Feb 19, 2011: The shame masks were used for moral frightening of citizens. In order not to overload the people with corporal punishments, which often maimed and crippled the productive force of the state, the enforcers invented moral punishment. A person exposed to shame was publicly “tortured” with relatively small health damage. This method was used to punish adultery, hard drinking, quarreling and other minor sins.

The masks could be of different forms, and usually depicted the punished personal defect: too curious ones got long noses, too talkative — long toungues, negligent students received donkey`s ears, etc. Besides these masks, the punishers also used “shame coats” and pillories.

Photo by Andrei Katrovskiy

St. Petersburg Museum of Artillery
Germany, 16–17th centuries.