Counting Devices in Russia

Volkov, Alexei

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73396-8_12

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…The technique of using the Russian abacus is described in Russian in the following works: Apokin and Maistrov (1990), Emenov (1940), Evtushevsky (1871), Gagin (1960), Guter and Polunov (1981), Kazakova (2011), Khvatov (1924), Kiryushin (1925), Kononenko (1960), Simonov (1975, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997), Spassky (1952), Tikhomirov (1830), Vilenchik (1984) and Zorin (1907). In English, the application of the schoty in Russia is considered in articles on the history of computing technology without their use in accounting: Aspray (2000), Carr (1805) , Croix (1956), Duus (1998), Ryan (1972, 1991), Shilov and Silantiev (2017), Thompson (1906) and Volkov (2018). The study of abacus in Europe is considered by Du stchote ou machine… (1839), Gouzevitch and Gouzevitch (1998), and Hoppe (1952).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results of the study of Russian abacus by mathematicians (Gnedenko, 1946; Yushkevich, 1968), statements of authors of textbooks on the rules for using the schoty (Bykov, 1902; Khvatov, 1924; Kiryushin, 1925), as well as special works devoted to the origin and history of the schoty (Spassky, 1952; Volkov, 2018) confirm the originality of this counting device, which was not used in practice in other countries and was not familiar to researchers outside of Russia. The idea of the abacus is described by testimonies of foreign travellers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Carr, 1805; Perry, 1716), and also by Voltaire (1694–1778) (Voltaire, 1829).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The schoty (abacus) as the phenomenon of Russian accounting

2022

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The Russian abacus (the schoty [счёты]) is a unique Russian counting device that has no comparable counterparts anywhere in the world. It was developed when a decimal system was introduced in Russia in the sixteenth century. The Russian abacus took its familiar form in the eighteenth century, and it is still used for arithmetic calculations and for teaching maths at school, as an example of decimal calculations. The widespread use of the Russian abacus in business activities made it an integral part of entrepreneurship and accounting. The Russian abacus became more associated with Russian merchants and accountants than ledgers, and it was depicted in works of fine art. This article describes the history of the schoty, evidence about them from Western historians and mathematicians, the principles for its use as well as its role in accounting, and the descriptions of the schoty in literature and art.

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