Peter I established a tax on beards. The most ridiculous and absurd tax under Peter I. Peter I and his bearded reform

Having ascended the throne, Tsar Peter Alekseevich, already at the age of 26, went to Europe on an official visit in 1697, where he stayed for almost six months. Having looked at the appearance of the inhabitants of advanced European countries, the tsar decided that the Old Slavic image of his subjects was very outdated. And already at the end of 1698, a decree was issued “On wearing German dress, on shaving beards and mustaches, on schismatics walking in the attire specified for them,” which caused a wave of discontent in different regions of the country.

Even at the time of the Baptism of Rus' (10th century), a beard was considered mandatory for all Orthodox Christians. Wearing a beard was enshrined in church rules and civil collections, so in the 11th century a fine of 12 rubles was imposed for shaving a barber, despite the fact that for murder there was a fine of 36 rubles.

Prohibitions on shaving the beard remained until the beginning of the reign of Peter the Great. Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Adrian at the end of the 17th century, that is, already under the reign of Peter I, during his sermons confirmed the ban on shaving the beard, and he compared those who did this to dogs, cats and effeminate people - barber shaving was considered in the Orthodox Church church is a sign of non-traditional orientation.

But let’s return to Pyotr Alekseevich and his new, radical views on the external image of the Orthodox, in the context of facial hair. Commenting on his law banning beards, the king said:

I wish to transform the secular goats, that is, citizens, and the clergy, that is, monks and priests. The first, so that without beards they would resemble Europeans in kindness, and the others, so that they, although with beards, would teach parishioners Christian virtues in churches the way I have seen and heard pastors teaching in Germany.

In the Preobrazhensky Palace, at the royal feasts, Peter himself began to cut the beards of his nobles, the boyars. Due to the stubborn resistance of the population, including those close to him, in January 1705 he issued a decree according to which deacons and priests were free to wear beards; everyone else had to pay a special fee. Four categories of duty were established:

courtiers, city nobles, officials - 60 rubles per year
guests (merchants) of the 1st article - 100 rubles per year
middle and small merchants, townspeople - 60 rubles per year
servants, cab drivers, coachmen, various ranks of Moscow residents - 30 rubles per year
“bearded” peasants were not subject to duty, but upon entering the city they had to pay 1 kopeck

After paying the fee, the “man with a beard” received a beard badge (beard penny) - a metal token, a receipt of payment. This duty was in effect until 1772, and since 1715 there was a single tariff - 50 rubles per year. Peter I sought to completely eradicate the wearing of a beard and “Russian” dress and in 1714, by decree, he introduced a complete ban on wearing a beard and on trade and wearing the national Russian dress - for failure to comply with the decree, they were beaten with a whip and could even be sent to hard labor. Exceptions were made for Old Believers, but they still paid a fee of 50 rubles and wore only certain clothes with a sewn copper beard badge. The policy of eliminating the custom of wearing beards continued until the end of the 18th century; even church collections tried not to print where it was necessary to wear a beard, or this chapter was excluded.

But already in 1833, during the reign of Nicholas I, upon assuming the post of Minister of Public Education, the actual Privy Councilor, Count Uvarov, who had very conservative views on science, literature, and education, stated in his report to the emperor that:

Delving deeper into the consideration of the subject and seeking those principles that constitute the property of Russia (and every land, every nation has such a Palladium), it becomes clear that there are three main ones without which Russia cannot prosper, strengthen, or live:
1) Orthodox faith
2) Autocracy
3) Nationality
The Slavophiles latched on to this idea of an “official nationality” and began to develop it further, popularizing the wearing of Russian clothes and beards. The authorities did not encourage this movement; some supporters were even arrested for short periods in order to discourage sympathizers. But over the years, there were more and more supporters of the idea of returning to national and church, Orthodox customs, and already the last two tsars from the Romanov dynasty - Alexander III and Nicholas II - wore beards.

Complete information on the topic “Peter 1’s decree to shave beards” - all the most relevant and useful information on this issue.

Literary and historical notes of a young technician

On August 29, 1698 (320 years ago), Peter I issued the decree “Shave the beard”

On August 29 (August 19, Old Style), 1698, the famous decree “On wearing German dress, on shaving beards and mustaches, and on schismatics walking in the attire specified for them” was issued, which prohibited it from the new year - from September 1 (September 11, New Style ) wearing beards. It turns out that the real day of the ban on beards should be considered September 11, but upon arrival from his trip abroad, Peter I, without waiting for the New Year, personally cut off the beards and cut off the hem of the long clothes of several of his entourage. First Generalissimo Shein, Caesar Romodanovsky and other courtiers fell under the sovereign's hot hand.

Dmitry Belyukin, 1985

At the same time, the king explained his determination to introduce bearded men to civilization: “I want to transform the secular goats, that is, citizens, and the clergy, that is, monks and priests. The first, so that without beards they would resemble Europeans in kindness, and the others, so that they, although with beards, would teach parishioners Christian virtues in churches the way I saw and heard pastors teaching in Germany" (Russian archive, 1884. Vol. 3 , page 358).

Peter granted the privilege of duty-free wearing a beard only to the Moscow governor Tikhon Streshnev due to his good attitude towards him, to the boyar Cherkassky out of respect for his advanced years and to Patriarch Adrian due to his rank.

On the occasion of the New Year's celebration, on September 1 (11), a dinner party was given at Boyar Shein's, which was attended by the Tsar himself. At dinner, in accordance with the decree of August 29 (19), it was not Peter himself who cut the beards, but the royal jester.

The ban on wearing a beard caused violent discontent in all sectors of society. Cases of mass disobedience and even suicide on this occasion were recorded not only among the clergy or Old Believers, but also in the secular environment. “Barefoot Snout” came into conflict with cultural traditions and religious norms: the church considered shaving beards a sin and did not bless those without beards.

Barber shaving was officially prohibited by the rules of the VI Ecumenical Council (see interpretation on 96 rule of Zonar and the Greek Helmsman Pidalion) and patristic writings (works of St. Epiphanius of Cyprus, St. Cyril of Alexandria, Blessed Theodoret, St. Isidore Pilusiot. Condemnation of barber shaving is also contained in Greek books (Nikon Black Mountains, f. 37; Nomocanon, pr. 174). The Holy Fathers believed that shaving a beard thereby expresses dissatisfaction with the external appearance that the Creator gave to man, from there arises a desire to “correct” God. It is no coincidence that on icons without only servants of the devil (demons) who were contrary to God were depicted with beards and short dresses.

Initially, there was almost no benefit to the state from the ban on beards: bearded people should have been fined, but de jure this has not yet been regulated. In 1699, to confirm the payment of the duty, a special payment receipt was introduced in the form of a copper token - a beard sign. Three types of beard marks have survived to this day: 1699, 1705 and 1725. All of them were united by the image on the front side of the beard and the inscription above it “MONEY RISES.” A single copy of the beard badge of 1699 is known; it can be found in the collection of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Over the years, the sign underwent several changes - a double-headed eagle was added to it on the back, different versions of coinage on the sign appeared - stamps indicating the payment of duty for the next year, which helped extend the life of the sign for another year. Such stamped beard signs began to be used as a means of payment, and therefore began to be called “beard penny”.

One of the reasons why the beard tax was introduced was the state budget deficit on the eve of the Northern War. In addition to the beard, other objects of everyday life were also subject to duties - baths, chimneys, boots, firewood.

A new decree of January 16, 1705 “On shaving the beards and mustaches of all ranks of people, except for priests and clerks, on collecting duties from those who do not want to comply with this, and on issuing badges to those who paid the duty” established a tax rank system.

There were several tariffs: from courtiers and courtyard servants and from city officials and all ranks of servicemen and clerks, 60 rubles per person; from guests and the living room the first hundred articles are 100 rubles per person; middle and lower articles, which pay tenths of money less than 100 rubles, from merchants and townspeople 60 rubles, the third article, from townspeople and boyars and from coachmen and cabmen and from church clerks, except for priests and deacons, and all sorts officials from Moscow residents 30 rubles per person per year. By the way, 30 rubles at that time was the annual salary of a foot soldier, so a beard became a very expensive pleasure.

Only the peasants did not pay the duty, but each time they paid 1 kopeck “per beard” for entering and leaving the city. This contributed to the fact that the image of a Russian man with a beard remained unchanged throughout pagan and Christian Russia, until the beginning of the 20th century.

Since 1715, a single duty was introduced for all classes - a tax on Orthodox bearded men and schismatics in the amount of 50 rubles per year. If you had a beard, you were required to wear an old-fashioned uniform. Anyone who saw a bearded man not wearing the specified clothes could inform the authorities and receive half the fine and clothes in addition. If the bearded man was not able to pay the fine, he was sent to hard labor to work off the required amount.

In the post-Petrine era, beards were not immediately allowed. Peter's daughter Elizabeth confirmed the decrees on barber shaving, which caused mixed opinions in society. So, in 1757, M.V. Lomonosov even wrote an ode to the forbidden attribute - “Hymn to the Beard,” which aroused the indignation of the queen.

The era of a total ban on beards ended only at the end of the 18th century. Catherine II abolished the duty on April 6, 1772, but with a caveat: government officials, military officers and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot.”

In the 19th century, nobility, officials and students were still required to shave their beards. Only officers of certain branches of the military were allowed to grow a mustache. During the reign of Nicholas I, wearing a beard was allowed only to peasants and people of free status who had reached more or less respectable age. A beard and mustache on the face of a young man who did not belong to the clergy was perceived as a sign of freethinking or a challenge to society. Let us remember the famous rebel M.V. Butashevich-Petrashevsky, who, as an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, grew a beard, mustache and long hair, and also walked around St. Petersburg in a “four-cornered” hat or even in a woman’s dress.

Meanwhile, officials of all civil departments until the end of the 19th century were required to shave their entire faces smoothly. Only those of them who had already managed to rise somewhat on the hierarchical ladder could afford to wear short sideburns near their ears, and then only with the favorable condescension of their superiors.

However, for officers and representatives of the tax-paying classes, beards and mustaches were a matter of taste. Thus, a merchant and a peasant on the street could always be recognized by their thick beard. As you know, the hero of Plevna and Shipka, the “white general” M.D. Skobelev, wore a huge thick beard.

After the era of Peter I, the first bearded monarch was the Slavophile Alexander III. During his reign, the fashion for a beard was firmly established both at court and among military officials. Not only the military, but also ministry employees, civil servants of government departments, teachers, doctors, and students now sported thick beards a la mujik.

With the accession of Nicholas II, the beards of military men and officials noticeably shortened and took on more neat shapes. Representatives of the lower classes (philistines and yesterday's peasants, urban proletarians), on the contrary, increasingly made a voluntary choice in the direction of shaving. And this is not surprising: the beard of a city dweller, striving to differ from the “hillbilly” man, required constant care. In addition, a long beard was an inconvenience, and even a danger, for a craftsman or industrial worker.

The last tsarist decree that put an end to the history of beards in Russia was the order of March 27 (April 9, new style) 1901, which allowed even cadets to wear beards, mustaches and sideburns.

Interestingly, similar taxes and bans on beards existed at different times in Europe.

Similar taxes were introduced in England and France in the 16th century. In France at the end of the 17th century, bearded men were not allowed into courtrooms; a lawyer was not invited to see the accused until he shaved his beard, etc. The New World was also not distinguished by liberalism. For example, in the American state of Massachusetts in 1830, appearing with an unshaven face in a public place was punishable by imprisonment.

Today, the beard tax has lost its relevance. However, many continue to pay for the opportunity to have a beard. A fairly common occurrence these days is the inability to get a well-paid job if you have a beard or long hair. This “commission” for wearing a beard became a kind of “tax”, only the state handed over the fiscal wand to business. Complete abolition of the beard “tax” is possible only with a paradigm shift of clean-shaven success.

Historical consultant and literary editor: Elena Shirokova

About shaving the beards and mustaches of all ranks of people, except for priests and deacons, about collecting a fee from those who do not want to comply with this, and about issuing badges to those who paid the fee

In Moscow and in all cities, courtiers and courtyards and city officials and clerks of all ranks, service people, and guests and living rooms of hundreds and black settlements, townspeople, tell everyone; so that henceforth from this great sovereign of the decree, beards and mustaches will be shaved. And if someone doesn’t want to shave their beards and mustaches, but wants to go around with beards and mustaches, and from those, from courtiers and courtyard servants and from policemen and all kinds of service and official people, 60 rubles per person; from guests and from the living room of the first article, 100 rubles per person; middle and lower articles, which pay tenths of money less than 100 rubles, from merchants and townspeople 60 rubles, the third article, from townspeople and boyars and from coachmen and cabmen and from church clerks, except for priests and deacons, and all sorts officials from Moscow residents 30 rubles per person for a year. And give them signs from the order of Zemstvo affairs; and for those signs and for the note, they should come to the order of Zemstvo Affairs without shaking, and in the cities to the administrative huts, and they should wear those signs on themselves; and in the order of Zemstvo affairs and in the cities in the administrative huts, make notebooks and receipt books; and from the peasants everywhere at the gates, collect a fee, 2 money per beard, all day long, no matter how they go into the city and out of town, and without taxes, peasants at the gates, into the city and out of the city, are not allowed through at all. And about this, to inform the gates of this great sovereign, I decree that letters be nailed down, and his great sovereign’s letters are sent to the cities to the governors, and to the mayors of memory, and to the Discharge about sending obedient letters, and to the town hall to the mayors about sending obedient decrees. memory, with reinforcement: if they are governors and mayors, they will begin to disgrace someone and for this the governors will be in disgrace, and the mayors will be punished and ruined without any mercy. And if anyone from the courtiers and from the city residents and from the clerks and from the townspeople wants to go with a beard, he would go to Moscow to take a sign and appear at the Zemsky Affairs Department; and send signs from Moscow to Siberian and Pomeranian cities.

The spelling of the text has been changed in accordance with modern standards, but for the sound of 18th-century speech, individual words have been left in the characteristic spelling of that era. The punctuation of the original has been preserved unchanged.

THE MOST RIDICULOUS AND ABSURD TAX UNDER PETER I

Peter I has always been an extraordinary person. The great king adored power in all its manifestations, erasing any boundaries of what was acceptable.

Despite all its rigidity and severity, as well as a lot of contradictions, the era of the reign of Peter I is marked by a sharp rise that transformed Russia. We must pay tribute - the tsar tried more for Russia, he wanted and believed that the country would not forget all his achievements. But it was under him that changes took place in the calendar, a fleet appeared, St. Petersburg was built, the capital was moved, and much, much more.

Of course, there were some quirks. And the most important of them is the beard tax. His merciless fight against “bearded Russia” ended with the fact that on September 5, 1689, the Russian Tsar introduced a duty on wearing a beard. Let me remind you that at that time the tsar was only 26 years old and he had just returned from another tour of Europe. The young, hot-tempered, hot-tempered king immediately began to cut off the beards of the boyars with his own hands. I can imagine the horror on the faces of those who fell into the hands of a crazed fan of a clean-shaven face and neck.

The question arises: did 26-year-old Peter have a complex, being constantly surrounded by self-confident “bearded” boyars? Perhaps the reason for his unceremonious outburst was that his sparse stubble could not compete with the integral Old Russian tradition - all men wear beards. After all, in Rus' it was the beard that gave significance in society, a symbol of courage and masculine strength.

The Northern Slavs have worn and honored beards since time immemorial, long before the adoption of Christianity. In Rus' it was believed that every man should have a beard, because... it was a sign of masculinity, wisdom and strength. They gave her a lot of attention, protected her, looked after her. It got to the point that if a person had an ugly, tattered beard, he was considered an inferior person. There was no worse insult than spitting in the beard. It was also considered very shameful to shave off a beard. Did Peter know that with his disrespect for the Russian tradition of wearing a beard, he would in one fell swoop insult and disgrace all bearded men in Rus'? - the answer is quite obvious. He knew, foresaw and wanted to do what always made him laugh and irritate.

“The introduction of a tax on beards is presented as perhaps the most striking evidence of the forced Europeanization carried out by the Tsar.”

Indeed, the beard tax appeared in Russia after the Tsar returned from a trip to Europe. In August 1689, Peter I issued a decree “On wearing German dress, on shaving beards and mustaches, on schismatics walking in the attire specified for them,” according to which, from the New Year (which began at that time in Rus' on September 1), the wearing of beards was prohibited.

“Cutting long hair and beards under Peter I” Sergey Efoshkin

The introduction of this measure was arranged spectacularly: the 26-year-old tsar gathered the boyars, demanded to bring scissors, and immediately cut off the beards of representatives of several noble families with his own hands, which shocked them.

HOW THINGS WERE WITH THE BEARD BEFORE PETER I

The custom of wearing beards did not have a religious cult among us until the 10th century. The beard was worn and honored without the participation of church authority. But since the 10th century, Rus' has been baptized. Following the example of the Byzantine clergy, in Rus' they accept an apology for the beard, pointing to the ancient biblical prophets and Christ and the apostles. Those. It turned out that the Orthodox Church further established the folk tradition of wearing a beard and sanctified this custom, as a result of which the beard became a symbol of both the Russian faith and Russian nationality.

Like a real shrine, the beard was protected by the state. Thus, Yaroslav the Wise established a fine for causing damage to the beard. Old Russian princes, wanting to insult the ambassador, ordered his beard to be shaved.

Ivan the Terrible also used to say that shaving the beard is a sin that will not wash away the blood of all the great martyrs. Previously, priests in Rus' refused to bless a beardless man. And Patriarch Adrian said this:

“God created man with a beard: only cats and dogs do not have it.”

The reason for shaving the beard was often the sin of Sodom or simply lust, so shaving was expressly forbidden. The censure of shaving beards and mustaches was caused, in addition to adherence to antiquity, also by the fact that shaving beards and mustaches was associated with the vice of sodomy, the desire to give one’s face a feminine appearance.

During the Time of Troubles and in the 17th century, shaving the beard was considered a Western custom and was associated with Catholicism. For example, False Dmitry I shaved. His lack of a beard was considered a betrayal of the Orthodox faith and proof of imposture. When, during the time of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the tendency to shave increased among the Russian boyars, the patriarch in response to this stated: “Barber shaving is not only ugliness and dishonor, but a mortal sin.” By the way, in the Middle Ages a belief was established that if you meet a beardless man, then he is a rogue and a deceiver.

PETER I AND HIS BEARDED REFORM

We have already found out that shaving the beard went against traditional Orthodox ideas about male beauty and the image worthy of a person, so the innovation caused mass disapproval and protests. Peter I persecuted those who disagreed, including the death penalty for disobedience to shave the beard. Our ancestors had to fight to the death. Uprisings were raised throughout Siberia, which were subsequently suppressed by troops. For rebellion and disobedience to the tsar, people were hanged, quartered, wheeled, burned at the stake and impaled.

As a result, seeing such resistance among the people, Peter I in 1705 replaced his law with another “On shaving the beards and mustaches of all ranks of people, except priests and deacons, on collecting a duty from those who do not want to comply with it, and on issuing it to those who paid sign duty”, according to which a special duty was levied on men wearing a beard, and those who paid it were given a specially minted bond - a beard sign.

Beard badge of 1705, Remake, photo: rarecoins.ru

Only Catherine II abolished the fee with a caveat: government officials, military officers and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot.”

In 1863, Alexander II abolished the “beard” bans.

POST-PETER PERIOD

The issue of beards has been the subject of government decrees since the 18th century. Emperor Alexander III put an end to this issue by personal example, like his son Nicholas II, who proved that a beard and mustache are a tribute to Russian traditions and customs.

Since the time of Peter I, who introduced customs alien to Orthodoxy in Russia, barber shaving has become so ingrained in Russia that today wearing a beard causes misunderstanding and disapproval. Often, a person who maintains a Christian image may not be hired, requiring him to shave first. Considering this sad circumstance, spiritual fathers instruct Christians not to follow the whims of this world, but to be afraid of angering the Lord.

CURIOUS BUT FACT...

By the way, Pyotr Alekseevich was not a pioneer in introducing a duty on beards. The first to use such a measure was the English king Henry VIII in 1535, whose example was followed by his daughter Elizabeth I, who imposed a duty on any beard growing on the face for more than two weeks.

The last royal decree on the topic of beards was issued at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901: emperor Nicholas II by his highest will, he allowed cadets to wear beards, mustaches and sideburns.

By the way, during the Great Patriotic War, it was the beard that was a noticeable difference between the soldiers of the regular Red Army and the partisans. This characteristic external sign was sung Leonid Utesov in his famous song “Partisan Beard”.

It would be interesting to look into the eyes of 26-year-old Peter I if the most valiant and fearless bearded man, the hero and defender of the Russian land Ilya Muromets, disobeyed his order. It's a pity they lived at different times...

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Why did Peter I order the beards of the boyars to be cut off?

On September 5, 1698, the great and powerful Tsar of all Rus' Peter I issued a decree: to cut off beards. First of all, this decree concerned the boyars, merchants, and military leaders, but it did not bypass the rest of the male townspeople. The king's command did not apply only to clergy and partly men, since they could wear beards, but only while in the villages. The nobility of Peter's Rus' was horrified by the innovation. So why did Peter I order the boyars to shave their beards?

Nowadays, discussing such an issue as shaving a beard seems ridiculous. However, if you look at the foundations of life in medieval Rus', it becomes clear that the issue of wearing a beard was extremely important. This was facilitated by a special way of life, in which a beard was considered a symbol of adherence to faith, evidence of honor and a source of pride. Some boyars, who had huge houses and a large number of serfs, were jealous of those who had less wealth, but they had long and lush beards.

Painting “Boyars” Author: Pavlov P.V., 2007, oil on canvas

Rus' of the 15th century remained “bearded” while its Tsar Peter I never wore a beard and considered the ancient Russian custom ridiculous. He, a frequent visitor to various Western European countries, was well acquainted with a completely different culture and fashion. In the West they did not wear beards and they mocked Russian bearded men. Peter found himself in agreement with this opinion. The turning point was the one and a half year journey of the Russian Tsar incognito with the Grand Embassy across Europe. After returning from the Great Embassy, Peter could no longer come to terms with the “outdated” way of life in Rus' and decided to fight not only its internal, but its external manifestations. The introduction of the nobility to secular European culture began with the shaving of beards, which Peter I personally took up.

Tsar Peter chops off the beards of his boyars. Lubok painting.

Chroniclers of the September events of 1698 describe the meeting of Peter I with the nobles differently, however, the ending of all stories is the same. The nobles came to the king with lush long beards and proudly raised heads, but left beardless and confused. Some members of the nobility tried to resist Europeanization, but fearing falling out of favor with the tsar, in the end they submitted to his will. Many of the shaved boyars hid their trimmed beards and mustaches in their pockets and kept them. Afterwards, they bequeathed to their relatives to put their beauty and pride with them in the coffin. However, the most stubborn “bearded men” were allowed to keep their beards - subject to the payment of an annual tax.

Such a copper “Beard Badge” was issued after paying a tax and gave the right to wear a beard for a year.

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Why did Peter I issue a decree on shaving the beards of his boyars?

All over Russia they grumbled, because it was believed that shaving a beard was a sin, and the priests refused to bless the beardless. In Peter's actions, the boyars saw an attack on the very foundations of Russian life and persisted in shaving their beards.

In this regard, on September 5, 1698, Peter I established a tax on beards in order to instill in his subjects the fashion adopted in other European countries. For control, a special metal token was also introduced - a beard sign, which represented a kind of receipt for payment of money for wearing a beard.

And according to the decree of 1705, the entire male population of the country, with the exception of priests, monks and peasants, was obliged to shave their beards and mustaches. The tax for wearing a beard was increased depending on the class and property status of a person.

Peasants were not subject to duty, but each time they entered the city they were charged 1 kopeck “per beard.”

Only Catherine II in 1772 abolished the beard tax, but with a caveat: government officials, military officers and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot.”

The life of the boyars also changed significantly. Upon returning in August 1698 from his first trip abroad, at the very first feast, Peter I cut off the long beards of several boyars who congratulated him with scissors, which were considered the dignity of a man in that era. The Russian Orthodox Church considered barbering a mortal sin, since man was created in the likeness of God and pointed out that all saints on icons are depicted with beards and only foreigners, whom she considered heretics for their non-Orthodox faith, shave their beards.

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Tsar Peter Alekseevich went down in history as a decisive transformer of Russia. One of his most odious reforms was a decree making it mandatory to shave beards. The innovation caused a furious protest from connoisseurs of this important element. And at the turn of the 17th - 18th centuries, almost everyone was bearded - from simple peasants to the noblest boyars. A thick beard “from temple to temple” was both a person’s adornment, a sign of masculinity, and a symbol of adherence to the Orthodox faith.

Shaving was tantamount to terrible humiliation, insult and oppression. However, for the most ideological adherents of traditions, a loophole was deliberately left. Those who wished could not part with their value if they paid a tax to the state treasury.

Beards were expensive, but merchants were willing to pay for the right to a familiar appearance. Just to avoid shame.

The decree that doomed millions of people to moral suffering was signed by Peter I after returning from the Great Embassy - his famous diplomatic mission of 1697-1698, during which the young autocrat not only signed important treaties and entered into coalitions with monarchs, but also got acquainted with life and orders of the advanced countries of Europe.

As the Tsar managed to discover, no one abroad has grown a shovel from their chin for a long time. On the contrary, long beards were considered in the civilized world to be a real archaism, if not a manifestation of barbarism. They were seen as ugliness and unsanitary conditions. In England, the beard tax was introduced by Henry VIII in 1535. In France, the ban was sought at the end of the same century by Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, although similar efforts had been made earlier.

The desire to bring the appearance of his subjects to a European one was not limited to Peter I only with beards. His goal was to change his companions from Russian national costume to Western dress.

Boyarskaya - expensive, long and uncomfortable clothes were not at all suitable for the tasks that the ambitious politician set for his “chicks”.

Needless to say, many were angry, infuriated, and brought to a boil by the vigorous activity of Peter I. But no one dared to contradict the king - there were no fools. Moreover, Pyotr Alekseevich did not forgive self-will and was quick to punish. An incident that perfectly characterizes him occurred twenty years later, when Peter I, after sophisticated torture, ordered the hated officer Stepan Glebov, the lover of his first (and then imprisoned in a monastery) wife, to be impaled right on Red Square. The person sentenced to death suffered for 14 hours...

So, immediately upon arrival from abroad, on August 29, 1698, the royal court was familiarized with the decree “On wearing German dress, on shaving beards and mustaches, on schismatics walking in the attire specified for them.” In order not to seem unfounded and to produce a psychological effect, 26-year-old Peter I picked up scissors and personally began to cut the beards of elderly boyars from the venerable princely families. Then the royal jester took up the baton.

“The razor flew indiscriminately over the beards of those present,” the Austrian ambassador recalled, not without a shudder.

Many have seen the picture at least once: an energetic giant in a green camisole rolls up his sleeves, pins the “doomed” to the scaffold with a bear hug and swings an ax - the unwanted beard is about to fly away. On the orders of the Tsar, police barbers took to the streets. The hunt for bearded men has begun.

To say that the best people of Russia fell into deep shock because of the young autocrat’s antics means to say nothing. In the understanding of the boyars, the execution that took place was akin to a civil execution - they simply did not understand how they had angered their sovereign. According to the beliefs of that time, shaving was considered a sin. The bare-cheeked man was denied a blessing in church. Therefore, some preferred to give up their lives, but not their beard.

Realizing the danger of radical measures taken in a hurry, to which society was unable to get used to with lightning speed, within a week Peter I loosened his grip.

And on September 5, by order of His Majesty, the legendary beard tax was established.

From now on, wealthy citizens were able to afford something truly priceless - facial hair.

Tariffs varied significantly for representatives of different classes. The merchants of the first article were taxed the most: they had to shell out 100 rubles a year. Next in order were courtiers (60 rubles), coachmen and cab drivers (30 rubles each). The decree was issued again in 1705 and was then repeatedly confirmed until the middle of the reign of Catherine II.

“And if someone doesn’t want to shave their beards and mustaches, they want to walk around with beards and mustaches, and then take from them,” the document stated unequivocally.

Since 1715, there was a single duty of 50 rubles per year. It was canceled only in 1772. The last emperors, as you know, did not give a damn about the covenants of their great predecessor. Alexander II, Alexander III were notorious bearded men. Maybe in vain?..

Those who paid the money were given beard badges, which they were obliged to keep with them at all times and present upon request. At feasts, the tsar personally cut off the beards of the boyars who had the audacity to appear without a hefty copper. No desperate appeals like: “Oh, sorry, I forgot at home” were not taken into account.

Wikimedia Commons

It is curious that the initiator and conductor of the reform himself traditionally wore an impressive mustache in the European style, which also contradicted the decree. Whether Peter I paid the required dues, history is silent...

Only clergy and peasants were allowed to keep beards. However, “freedom” was effective for men only in the villages. When traveling to the city, the peasant was obliged to pay a penny for each trip.

At the same time, Russia became familiar with Western-style clothing. In the period 1700-1724, 17 decrees were issued to change the costume: their implementation was strictly monitored. Lovers of the old order were fined at the city gates for disobedience. For non-payment, long clothes were cut off no less diligently than beards. By the way, it was during the Peter the Great era that mannequins appeared. They tried to clearly prove to people that European dress is not so vulgar, but convenient, inexpensive and comfortable.

Peter I had to make a lot of efforts for the new fashion to take root in a God-fearing, conservative society.

And yet, over time, shaving, as well as the use of lipstick, powder, wigs and hats, became firmly established among us.

“Rus' turned into a barber shop, chock-full of people, where one exposed his own beard, another was forcibly shaved,” wrote about that era.

M.V. Butashevich-Petrashevsky

The last tsarist decree that put an end to the history of beards in Russia was the order of March 27 (April 9, new style) 1901, which allowed even cadets to wear beards, mustaches and sideburns.

Interestingly, similar taxes and bans on beards existed at different times in Europe.

Peter I has always been an extraordinary person. The great king adored power in all its manifestations, erasing any boundaries of what was acceptable.

The Northern Slavs have worn and honored beards since time immemorial, long before the adoption of Christianity. In Rus' it was believed that every man should have a beard, because... it was a sign of masculinity, wisdom and strength. They gave her a lot of attention, protected her, looked after her. It got to the point that if a person had an ugly, tattered beard, he was considered an inferior person. There was no worse insult than spitting in the beard. It was also considered very shameful to shave off a beard. Did Peter know that with his disrespect for the Russian tradition of wearing a beard, he would insult and disgrace all bearded men in Rus' in one fell swoop? - the answer is quite obvious. He knew, foresaw and wanted to do what always made him laugh and irritate.

“The introduction of a tax on beards is presented as perhaps the most striking evidence of the forced Europeanization carried out by the Tsar.”

“Cutting long hair and beards under Peter I” Sergey Efoshkin

HOW THINGS WERE WITH THE BEARD BEFORE PETER I

“God created man with a beard: only cats and dogs do not have it.”

PETER I AND HIS BEARDED REFORM

Beard badge of 1705, Remake, photo: rarecoins.ru

Only Catherine II abolished the fee with a caveat: government officials, military officers and courtiers had to leave their faces “barefoot.”

In 1863, Alexander II abolished the “beard” bans.

POST-PETER PERIOD

CURIOUS BUT FACT...

The last royal decree on the topic of beards was issued at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901: emperorNicholas II by his highest will, he allowed cadets to wear beards, mustaches and sideburns.