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The beard tax was levied on peasants. Why did Peter I prohibit wearing beards? When was the duty abolished?

315 years ago, on September 5, 1698, Emperor Peter I established a tax on beards in order to instill in his subjects the fashion adopted in other European countries.

boyars

From the very beginning of his reign, Peter I set a course for rapprochement with the West. This was clearly manifested in the tsar’s work in the direction that the Russian people in appearance resembled the inhabitants of Europe. The external transformation of the Russian person into a European began with the return of Peter I to Moscow from his first trip to Europe.

In August 1698, the day after arriving from abroad, 26-year-old Tsar Peter Alekseevich ordered scissors to be brought to a meeting of boyars and personally and publicly deprived several boyars of noble families of their beards. The boyars were shocked by the tsar’s prank; not a trace remained of their solidity and severity.

Later, Peter repeatedly performed a similar operation. However, the new order took root with difficulty.

The Tsar was condemned, his innovation was not accepted; There were also those who, having lost their beard, committed suicide. There was grumbling all over Russia. 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 established a tax on beards in order to still instill in his subjects the fashion adopted in other European countries.

Assembly of Peter I

For control, a special metal token was also introduced - a beard sign, which was a kind of receipt for payment of money for wearing a beard.

By the end of the same year, the requirement to shave the beard was extended to the main groups of the urban population; a fine was also determined for failure to comply with the order. 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.

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 TAKEN.” 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 has undergone several changes - a double-headed eagle was added to it on the back, different versions of coinage on the sign appeared - stamps indicating 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 became known as “beard penny”.

Beard badge of 1699

Beard badge of 1705

Beard badge of 1705 with countermarking

Beard badge of 1725

from courtiers, city nobles, officials 600 rubles a year;

from guests of the 1st article 100 rubles per year;

from medium and small merchants, as well as from townspeople, 60 rubles per year;

from servants, coachmen and cab drivers, from church clerks and all ranks of Moscow residents - 30 rubles annually.

By the way, 30 rubles at that time was the annual salary of a foot soldier, so a beard became an expensive pleasure.

Beard badges have become a popular collectible, and from the 19th century to the present day, a huge number of “remakes” made of different metals (copper, silver, gold) are known.

The peasants did not pay the duty, but each time they gave 1 kopeck “per beard” for entering and leaving the city. This contributed to the fact that the image of a Russian peasant with a beard remained unchanged throughout pagan and Christian Russia.

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.

One of the reasons why the beard tax was introduced was the budget deficit in the run-up to the Northern War. In addition to the beard, duties were imposed on other objects of everyday life - baths, chimneys, boots, firewood.

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 caused the indignation of the royal family.

Hymn to the beard

I am not a luxurious Venus,
Not the ugly Chimera
In hymns I offer sacrifice:
I sing a song of praise
To the hair, respectable from all,
Widespread across the chest,
That in our old age
They respect our advice.

Expensive beard!
It's a pity that you are not baptized
And that part of the body is shameful
The one you prefer.

Nature is caring
About the bliss of mortals
Incomparable beauty
Surrounds with a beard
The way we come into the world
And we raise our gaze first.
The beard won't appear
The gate is not open.

Beard in the treasury income
Multiplies by all years:
Dear brother of Kerzhentsam
Gladly double salary
In the fee for it brings
And with a low bow he asks
In eternal peace miss
Headless with a beard.

It’s not in vain that he dares,
He truly knows his profit:
He just straightens his mustache,
Mortals are not afraid of thunderstorms,
Superstitions ride into the flames;
How much from the Ob and Pechera
After them riches go home
He gets it with his beard.

Oh, since you are blessed in the light,
A beard is a replacement for eyes!
People talk in general
And in truth they say:
Fools, lies, pranks
Without her there would be no eyes,
Anyone would spit in their eyes;
It keeps their eyes intact and healthy.

If it is true that the planets
The lights are like ours,
Finally, the sages
And most of all there are priests
They assure with a beard,
That we are not here head-on.
Who will say: we are really here,
They will burn him in the chimney there.

If someone is unattractive in body
Or in an immature mind;
If born into poverty
Either he is not respected by rank,
He will be wise and reasonable,
Noble in rank and not meager
For a great beard:
Such are its fruits!

O golden beauty,
O gift of beauty,
Mother of wealth and intelligence,
Mother of wealth and ranks,
The root of impossible actions
O veil of false opinions!
How can I honor you?
How to pay for merit?

Through many scratches
I'll braid you,
And I'll show you all the tricks,
I will dress up in all fashions.
Through various ventures
I want to curl my toupee:
Give me ribbons, wallets
And coarse flour.

Oh, where to go with good things?
All items will not fit:
For their many numbers
The beard has not grown.
I imitate the peasants
And how I fertilize the arable land.
Beard, forgive me now
Grow in greasy moisture.

Expensive beard!
It's a pity that you are not baptized
And that part of the body is shameful
The one you prefer.

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 persons of free status who had reached more or less respectable age, and among young people it was recognized as a sign of freethinking.

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

junkers

Interestingly, similar taxes and prohibitions existed at that time in Europe. Similar taxes were introduced in England and France in the 16th century. There are even attempts to completely ban beards. The New World was also not distinguished by liberalism - in the American state of Massachusetts in 1830, unshavenness was punishable by imprisonment.

It would seem that today there is no beard tax and the taxes described above seem outlandish. Not at all. And today many people still continue to “pay” for the opportunity to wear a beard. A fairly common occurrence these days is the inability to get a well-paid job with a 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.

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 has undergone several changes - a double-headed eagle was added to it on the back, different versions of coinage on the sign appeared - stamps indicating 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.

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.

M.V. Butashevich-Petrashevsky

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.

TAX ON PETER I'S BEARDS

On April 6, 1772, the beard tax introduced by Peter I was abolished in Russia.

From the very beginning of his reign, Peter I set a course for rapprochement with the West. This was clearly manifested in the tsar’s concerns that the Russian people should resemble the inhabitants of Europe in appearance. The transformation of Russian people into Europeans began with the return of Peter I to Moscow from his first trip to Europe.
In August 1698, the day after arriving from abroad, 26-year-old Tsar Peter Alekseevich ordered scissors to be brought to a meeting of boyars and personally and publicly deprived several boyars of noble families of their beards. The boyars were shocked by the tsar’s prank; not a trace remained of their solidity and severity. Later, Peter repeatedly performed a similar operation.
However, the new order took root with difficulty. The king was condemned and his innovation was not accepted. There were also those who, having parted with their beards, committed suicide. 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 was a kind of receipt for payment of money for wearing a beard. By the end of the same year, the requirement to shave the beard was extended to the main groups of the urban population; a fine was also determined for failure to comply with the order.

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.
Four categories of duty were established: from courtiers, city nobles, and officials, 600 rubles a year (huge money for that time); from merchants - 100 rubles per year; from townspeople - 60 rubles per year; from servants, coachmen and all ranks of Moscow residents - 30 rubles annually. Peasants were not subject to taxes, but each time they entered the city they were charged 1 kopeck per beard.
Personally, Peter himself granted the privilege of duty-free wearing a beard to only two people in the Russian state - Moscow governor Tikhon Streshnev due to the good attitude of the tsar and boyar Mikhail Cherkassky out of respect for his advanced years..
Peter's daughter Elizaveta Petrovna confirmed the decrees on barber shaving.

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.”

Age of Reign Russian Tsar Peter Alekseevich, better known as Peter I or Peter the Great, was filled with many reforms that transformed Russia. Here are radical changes in the state apparatus, the actual placing of the church under the strict control of secular authorities, changes in the calendar, the creation of a fleet, the construction of St. Petersburg, the transfer of the capital and much, much more.

Monarch shorn

However, perhaps the first thing that is remembered when talking about the times of Peter is his merciless fight against beards. 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.

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.

"Peter I cuts the beards of the boyars." Painting by Dmitry Belyukin, 1985. Photo: RIA Novosti

One can doubt that the new order was such a revelation for those close to Pyotr Alekseevich: knowing about his plans for the Europeanization of the country, they managed to prepare morally for what was happening.

But for ordinary people, the forced removal of beards really came as a surprise. However, a loophole was left for lovers of such facial decoration - on September 5, 1689, a decree was issued that ordered people of any rank, except priests and deacons, to shave their beards and mustaches, and to collect a fee from those who did not want to do this.

Beard as a source of finance

Discontent in society was strong. For the Old Believers, the innovation became a confirmation of the “diabolical essence of the new government.” In some places there was direct resistance to the authorities, which, however, was ruthlessly suppressed.

The most mentally unstable men without beards committed suicide.

This was explained by the great influence of the church on the life of Russians. The fact is that barber shaving was prohibited by the rules of the 6th Ecumenical Council, as well as by the patristic writings (creation St. Epiphany of Cyprus,St. Cyril of Alexandria, bl. Theodorite, St. Isidora Pilusiota). The logic of the church fathers was as follows: shaving a beard thereby expresses dissatisfaction with the external appearance that the Creator gave to man, and from there arises a desire to “correct” God.

The church's mute resistance to innovation was expressed in the fact that beardless people were simply not blessed in the church, which was a real disaster in pious pre-Petrine Russia.

Nevertheless, the energetic king successfully followed his line. This was explained by the fact that the financial interest of the state was behind the introduction of a duty on beards.

The number of wealthy citizens who wanted to keep their beards was large enough for the influx of funds to the treasury to be noticeable. And Peter I really needed money: waging wars and building a fleet were extremely expensive.

Therefore, in addition to the tax on beards, duties were imposed on stoves, boots, firewood, baths and much more.

According to the recipe of Henry VIII

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

It must be said that in Western Europe, passions around beards also largely stemmed from the position of the church. In 1119, at the Council of Toulouse, a regulation was introduced prohibiting the wearing of a beard and long hair, but many interpreted it in favor of short beards. In the Catholic Church at the end of the 16th century, a zealot for strict principles tried to introduce a complete ban on beards. Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, however, he was not completely successful in his enterprise.

Peter I turned out to be more consistent in his actions - gradually new norms covered all his subjects. In 1699, a special beard badge was introduced, which was issued to those who paid the state for wearing facial hair.

The tsar himself exempted only two people from paying duties - Moscow Governor Tikhon Streshnev, who enjoyed the personal favor of Peter, and was in old age boyar Mikhail Cherkassky.

In January 1705, the duty on beards was systematized by category depending on the class: courtiers, city nobles and officials had to annually pay an astronomical sum for that time of 600 rubles, merchants - 100 rubles, townspeople - 60 rubles, servants, coachmen, and other city officials - 30 rubles. It was a little easier for the peasants - they were not charged an annual fee, but each visit to the city cost them 1 kopeck per beard.

In 1715, a single duty of 50 rubles was introduced. By this time, in addition to the peasants and the clergy, only very pious and wealthy people, as well as schismatics, remained faithful to the beard. They were required to wear an old-fashioned dress along with their beard, in which they looked frankly pretentious in society. Those who violated this rule could expect swift sanctions - after all, according to the royal decree, anyone who denounced a violator with a beard was entitled to half the fine. The bearded man's lack of funds was not considered an excuse - hard labor awaited him, where he had to work until the fine was paid in full.

Peter's work lives on!

No concessions were made to the beard even after the death of Peter - the following rulers, including his daughter Elizaveta Petrovna, confirmed the “anti-beard” legislation.

In society, the duty on beards caused about the same irritation among the progressive intelligentsia as documents restricting gay propaganda cause modern liberals. In 1757 he teased the authorities a little himself Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov, who created “Hymn to the Beard.” The royal lady shook her finger at the genius with displeasure, and that’s where the story ended.

Only Catherine the Great in 1772, she abolished the beard tax, which had existed for seven decades. However, by this time the result had been achieved - the universal wearing of beards among Russian men was a thing of the past. The beard finally turned into an attribute of the priesthood and backward peasantry.

At the same time, despite the abolition of duties, in the era Catherine II Not everyone could wear a beard. This, for example, was not allowed to government officials, military personnel and courtiers.

In the era Nicholas I Officials, military men and students could not afford a beard. In general, the unwritten rules of the Nicholas era gave the right to a beard to people of advanced age, and beards among young people, to put it mildly, were not encouraged. There was, however, some relaxation among the military - officers of some branches of the military were allowed mustaches and sideburns.

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”.

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 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

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 becomes 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: emperorNicholas II by his highest will, he allowed cadets to wear beards, mustaches and sideburns.

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...