Berkovets
Berkovets
(Old Russian berkov’sk, from Birko, the medieval name of the Swedish island Björkö), Russian unit of weight.
The berkovets was used before the introduction of the metric system of measures. One berkovets = 10 poods ≈ 1.638 centners ≈ 163.8 kg. At first the unit was primarily used for weighing wax. It is mentioned in the 12th century in the regulatory charter of Prince Vsevolod Gavriil Mstislavich to the Novgorod merchantry. The term subsequently occurs in the Novgorod and Pskov chronicles.