The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-11-28
SHAVED BY FORCE
Peter the Greats Merry War on
Boards In Russia.
RAzoRs FOLLOWED THE TAX.

Wnen 1edNy FiUGS W f'ObtSo
the Desired Result the Gar Had Bar
bers Seize His Sub jects In the Streets
and Now Their Whiskers.
Peter the Great on his return to
Moscow In lt99, after travelling through
Germany, Holland and England. de-
termined to make his Russian subjects
look like Europeans, for at that time.
in both appearance and manners. they
resembled the Asiatics. They were
iressed In long robes reaching down
10 their ankles, gathered in folds at the
waist and girded by belt or sash, the
wealthier classes wearing garments of
rich materials, lined with costly furs,
and on their heads they wore a high
cap with a fur border.
They took great pride in their
long boards, which were combed out
over their breasts. and they reckoned
them not only an ornament to the
face, but distinction from the sur
rounding nations. who we're all clean
shaved.
Peter began his reforms by ordering
all the boyars. or mobiles, to appear at
court In English dresses on pain of his
displeasure, and patterns of English
coats were hung up at the gates of the
city. and all persons passing through
the gates in their long habits had to
pay tax or else have their skirts cut
round by the knees.
The poor peasants alone were ex-
empted from this rule. On the wearing
of long boards a tax was imposed, but
this measure only increased the cars
revenue. for the people willingly paid
the money that they might retain their
cherished boards.
Even those who adopted the English
dress refused to submit to an act that
they thought not only irreligious, but
foolish, "for why said they. de
prive the chin Of its natural covering
in a climate where the protection Of
fur collars was necessary during six
months in the yearT'
So. finding taxes and fines useless.
the czar resolved to convert his sub
jects to the new fashions by force.
AT the gates of the city BARRIERS were
stationed, and all, except the peasants,
who were allowed to retain their
boards. were obliged to submit to a
rapid shaving. in spite of entreaties
, and the offer of large bribes.
, And venerable gray boards might be
. seen scampering through the streets,
, pursued by the BARRIERS, whom they
fed from as they would from hang
i men. and when caught the poor run
. aways frequently lost skin as well as
hair in this rough way Of shaving.
) The BARRIERS were most likely Germans
: or English and probably enjoyed the
l panic they caused among the Russians.
t Shaving had at one time been de-
t nounced by the clergy, and a beard
!, at that time was looked upon as a sign
: of orthodoxy, so that native BARRIERS
: | would have got but little custom.
: Those Russians who persisted in wear
n ing their long caftans were obliged to
1 kneel down, and their garments were
cut off at the knees. Peter sometimes
! invited the mobiles to his table and
). had them shaved in his presence, a
: process that some of them resisted
their faces suffering in consequence.
One day when the czar was out
walking he met an old man coming
: from the barber's. Peter spoke kindly
to him. telling him that now he had
lost his beard he looked like q young
man. Upon this the old man put his
4 hand into his bosom and, drawing
/ forth the beard that had been cut of
4 and showing 1t to the czar, told him
, that he shnnld preserve 1t and have il
+ placed in his coffin. that in the next
S world he might show it to St. Nicholas
r to prove that he was true Russian.
: Peter did not cOnfine his reforms to
: the mems habits. He also changed the
d dress of the Russian ladies'; but, though
d the new costume may have been more
: convenient, it was certainly not SC
t quaint or picturesque as the old one
The ladies of Russia lived in oriental
seclusion. seldom appearing In public
+ and having separate part of the
i house appropriated to them, but the
czar ordered that at all festivities oil
l public entertainments women should
be invited as well as men, but that they
must all appear in English dresses.
Whether all of Peters changes in
u costume were for the better may be
doubted. for before his time stays were
unknown in Russia. and when he first
/. visited the German court and was
dancing with the ladies he mistook
their whale bone corsets for theiI
bodies and complained that the Ger
: man ladies had such hard bcnes!-St
" Louis Globe Democrat.