In the late 17th century, Russia was on the brink of transformation — and Tsar Peter I, better known as Peter the Great, was determined to modernize his country by any means necessary. That meant reforming the army, building a navy, importing Western sciences…

…and shaving every bearded man in sight.

Why the Beard Had to Go

While traveling through Europe incognito (as part of the “Grand Embassy”), Peter fell in love with the clean-shaven look popular among Western nobles. He saw it as a symbol of progress — unlike the long, traditional Orthodox beards worn proudly by Russian men.

Upon his return to Russia in 1698, Peter began his beard crusade.

At a public event, he personally shaved off the beards of his nobles, allegedly with a straight razor and a maniacal grin. But he didn’t stop there. To institutionalize this follicular purge, he issued an imperial decree:

Anyone who wanted to keep a beard had to pay a tax.

Beard Money and Beard Medals

The Beard Tax applied to everyone — nobles, merchants, even peasants who entered cities. Those who paid received a special beard token — a metal medallion they had to carry as proof they were legally bearded. One side of the token read:

“The beard is a superfluous burden.”

The tax became unpopular, especially among devout Orthodox believers who considered beards sacred. But Peter didn’t care. He was too busy building St. Petersburg and reorganizing Russia from the face up.

The Legacy

Although later tsars softened the law, Peter’s beard tax became a symbol of his bold — and bizarre — attempts to drag Russia into modernity. It’s also possibly the only time in history when men were fined for looking too manly.