The government reforms of Peter I aimed to modernize the Tsardom of Russia based on Western European models.
Peter the Great
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Beard tax
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A beard tax is a governmental policy that requires men to pay for the privilege of wearing a beard. The most well documented beard tax was in place in Russia during the 18th century.
Government reform of Peter the Great
…backward, standing in the way of Europeanization and reform. He specifically targeted the boyars with numerous taxes and obligatory services, including a tax on beards. Like most of Russia's legal system at the time, Peter's reforms were codified and articulated in a series of royal decrees (Russian: указ, ukaz…
A Russian beard token from 1705, carried to indicate that the owner had paid the beard tax imposed by Peter the Great