Traditional units of measurement in Russia
Russia & Eastern Europe · 10 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
Imperial Russian units were fixed against the imperial system in 1899: 1 pood = 16.3805 kg, 1 arshin = 0.7112 m, 1 desyatina = 10,925.4 m².
How measurement works in Russia
The 1899 reform under Mendeleev tied Russian units to the metre and the pound, which is why nineteenth-century Russian figures convert cleanly while earlier ones do not.
Grain, metal and historical trade statistics from the Russian Empire and the early Soviet period are almost all denominated in pood, so economic history work depends on this conversion.
The sotka (100 m²) is the one unit still in everyday use: Russian dacha plots are described in sotki rather than square metres.
area units of Russia
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desyatina (Десятина) | 1 Desyatina (Десятина) = 10,925.4 square metre | agriculture | Desyatina (Десятина) → square metresIn-depth guide |
| Sotka (Сотка) | 1 Sotka (Сотка) = 100 square metre | surveying, agriculture | Sotka (Сотка) → square metres |
mass units of Russia
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pood (Пуд) | 1 Pood (Пуд) = 16.3805 kilogram | trade | Pood (Пуд) → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Funt (Фунт) | 1 Funt (Фунт) = 0.40951 kilogram | trade | Funt (Фунт) → kilogramsIn-depth guide |
| Zolotnik | 1 Zolotnik = 0.004266 kilogram | jewellery, precious-metals | Zolotnik → kilograms |
| Berkovets | 1 Berkovets = 163.805 kilogram | trade | Berkovets → kilograms |
length units of Russia
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arshin (Аршин) | 1 Arshin (Аршин) = 0.7112 metre | textiles | Arshin (Аршин) → metresIn-depth guide |
| Vershok (Вершок) | 1 Vershok (Вершок) = 0.04445 metre | general | Vershok (Вершок) → metres |
| Sazhen (Сажень) | 1 Sazhen (Сажень) = 2.1336 metre | surveying | Sazhen (Сажень) → metres |
| Verst (Верста) | 1 Verst (Верста) = 1,066.8 metre | navigation | Verst (Верста) → metres |
Before you convert
- Pre-1899 pood values drift; use the 16.3805 kg figure only for post-reform sources.
- Vedro as a liquid measure (12.299 L) is distinct from the vedro used as a dry measure in some regional sources.
Sources
- Russian Imperial Weights and Measures Regulation, 1899
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.