Why did Peter the Great put a tax on beards?

In 1698, Emperor Peter I of Russia instituted a beard tax to bring Russian society in line with Western European models. To enforce the ban on beards, the tsar empowered police to forcibly and publicly shave those who refused to pay the tax.

Who was exempt from the beard tax?

Peasants and clerics were exempt, but everyone else who wanted to wear a beard had to pay an annual fee and carry a medal as proof of payment. The first medals were round affairs showing a nose, mustache and beard on one side and the imperial eagle on the reverse.

When was the beard tax lifted?

1772
Most Russian men chose to keep their money rather than their facial hair, says Oldstone-Moore, and the tax wasn’t lifted until 1772 (when many of the tokens were melted down and repurposed).

What kind of tax was Peter’s beard tax?

sin tax
Peter’s beard tax was a sin tax of its day. It arose from his desire to make Russia more competitive with Europe. Successful shavers: The tsar had spent much of 1697 and 1698 traveling incognito as part of a Grand Embassy around Europe. The journey’s goal was to learn the secret to the continent’s successes.

Who was the Czar of Russia who had beards?

Beards might seem like an odd target for taxation, but to Peter the Great (1672-1725)—Russia’s revolutionary Czar—facial hair was no laughing matter. Born in Moscow with the name Pyotr Alekseyvich Romanov on June 9, 1672, the young royal would—more than any other figure—be credited with the modernization of Russia.

What was the Russian beard tax in 1772?

This was a copper or silver token with a Russian Eagle on the reverse and on the obverse the lower part of a face with nose, mouth, whiskers, and beard. Several different versions were minted between the issuance of the decree and its lifting in 1772.

Why was there a beard tax in 1698?

(Wikimedia Commons) Around this day in 1698, Tsar Peter I—known as Peter the Great—established a beard tax. He wasn’t the only ruler in history to do this—England’s Henry VII did the same —but what’s interesting is the story behind Peter’s reason for the tax.

What kind of tax did you pay for a beard?

Those who paid the tax were required to carry a “beard token” (Бородовой знак). This was a copper or silver token with a Russian Eagle on the reverse and on the obverse the lower part of a face with nose, mouth, whiskers, and beard. Several different versions were minted between the issuance of the decree and its lifting in 1772.