What is Russian Abacus?

The Russian abacus, also known as the schoty (pronounced “SHOH-tee”) or counting board, is a traditional counting tool used for arithmetic calculations. It consists of a rectangular wooden frame with rods or wires stretched horizontally across it. Each rod represents a place value, such as units, tens, hundreds, and so on.

On each rod, there are beads that can be moved back and forth. Typically, there are ten beads on each rod, representing the digits 0 through 9. The beads are usually divided into two groups: a lower group and an upper group. By moving the beads up or down, users can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operations.

The Russian abacus has been used historically in Russia and other countries in the region for centuries, and it continues to be used in some educational settings and for specific applications where manual calculation is preferred over electronic devices.