Politics & Government

Tax on Beards Imposed by Tsar Peter I

Tsar Peter I of Russia enforced a beard tax to promote Westernization among his nobility while excluding clergy and peasantry. The tax aimed to modernize Russia and diminish traditional customs associated with beard-wearing, which was common in Russia at the time. This regulation required the nobility to pay for the privilege of sporting facial hair, reflecting the broader cultural changes Peter sought to enforce in his efforts to Europeanize Russian society.

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