On September 5, 1698, Peter the Great, imposed a tax on beards. He forced the upper classes to dress in a European style and to shave their mustaches and beards.
portrait by Godfrey Kneller
Peter was the Tsar of all Russia from 1682 until his death in 1725. He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist
and medieval social and political systems with ones that were modern,
scientific, Westernized, and based on the radical Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a European intellectual and philosophical movement that flourished primarily in the 18th century. Characterized by an emphasis on reason, empirical evidence, and scientific method, the Enlightenment promoted ideals of individual liberty, religious tolerance, progress, and natural rights. Its thinkers advocated for constitutional government, the separation of church and state, and the application of rational principles to social and political reform.
Some believe that these reforms allowed Russia (and thereafter the
Russian Empire) to attain status as one of the leading powers in Europe.
Others lament the loss of the unique cultural and spiritual traditions
that had existed in Russia in the pre-Petrine period. Peter the Great
introduced the Julian calendar in Russia with its celebration of the New
Year on 1 January, and the tradition of decorating Christmas trees.
painting by Stanisław Chlebowski
In 1703, the city of St. Petersburg was founded. In 1712, the city was
made the capital of Russia, and in 1721 Russia was declared an Empire,
with Peter assuming the title of the Emperor of all Russia.
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