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Sajene (sajene) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:sajene
Plural:sajenes
Category:Length

What is a Sajene?

Definition

The Sajene (Russian: сажень or саже́нь, IPA: [ˈsaʐɨnʲ] or [sɐˈʐɛnʲ]) is an historical Russian unit of length. It was a fundamental unit in the traditional Russian system of measures.

The standard or "state" Sajene (kazyonnaya sazhen) was legally defined as:

  • 3 Arshins (another Russian unit)
  • 7 English Feet (after Peter the Great's reforms aligned some Russian units with English standards)
  • 84 English Inches

This equates to:

  • Exactly 2.1336 meters (m)
  • Exactly 7 feet (ft)
  • Exactly 84 inches (in)

The Sajene was subdivided as follows:

  • 1 Sajene = 3 Arshins
  • 1 Arshin = 16 Vershoks (meaning 1 Sajene = 48 Vershoks)

History

The Sajene was used in Russia for centuries, likely originating from an anthropomorphic measurement related to the span of outstretched arms or a person's reach, similar to the fathom in other systems. The name itself may derive from Slavic roots related to reaching or stretching.

While informal variations existed, the unit was standardized over time, notably under Peter the Great (reigned 1682–1725), who aligned the Arshin with 28 English inches, thereby fixing the standard Sajene at exactly 7 English feet (2.1336 m).

The Sajene remained a primary unit for larger measurements in Russia until the metric system was adopted following the Russian Revolution. The metric system became compulsory in the USSR on January 1, 1925, rendering the Sajene and other traditional units obsolete for official use.

Common Uses

The Sajene is now obsolete but was historically essential in various fields in Russia:

  • Land Surveying: Measuring land plots, distances, and property boundaries.
  • Architecture and Construction: Specifying dimensions of buildings, structures, and materials like timber.
  • Shipbuilding: Measuring lengths related to ship design and construction.
  • Rope Making: Measuring lengths of rope.
  • Cartography: Used in mapmaking and geographical measurements.
  • Folk Measurement: Appeared in everyday language and descriptions of distance or height.

Unit FAQs

How long is a Sajene?

The standard Russian Sajene (kazyonnaya sazhen) is exactly:

  • 2.1336 meters
  • 7 English feet
  • 84 English inches
  • 3 Arshins

What were the subdivisions of the Sajene?

The Sajene was divided into smaller traditional Russian units:

  • 1 Sajene = 3 Arshins
  • 1 Arshin = 16 Vershoks
  • Therefore, 1 Sajene = 48 Vershoks.

Were there different types of Sajene?

Yes, besides the standard "state" Sajene (7 feet), two other common variations based on body measurements existed historically, though their lengths were less standardized:

  • Makhovaya Sajene (Маховая сажень - "swinging" or "sweeping" Sajene): The distance between the fingertips of a person's outstretched arms, roughly equivalent to a fathom (approx. 1.76 meters or 5.77 feet).
  • Kosaya Sajene (Косая сажень - "oblique" Sajene): The distance from the toes of one foot to the fingertips of the opposite arm raised diagonally upwards (approx. 2.48 meters or 8.14 feet). This was often used idiomatically to describe someone tall and broad-shouldered.

The kazyonnaya sazhen (7 feet) was the official standard used for legal and technical purposes.

How does the Sajene compare to a Meter or Fathom?

  • 1 Sajene = 2.1336 meters
  • 1 Meter ≈ 0.4687 Sajenes
  • The standard Sajene (2.1336 m / 7 ft) is slightly longer than the standard English fathom (1.8288 m / 6 ft). The Makhovaya Sajene (~1.76 m) was closer in concept and length to the fathom.

Is the Sajene an SI unit?

No, the Sajene is not an SI unit. It is a traditional unit from the historical Russian system of measurement. The SI base unit for length is the meter (m).

Is the Sajene still used today?

No, the Sajene is obsolete and not used in modern measurements in Russia or elsewhere. It was officially replaced by the metric system in 1925. Its significance today is purely historical, found in old texts, documents, literature, and descriptions of historical sites or objects.

Sajene Conversion Formulas

To Meter:

1 sajene = 2.1336 m
Example: 5 sajenes = 10.668 meters

To Kilometer:

1 sajene = 0.002134 km
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.010668 kilometers

To Hectometer:

1 sajene = 0.021336 hm
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.10668 hectometers

To Decimeter:

1 sajene = 21.336 dm
Example: 5 sajenes = 106.68 decimeters

To Centimeter:

1 sajene = 213.36 cm
Example: 5 sajenes = 1066.8 centimeters

To Millimeter:

1 sajene = 2133.6 mm
Example: 5 sajenes = 10668 millimeters

To Inch:

1 sajene = 84 in
Example: 5 sajenes = 420 inches

To Foot:

1 sajene = 7 ft
Example: 5 sajenes = 35 feet

To Yard:

1 sajene = 2.333333 yd
Example: 5 sajenes = 11.666667 yards

To Mile:

1 sajene = 0.001326 mi
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.006629 miles

To Nautical Mile:

1 sajene = 0.001152 NM
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.00576 nautical miles

To Micrometer:

1 sajene = 2133600 μm
Example: 5 sajenes = 10668000 micrometers

To Nanometer:

1 sajene = 2133600000 nm
Example: 5 sajenes = 10667999999.999998 nanometers

To Light Year:

1 sajene = 2.2552e-16 ly
Example: 5 sajenes = 1.1276e-15 light years

To Astronomical Unit:

1 sajene = 1.4262e-11 AU
Example: 5 sajenes = 7.1310e-11 astronomical units

To Parsec:

1 sajene = 6.9145e-17 pc
Example: 5 sajenes = 3.4572e-16 parsecs

To Angstrom:

1 sajene = 21336000000 Å
Example: 5 sajenes = 106679999999.99998 angstroms

To Point (Typography):

1 sajene = 6047.99619 pt
Example: 5 sajenes = 30239.980951 points

To Mil/Thou:

1 sajene = 84000 mil
Example: 5 sajenes = 420000 mils

To Fathom:

1 sajene = 1.166667 fath
Example: 5 sajenes = 5.833333 fathoms

To Furlong:

1 sajene = 0.010606 fur
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.05303 furlongs

To Link (Gunter's):

1 sajene = 10.606061 li
Example: 5 sajenes = 53.030303 links

To Pace:

1 sajene = 2.8 pace
Example: 5 sajenes = 14 paces

To Span:

1 sajene = 9.333333 span
Example: 5 sajenes = 46.666667 spans

To Digit:

1 sajene = 112 digit
Example: 5 sajenes = 560 digits

To Cable Length:

1 sajene = 0.011521 cb
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.057603 cable lengths

To Ell:

1 sajene = 1.866667 ell
Example: 5 sajenes = 9.333333 ells

To Finger:

1 sajene = 18.666667 finger
Example: 5 sajenes = 93.333333 fingers

To Roman Mile:

1 sajene = 0.001442 m.p.
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.007208 Roman miles

To Stadion:

1 sajene = 0.011533 stadion
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.057665 stadia

To Chi (Chinese):

1 sajene = 6.40144 chi
Example: 5 sajenes = 32.007201 chi

To Shaku (Japanese):

1 sajene = 7.041584 shaku
Example: 5 sajenes = 35.207921 shaku

To Li (Chinese):

1 sajene = 0.004267 li
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.021336 li

To Toise:

1 sajene = 1.094715 toise
Example: 5 sajenes = 5.473576 toise

To Bolt:

1 sajene = 0.07 bolt
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.35 bolts

To Rope:

1 sajene = 0.35 rope
Example: 5 sajenes = 1.75 ropes

To Smoot:

1 sajene = 1.253731 smoot
Example: 5 sajenes = 6.268657 smoots

To Ken:

1 sajene = 1.173597 ken
Example: 5 sajenes = 5.867987 ken

To Wa:

1 sajene = 1.0668 wa
Example: 5 sajenes = 5.334 wa

To Vara:

1 sajene = 2.545455 vara
Example: 5 sajenes = 12.727273 varas

To Aln:

1 sajene = 3.591919 aln
Example: 5 sajenes = 17.959596 alnar

To Cubit (Royal/Egyptian):

1 sajene = 4.079541 cubit
Example: 5 sajenes = 20.397706 cubits

To Versta:

1 sajene = 0.002 versta
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.01 versts

To Arpent:

1 sajene = 0.03649 arpent
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.182449 arpents

To Ri (Japanese):

1 sajene = 0.000543 ri
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.002717 ri

To Klafter:

1 sajene = 1.12502 klafter
Example: 5 sajenes = 5.625099 klafter

To Yojana:

1 sajene = 0.000158 yojana
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.00079 yojanas

To Skein:

1 sajene = 0.019444 skein
Example: 5 sajenes = 0.097222 skeins

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Sajene Quick Info

sajene
Symbol:sajene
Category:Length
System:Various
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