Shtof

Russian (Imperial)Historical unit (no longer in standard use)Approximate value

One tenth of a vedro, about 1.23 L. A traditional Russian bottle size for spirits.

1 shtof = 1.229941 liters (approximately).

Approximate value. Standards for the shtof varied by place and period, so this converter uses the most commonly cited value. Treat results as estimates, not exact figures.

About the shtof

Shtof comes from the German word Stof, which Russian used for a large goblet or flagon. The name was then given both to a squat, four-sided green glass bottle with a short neck and to the liquid measure that bottle held. Taverns known as shtof shops sold vodka and wine in sealed bottles of this size until the metric system arrived.

The size depended on the period. The standard shtof of the 19th century was one tenth of a vedro, or about 1.23 L, equal to ten charkas. An older shtof from before the 19th century held about 1.54 L, and the eight-sided shtof was one eighth of a vedro, about 1.537 L. The figure used here is the standard one tenth of a vedro, which equals 75 cubic inches.

English-language sources say little about the shtof. The English Wikipedia table of Russian measures lists the word as flagon but gives no volume, so the figures above rest mainly on the Russian Wikipedia article. In modern terms a standard shtof is a little more than a litre and a quarter, close to a large wine bottle.

Sources: Russian Wikipedia: Штоф (единица объёма); Wikipedia: Obsolete Russian units of measurement

Shtof conversion chart

1 shtof expressed in every other volume unit:

More Russian (Imperial) units

• charka (volume)
• vedro (volume)
• vershok (length)
• arshin (length)
• sazhen (length)
• verst (length)
• zolotnik (weight & mass)
• funt (Russian pound) (weight & mass)
• pood (weight & mass)

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