Why the Kolomna verst. Versta Kolomna - meaning

20.04.2019

20.01.2017

In Russian there is a large number of winged expressions, the meaning of which is not obvious. Sometimes even the use in the context does not help to correctly interpret this or that turnover. Among such phraseological units is the well-known "Kolomenskaya verst".

The expression "Kolomenskaya verst" is already 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 usually called people of very tall stature. Understand the meaning of phraseology the best way its synonyms will help, which include the words: kalancha, lanky, etc. Phraseologism quickly took root in the Russian language and became widespread. Usually, popular expression"Kolomenskaya verst" is ironic. It is still often found in both written and oral speech of the people.

One more is enough interesting question is the origin of the phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst". To get an idea of ​​how the turnover appeared in the Russian language, well-known historical information. But first, let's look at the constituent parts of the expression. As for the word "verst", it is only necessary to note that this ancient measure length, equal to the segment a little over a kilometer. However, "verst" in ancient times was also called pillars, which played the role of a kind of road signs. Thanks to these pillars, travelers were guided on the roads.

The phraseological unit also owes its origin to the village of Kolomenskoye, whose history began many years ago. For the first time, mention of it is found in the annals of the reign of Prince Ivan Kalita. Many rulers have changed in this village, 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 led to the fact that all the nobility began to come here.

Somewhat later, Kolomenskoye was marked in history thanks to the famous False Dmitry II. The village really flourished when Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov reigned. The emperor really liked to spend the summer months in this picturesque place. Today, Kolomenskoye has become a museum-reserve. Tsar Romanov issued a decree according to which such 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 taller and looked surprisingly impressive. In addition, these signs were decorated with the state emblem. It was the height of these pillars that served as the reason for the appearance of the phraseological unit "Kolomenskaya Verst".

In order to correctly understand the meaning of one or another speech turnover present in the Russian language, one often has to look into the distant past, delve into historical annals. This also applies to the mysterious phraseological unit "Kolomenskaya Verst". Fortunately, the history of Russia allows you to get an answer to questions about what it means and where it came from.

"Verst Kolomenskaya": the origin of the phraseological unit

So, how did this expression become part of the Russian language? To begin with, it is worth understanding the meaning of each of the words that are present in the speech construction “Kolomenskaya verst”. 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. IN different time 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 during the accession to the throne of Ivan the Terrible. It was he who first began to celebrate his name day in which all the capital's nobility began to flock to the feasts. In 1610, the village turned into the headquarters of the notorious False Dmitry II, but only for a short time. However, it reached its peak during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, who loved to spend the summer months in it with his family and close associates. Peter the Great lived in it at all most of his childhood, indulging fun entertainment. 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 a verst

Versta is another word that is an integral part of the expression "Kolomenskaya mile". This is the one used on the territory Russian Empire before the metric system was introduced, which happened only in 1899. For reference, a verst has 1.006680 km.

A verst at that time was customary to call not only the aforementioned length segment, but also the pillars, which played the role of a kind of road signs informing travelers about the versts traveled, so that they could not get lost and die. The roads on which such signs were placed were called pillar roads. Traditionally, milestones were painted in slanted stripes, this was done so that they would attract the attention of travelers. The column indicated the exact number of miles left to go 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 by his subjects the Quietest. The tsar issued a decree in which he ordered the construction of special pillars along all important Russian roads. The poles indicated the distance in versts. Subsequently, these structures became known as versts or milestones. History claims that this innovation saved many residents of the Russian Empire from death in the snow.

What does the “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, which allowed getting to the village from the Kremlin, was decorated with special pillars. They had much greater height in comparison with those that were installed on "simple" roads, they looked more impressive. Moreover, each pillar was decorated with a drawing depicting the coat of arms of the country.

The meaning of phraseology

Surprisingly, but local residents The "imperial" pillars, endowed with impressive dimensions, did not like at all. They constantly complained that because of them it became difficult to use the road. The road was immediately renamed "pillar", and then the speech turnover "Kolomenskaya verst" appeared. Its significance turned out to be quite unexpected. After all, they began to call people of very high stature that way. The new phraseological unit quickly took root in the Russian language.

So, what does "Kolomenskaya verst" mean? Synonyms suitable for this speech turnover will help to better understand this: tall, tower, lanky. In most cases, this stable construction is used in an ironic sense, whether it is written or spoken.

Usage examples

Phraseologism, the meaning of which is considered 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 proposes to see her off to the fact that all people will pay attention to such a “Kolomenskaya verst” as he, but she does not want this. It is understood that the man has a very high growth, which allows him to stand out from the crowd, without making any effort for this.

You can refer to the famous historical novel"Peter the Great", which was created by the writer Alexei Nikolayevich Tolstoy. The hero of the work describes the growth of a teenage boy, says that he has already managed to stretch out "from the Kolomna verst" during the time he did not see him.

What else do you need to know

It is obvious that not only the phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst" has synonyms. The antonym that is most appropriate is shorty. You can also use other words - undersized, short.

It should also be borne in mind that the order of the placement of words in this case does not play a significant role. “Kolomenskaya verst” or “Kolomenskaya verst” - the meaning remains the same, no matter which option the speaker uses.

October 26, 2016

In order to correctly understand the meaning of one or another speech turnover present in the Russian language, one often has to look into the distant past, delve into historical annals. This also applies to the mysterious phraseological unit "Kolomenskaya Verst". Fortunately, the history of Russia allows you to get an answer to questions about what it means and where it came from.

"Verst Kolomenskaya": the origin of the phraseological unit

So, how did this expression become part of the Russian language? To begin with, it is worth understanding the meaning of each of the words that are present in the speech construction “Kolomenskaya verst”. 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 metropolitan princes, then the kings paid attention to it.

The village of Kolomenskoye began to play an important role during the accession to the throne of Ivan the Terrible. It was he who first began to celebrate his name day in the Kolomna Palace, where all the metropolitan nobility began to flock to feasts. In 1610 the village became the headquarters of the infamous False Dmitry II, but only for a short time. However, it reached its peak during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, who loved to spend the summer months in it with his family and close associates. Peter the Great lived in it most of his childhood, indulging in fun entertainment. 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 a verst

Versta is another word that is an integral part of the expression "Kolomenskaya mile". This is an old measure of length that was used on the territory of the Russian Empire before the metric system was introduced, which happened only in 1899. For reference, a verst has 1.006680 km.

A verst at that time was customary to call not only the aforementioned length segment, but also the pillars, which played the role of a kind of road signs informing travelers about the versts traveled, so that they could not get lost and die. The roads on which such signs were placed were called pillar roads. Traditionally, milestones were painted in slanted stripes, this was done so that they would attract the attention of travelers. The column indicated the exact number of miles left to go to (or from) a certain settlement.

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Emperor's Decree

So, where did the expression "Kolomenskaya verst" come from? This happened thanks to the autocrat Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed by his subjects the Quietest. The tsar issued a decree in which he ordered the construction of special pillars along all important Russian roads. The poles indicated the distance in versts. Subsequently, these structures became known as versts or milestones. History claims that this innovation saved many residents of the Russian Empire from death in the snow.

What does the “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, which allowed getting to the village from the Kremlin, was decorated with special pillars. They had a much greater height in comparison with those that were installed on "simple" roads, they looked more impressive. Moreover, each pillar was decorated with a drawing depicting the coat of arms of the country.

The meaning of phraseology

Surprisingly, the locals did not like the "imperial" pillars, endowed with impressive sizes, at all. They constantly complained that because of them it became difficult to use the road. The road was immediately renamed "pillar", and then the speech turnover "Kolomenskaya verst" appeared. Its significance turned out to be quite unexpected. After all, they began to call people of very high stature that way. The new phraseological unit quickly took root in the Russian language.

So, what does "Kolomenskaya verst" mean? Synonyms suitable for this speech turnover will help to better understand this: tall, tower, lanky. In most cases, this stable construction is used in an ironic sense, whether it is written or spoken.

Usage examples

Phraseologism, the meaning of which is considered in this article, is often found in the literature. For example, we can recall the work "The Zvonarev Family", written by the author Alexander Stepanov. The heroine points out to the hero, who proposes to see her off, the fact that all people will pay attention to such a “Kolomenskaya verst” as he is, but she does not want this. It is understood that the man has a very high growth, which allows him to stand out from the crowd without making any effort for this.

You can also refer to the famous historical novel "Peter the Great", which was created by the writer Alexei Nikolayevich Tolstoy. The hero of the work describes the growth of a teenage boy, says that he has already managed to stretch out "from the Kolomna verst" during the time he did not see him.

What else do you need to know

It is obvious that not only the phraseologism "Kolomenskaya verst" has synonyms. The antonym that is most appropriate is shorty. You can also use other words - undersized, short.

It should also be borne in mind that the order of the placement of words in this case does not play a significant role. “Kolomenskaya verst” or “Kolomenskaya verst” - the meaning remains the same, no matter which option the speaker uses.

"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 with a sundial, the simplest chronometer in the world: the shadow of a special stick falls on the dial and moves with the sun.

Milestone on the Fontanka, Moskovsky Prospekt. Specifies the distance.

Far from Moscow! Side left - 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

0 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



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