". The essence of this will not change at all, it will still imply a very tall person.
"Uncle Styopa was walking from work,
It was visible from a mile away."
Who does not remember these poems from childhood? And why are people of very large stature called "Kolomenskaya verst", which was Uncle Styopa, a man of very large stature?
"Kolomenskaya verst" 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 the tsar. The tsar took up the arrangement of the road to the royal summer residence in the village of Kolomenskoye and ordered to re-measure the distance from Moscow to Kolomenskoye.
Installed all over the road milestones extraordinarily high altitude. That is why such roads began to be called pillar roads, and the phraseological unit "Kolomenskaya verst" began to be used to refer to something very large, going beyond, 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 passed along the Fontanka River, so the first milestones were installed on the embankment of the Fontanka River on the banks of the river: along the Tsarskoselskaya road near the Obukhovsky bridge, and along the Peterhof road near the Kalinkin bridge. The last mileposts were installed - in Tsarskoye Selo at the Orlov Gates and in Peterhof near the Upper Garden.
It is believed that the author of the project of "marble verst pyramids" is italian architect Antonio Rinaldi (1709-1794), author of numerous architectural projects Petersburg and its suburbs, both realized and 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, milestones 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 II on the road leading to Tsarskoye Selo, starting from the border of the city, which then passed along the Fontanka. All of them were equipped sundial, the simplest chronometer in the world: the shadow of a special stick falls on the dial and moves along with the sun.
Milestone on the Fontanka, Moskovsky Prospekt. Specifies the distance.
Far from Moscow! On the left side is a sundial on a pole. (My Photo)
Milepost in Peterhof near the Upper Park. (Photo from the Internet)
Milestone on Stachek Avenue, at the intersection with Trefoleva Street
The Russian language is famous for the abundance of phraseological units, the meaning of which is difficult to guess even for its native speakers. For example, what is the meaning of the expression "Kolomenskaya Verst"? This information will be useful for anyone who seeks to expand their vocabulary.
Phraseologism "Kolomenskaya Verst": origin
So where did this speech come from? What meaning does he have in himself? What synonyms can replace it? The expression "Kolomenskaya verst" came into use during the reign of Alexei Romanov. The ruler of the Russian Empire ordered the installation of road poles, which were designed to make life easier for travelers. Each column contained information about the distance to the nearest settlements. All important roads of the country have acquired such signs. In the people they were called miles. Thanks to this innovation, it has become easier for travelers to stick to their route. It saved many lives.
However, all of the above does not yet explain the origin of the expression "Kolomenskaya Verst". And what about the famous village of Kolomenskoye, where members of the Romanov family once loved to spend time? What does it have to do with milestones invented for the convenience of travelers? The fact is that it was Tsar Alexei, who was nicknamed the Quietest, who introduced the fashion for relaxing in the Kolomna Palace. Of course, the ruler of the Russian Empire ordered that special attention be paid to the road that connected the Kremlin and the village. She acquired special signs, which were significantly higher than ordinary pillars. Thereby royal family it became more convenient to get to your residence.
Ordinary milestones were painted in an oblique stripe. This decision made them more visible on the road. All Kolomna versts were decorated with the image of the state emblem.
The meaning of phraseology
Above, it was told about the origin of the speech turnover "Kolomenskaya verst". The meaning of a phraseological unit will be much easier to understand, knowing the answer to the question of where it came from. Even in the time of the ruler Alexei the Quietest, such a nickname began to be given to very tall people. The people did not like the "imperial" pillars. People complained about their huge dimensions, because of which the signs took up too much space and interfered with travelers. Irritation was also caused by the special “design” that the structures had.
Given the negative attitude of the population towards the Kolomna miles, it becomes clear why this expression is traditionally invested with an ironic or offensive meaning.
Synonyms, antonyms
So, the meaning that is embedded in the expression "Kolomenskaya verst" is no longer a mystery. It is easy to find a synonym for this speech construction. Tall, lanky, tower - hurtful words, which have the same meaning. They can be used instead this phraseological unit without the slightest loss of meaning, while the word "high" is not suitable, since it does not harbor offensive connotations.
Obviously, the selection of suitable antonyms does not cause difficulties. Let's say you can use the following words: shorty, small. The one who pronounces them also seeks to offend a person or laugh at him.
Usage examples
Phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst" is rarely used in colloquial speech today. Much more often you can come across it in literary works. Examples, thanks to which this expression will be better deposited in memory, are easy to give. It is found in historical novel"Peter the Great", written by Alexei Tolstoy. One hero, telling another about the growth of a teenage boy, declares that he stretched out "from the Kolomna verst." It is understood that the young man has become very tall.
You can recall other books in which this phraseological unit appears. For example, he is found in the work "The Zvonarev Family", which was written by Alexander Stepanov. The heroine forbids the hero to see her off, since such a "Kolomenskaya verst" as he will attract the attention of passers-by. In this case, high growth is also implied.
What else do you need to know?
It is also worth remembering that the order of the arrangement of words in the expression "Kolomenskaya verst" has absolutely no meaning. The meaning of the speech structure will not change if they are rearranged. Whichever option is used, the meaning will remain the same.
