Bindyuzhnik - who is it? What does Kostya the sailor and Odessa have to do with it?

Everyone who watched the movie “Two Fighters” probably remembered a song about Kostya Sailor. And everyone remembers the phrase: “And all the bindyuzhniks got up ...” And the bindyuzhnik - who is it? And what do these people have to do with beer, Odessa and sailors? Let's figure it out.

Let's look in the dictionary

For example, Dahl’s dictionary will not say exactly what the meaning of the word “bindyuzhnik” is. However, it gives an exact definition of the word "bindyuh." It means a large cart that could carry up to one hundred pounds of cargo. In another way, she was often called a sob or just a wagon. From this word came the bindyuzhnik. Who is it? Yes, this is an ordinary cabman, who drove large carts in the nineteenth century and was engaged in the transportation of heavy and oversized cargo.

Why in Odessa?

Why is the city Odessa specifically mentioned in the song? According to historians, in those days it was this city that made the largest turnover. The seaport of Odessa was considered the largest in all of Russia. According to experts, the Odessa port was two times ahead of the harbor of St. Petersburg.

All the ships that arrived in Odessa had to be unloaded and loaded in record time, because another ship was already appearing on the threshold. It was in order to cope with such a huge flow of traffic, and needed a binder. Who is this for a port city? As it was then believed, this is the most important assistant, sometimes even a savior, providing quick unloading and loading of goods onto the ship.

Goods from ships, of course, were demolished and brought in by movers. But their work was completely insufficient. Huge heaps of goods that were piled up at the port marina should have been delivered very quickly to their destinations. It was here that the bindyuzhniks entered into business.

At that time, it was believed that Odessa bindyuzhniks are people of one of the respected and sought-after professions. From early morning to sunset, they labored, exhausting themselves and their horses. Extremely heavy, sinewy and powerful horses, capable of working out a full day, were specially chosen for the carts.

Truckers of the 19th century

If you ask a question to historians: "Bindyuzhnik - who is it?" - then surely many will answer that they are truckers of the nineteenth century. Moreover, it should be noted that no one was hired for such a job. When recruiting, special requirements were always made:

• Increased Stamina.
• Good physical form.
• The presence of certain skills in working with horses and "transport".
• High growth (this was necessary in order to reduce the percentage of efforts made during work).

Demand for services

In Odessa at that time there was an increased demand for transport services. Especially during the time of the wheat boom, when harvest began and it was necessary to transport a large amount of cargo. It should be noted that only Odessa bindyuzhniks were allowed into the city (from “freight transporters”). The authorities tried to limit the number of carts and, therefore, horses on the streets. Nobody wanted Odessa to drown in a pile of horse manure. Since most of the streets were rather narrow, the bindyuzhniki had special transport - long and roomy wagons. They could carry cargo unhindered along narrow roads and at the same time withstand a heavy load.

I must say that the cost of the work of the bindyuzhnik was quite high. Of course, in a quiet time, when the wheat boom was ending, work was in full swing at the usual price. But at the time of demand, the price of transportation for a quarter of wheat reached seventy-five kopecks. If you imagine that the truck could fit up to twenty-five quarters of wheat, then the amount for one transportation was pretty impressive.

And when the season was ending, all the bindyuzhniks went to rest. Where to? Of course, in the pub. From here come the sailors in the song, and the bandagers, and the pub.