The Group of 20: participants and working concept

News from the classics: Find a familiar topic

The evolution of Russian beard

On September 5, 1698, Peter the Great introduced a tax on beards to instil European fashion upon his subjects. To make sure that they complied, a special metallic token was introduced, a beard seal that acted as a sort of receipt of payment to have a beard. We traced the changing fashion of beards throughout Russian history.