Convert Russian Archin (archin) to Furlong (fur) instantly.
About these units
Russian Archin (archin)
The archin was a Russian unit of length equal to approximately 71.1 cm. Like many traditional European units, it was based on body proportions and was widely used in textile trade, tailoring, land measurement, and carpentry. Before Russia adopted the metric system in the early 20th century, the archin formed part of a larger system of customary units such as the sazhen and vershok. Merchants relied heavily on the archin when measuring cloth and other traded goods, making it central to the economic life of Imperial Russia. Today, the archin appears in historical documents, literature, and museum records. Understanding the archin is essential for historians studying Russian industrialization, daily commerce, and rural life before modernization efforts transformed the measurement landscape.
Furlong (fur)
A furlong, equal to 10 chains or 660 feet, originated as the distance a team of oxen could plow before needing rest. Its name derives from "furrow-long," indicating the length of a typical plowed furrow in medieval agriculture. This agricultural basis linked the furlong to the acre: a rectangle one furlong long and one chain wide equaled one acre in area. Today, the furlong is most notably used in horse racing, where race distances are often measured in furlongs rather than miles. This tradition reflects both the unit's historical importance and its suitability for describing moderate distances. While archaic in most contexts, the furlong remains a culturally iconic measure that connects modern sports to medieval agricultural practices.