Westernizing through the razor

In Peter the Great by Lindsey Hughes, it states “and the razor eliminated the ancient fashion” (Page 53). Was Peter truly obsessed with westernizing Russia to get the smallest details, such as shaving beards, to be up to pair with Europe? Many of his men would abandon their clothes in exchange for European clothes while they traveled with Peter, but was Peter taking it too far? Hughes would later on state “It was of evil omen to make show of reluctance as the razor approached the chin”. These were small yet big actions, and Peter would consistently have people shave their beards on events such as Muscovite New Year.

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