A French historical writer of the first half of the eighteenth century,
Jean Rousset de Missy, wrote a life of Peter the Great. Although the author
never visited Russia, his volumes have some value, since he appears to have
taken pains to get reliable information. He thus describes the reform in
dress enforced by Peter.
The Tsar labored at the reform of fashions, or, more properly speaking,
of dress. Until that time the Russians had always worn long beards, which
they cherished and preserved with much care, allowing them to hang down
on their bosoms, without even cutting the moustache. With these long beards
they wore the hair very short, except the ecclesiastics, who, to distinguish
themselves, wore it very long. The Tsar, in order to reform that custom,
ordered that gentlemen, merchants, and other subjects, except priests and
peasants, should each pay a tax of one hundred rubles a year if they wished
to keep their beards ; the commoners had to pay one kopeck each. Officials
were stationed at the gates of the towns to collect that tax, which the
Russians regarded as an enormous sin on the part of the Tsar and as a thing
which tended to the abolition of their religion.
These insinuations, which came from the priests, occasioned the publication
of many pamphlets in Moscow, where for that reason alone the Tsar was regarded
as a tyrant and a pagan ; and there were many old Russians who, after having
their beards shaved off, saved them preciously, in order to have them placed
in their coffins, fearing that they would not be allowed to enter heaven
without their beards. As for the young men, they followed the new custom
with the more readiness, as it made them appear more agreeable to the fair
sex.
From the reform in beards we may pass to that of clothes. Their garments,
like those of the Orientals, were very long, reaching to the heel. The Tsar
issued an ordinance abolishing that costume, commanding all the boyars (nobles)
and all those who had positions at the court to dress after the French fashion,
and likewise to adorn their clothes with gold or silver according to their
means.
As for the rest of the people, the following method was employed. A suit
of clothes cut according to the new fashion was hung at the gate of the
city, with a decree enjoining upon all except peasants to have their clothes
made on this model, under penalty of being forced to kneel and -have all
that part of their garments which fell below the knee cut off, or pav two
grives every time they entered the town -with clothes in the old style.
Since the guards at the gates executed their duty in curtailing the garments
in a sportive spirit, the people were amused and readily abandoned their
old dress, especially in Moscow and its environs, and in the towns which
the Tsar oftenest visited. The dress of the women was changed, too. English
hairdressing was substituted for the caps and bonnets hitherto worn - bodices,
stays, and skirts, for the former undergarments. . . .
The same ordinance also provided that in the future women, as well as men,
should be invited to entertainments, such as weddings, banquets, and the
like, where both sexes should mingle in the same hall, as in Holland and
England. It was likewise added that these entertainments should conclude
with concerts and dances, but that only those should be admitted who were
dressed in English costumes. His Majesty set the example in all these changes.