لحية

A coin story: The Russian beard tax

Peter the Great, the famous Tsar of Russia (1689-1725), worked diligently to transform his vast empire into a modern European state, modeled after France, the Netherlands, and England. He therefore devoted considerable effort to establishing great cities like Saint Petersburg and founded modern industries such as shipbuilding. He also encouraged trade routes with the West. Upon his return from one of his European voyages, he issued a surprising decree requiring all Russian citizens to wear robes…