The Championship has several categories: the best moustache, beard, and sideburns that are broken down into subcategories depending on length and style. All participants were truly original and outstanding.
Beard Day is observed on April 6 in Russia for historical reasons. On this day in 1698, Tsar Peter the Great tried to introduce European law and order in the Russian Empire by signing a decree in which he ordered beards to be shaven and a fee to be taken from all those who refused. The cost of having a beard was reevaluated several times, but it was always a high price to pay. In 1705, for example, a citizen living in the capital had to pay the equivalent of a foot soldier’s yearly salary. Only peasants could get away with having a beard for cheap: a kopek ‘from their beard’ when entering and exiting the city.
Ekaterina II (reigned 1762-1796) annulled the fee 74 years later, on April 6, 1772. This day is considered to be Beard Day in Russia.
More video: Why Russian men value their beards?
Infographics:The evolution of Russian beard
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