Peter the Great's Beard Tax: Shaving Russia Into Europe

Peter the Great's Beard Tax: Reforming Russia One Whisker at a Time

In 1698, Tsar Peter I returned from his Grand Embassy to Western Europe and shocked Russia by personally trimming the beards of his boyars. This episode explores the famous beard tax — a seemingly trivial policy that was actually a powerful symbol of Peter's modernisation campaign. We discuss the tax's origins, its rates (from 30 to 100 rubles depending on social class), the special token coins issued to those who paid, and the fierce resistance from Old Believers who saw beards as essential to salvation. Lucas and Luna examine how this cultural clash reflected deeper tensions between tradition and reform, and how the beard tax paved the way for Peter's broader Westernisation agenda. Featuring the 'beard token' coins, the role of the Preobrazhensky Prikaz in enforcement, and the eventual repeal of the tax in 1772. A revealing look at how something as personal as facial hair became a battleground for Russia's future. #PeterTheGreat #BeardTax #RussianHistory #TsarPeter #EasternEurope #Modernization #18thCentury #OldBelievers #PreobrazhenskyPrikaz #Boyars #Westernization #RussianEmpire #CulturalReform #History #FexingoHistory #BeardToken #Borodina #Taxation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's City Planning: The Regularity of Saint Petersburg

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Peter the Great's radical vision for Saint Petersburg, a city built not organically but by decree. They discuss how Peter imposed a strict geometric grid, mandatory stone construction, and uniform building facades, inspired by his travels in Western Europe. The episode contrasts the planned regularity of the new capital with Moscow's chaotic medieval layout. Lucas explains the role of the Chancellery of Building Affairs, the forced relocation of thousands of serfs and artisans, and the challenges of building on swampy ground. They also cover the first major buildings: the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Admiralty, and the Twelve Collegia. A key figure is the architect Domenico Trezzini, who designed many early structures. The conversation touches on the human cost, including the thousands who died in the construction, and how Peter's obsession with order extended even to tree planting along the Neva. This episode offers a fresh angle on Peter's modernization, focusing on urban planning as a tool of social transformation. #PeterTheGreat #SaintPetersburg #UrbanPlanning #RussianHistory #DomenicoTrezzini #NevaRiver #CityPlanning #ArchitectureHistory #TsarPeter #18thCentury #BaroqueArchitecture #ChancelleryOfBuilding #Serfdom #PeterAndPaulFortress #Admiralty #TwelveCollegia #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Grand Embassy: Learning from the West

In 1697, Peter the Great embarked on an unprecedented journey: the Grand Embassy, a two-year mission across Europe where the tsar traveled incognito, worked as a shipwright in Dutch shipyards, studied anatomy in Amsterdam, and recruited hundreds of experts to modernize Russia. This episode follows Peter from Moscow through the Baltic states, Prussia, Holland, and England. We explore his time in the Zaandam shipyards, his visit to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, the diplomatic negotiations with the Holy Roman Empire, and the Streltsy rebellion that cut his journey short. We also examine the embassy's impact on Russia's military, technological, and cultural transformation. This is the episode that covers the trip that opened Russia to the West. #PeterTheGreat #GrandEmbassy #RussianHistory #Zaandam #Amsterdam #London #Shipbuilding #Streltsy #GreatNorthernWar #Tsar #Romanov #Westernization #17thCentury #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #EasternEurope #Monarchy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Bodyguard: The Preobrazhensky Life Regiment

In this episode, we explore the Preobrazhensky Life Regiment, Peter the Great's personal bodyguard and elite military unit. Formed from the 'play regiments' of his childhood, the Preobrazhentsy became the backbone of Peter's new army. We follow their pivotal role in the Great Northern War, from the siege of Narva to the victory at Poltava. We also uncover their darker duties: enforcing Peter's reforms, suppressing the Streltsy uprising, and acting as the Tsar's enforcers. Key figures include Colonel Ivan Buturlin, Peter's childhood companion, and the regiment's role in the execution of Tsarevich Alexei. This is a story of loyalty, violence, and the forging of a modern Russian military. #PreobrazhenskyRegiment #PeterTheGreat #GreatNorthernWar #Poltava #Narva #RussianHistory #MilitaryHistory #Tsar #Streltsy #IvanButurlin #TsarevichAlexei #LifeGuards #RussianArmy #18thCentury #Reforms #EliteForces #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Peter the Great's Poisoned Chalice: The Trial of Tsarevich Alexei

In 1718, Peter the Great faced his greatest personal crisis: his own son, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, was accused of plotting to overthrow him. This episode of our Peter the Great series explores the dramatic flight of Alexei to Vienna, the secret correspondence with his mother Evdokia Lopukhina, the interrogation by the Preobrazhensky Priask under Fyodor Romodanovsky, and the excruciating torture sessions that led to Alexei's confession and death. We also examine the role of the Tsar's new capital, Saint Petersburg, and the Peter and Paul Fortress where Alexei was imprisoned. With new scholarship on the tsarevich's religious circle and his connections to conservative boyars, we unravel how this father-son conflict shaped the future of the Russian monarchy. #PeterTheGreat #TsarevichAlexei #PreobrazhenskyPriask #FyodorRomodanovsky #EvdokiaLopukhina #PeterAndPaulFortress #RussianHistory #18thCentury #RomanovDynasty #SuccessionCrisis #Torture #Treason #SaintPetersburg #AlexanderMenshikov #HolyRomanEmpire #Vienna #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]