There’s an old adage that says there’s nothing certain in this world except death and taxes – and that’s true of everything from gasoline to cigarettes to even the groceries we buy. But in your wildest dreams, did you ever expect to be taxed for having a beard? It happened in Imperial Russia during the time of Peter the Great after the young Tsar visited Europe in disguise to learn about Western Culture. He visited shipyards, factories, schools and even attended a session of Great Britain’s Parliament. Upon his return he embarked on an ambitious program of modernizing Russia. One of the ways he attempted to modernize Russia was to declare that all men should go beardless like the “modern” men he had met in Western Europe.
Instituted in 1705, it was a massively unpopular policy. It was so unpopular, that there were whispers from the Russian Orthodox Church that being seen in public without facial hair was blasphemous! Peter relented somewhat and said men could have their beards taxed.

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