Determining the exact time today is not difficult. But in ancient times, until precise mechanical watches were invented, this was not an easy task. How, for example, was the time counted in ancient and medieval Russia?
What kind of watch was used in Russia in the past
Since ancient times, the most common (before the invention and widespread introduction of mechanical clocks) were two main methods of timing: with the help of the solar device "gnomon" and with the help of the so-called "clepsydra", or water clock. However, due to the fact that in most of Russia there are frosts for at least several months a year, it is simply impossible to use a water clock outside a heated room.
Therefore, our distant ancestors had to use a gnomon - an ordinary pole dug into the ground, or any other tall object. In clear weather, it casts a shadow. At noon, when the sun is highest above the horizon, shadow length will be minimal, and before sunset or just after dawn it will be maximal. Based on the results of regular measurements of the length of the shadow at different times of the year and at different times of the day, it is possible to fairly accurately determine the time at any moment of daylight hours.
However, in cloudy weather, this method, of course, cannot be applied. And in Russia, cloudy weather happens very often in autumn and winter. In addition, in the northern regions of the country in late autumn, winter and early spring, the sun rises very low above the horizon, so the shadows from the gnomon are very long, and this makes measurement difficult.
Many inhabitants of Russia, especially in villages, were not at all familiar with the sundial. And for an approximate determination of the time, they used natural signs - the crow of a rooster, the degree of opening of flowers, the appearance and position of the moon in the sky, etc.
Were there accurate measuring instruments in Russia for determining the time?
At the same time, the information contained in many ancient chronicles directly indicates that the inhabitants of ancient and medieval Russia (of course, not all, but belonging to the educated, privileged strata of society) were able to very accurately determine the time, and all year round, regardless of the above difficulties caused by geographic and climatic conditions. Only one conclusion can be drawn from this: they had sufficiently accurate measuring instruments for timing.
Ancient Russia had close ties with Byzantium, from which it adopted Christianity and where there was a highly developed science. Therefore, it can be assumed that it was from Byzantium that observation and measuring instruments were brought to Russia - for example, astrolabes, with the help of which it is possible to very accurately determine the time both in the daytime and at night.
