Russia: Facts Hardly Anyone Knows, Obviously

Published on December 20, 2017
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Russia! Aaaah, the capital of the communist world! For years the former USSR stood on the edge of war with the western world, but since its disbandment back in 1991, many secrets about Russia still remain. Here are some of the lesser-known facts about the Soviet state.

Beer

For the average joe, a shot of vodka is enough to get your head spinning. But when it comes to Russia, you could call that ‘breakfast’. It wasn’t until 2011 that Russian authorities decided that beer was an alcoholic beverage. Before then, anything that had 10% alcohol or less was just… well, a soft drink.

Beer

Beer

Beard Tax

If you ever found yourself in need of a shave you didn’t want to pay for, then Russia would have been the place to be in. There was a time when having a beard meant you needed to pay a tax for it. Had you not paid the tax, the beard police (yes, the beard police) would shave your hairy face right where you were. Whew, thank goodness that law has been let go.

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Beard Tax

Beard Tax