The Portland daily press., 1899-07-29
EDCCATION IN RUSSIA.
Great Advance. Have Lately Been
Made.


Made.
(kusslan Letter In New York Times.)
Finland holds the place of honor
among all Russian provinces In the pres
emit crusade made throughout the empire
In favor OF public education. Notwith-
standing the strenuous opposition of the
Swedish minority in Finiand--a MINORS
ty consisting Of kind Of aristocratio
bonrgeoise whion oppressed the Finnish
majority for long tims-public instruc-
tion prevails today in Finland to the
Same extent az In France and Germany.
Notwithstanding the poverty Of the peo-
pie and tue isolation of their remote VIII
lagos, there ara hardly any illiterates to-
day In Finland.
As regards public instruction, the three
Baltic provinces may be placed In the
same category as Finland. In Livonia,
Courisnd aud Esthonia the development
of public education has, strange to say,
been greatly helped on by religious
strifes. These three provinces have long
been a battle-ground between the two RI
val religions, Professionalism, Indirectly
upheld by Germany, and the Orthodox
Greek church. The school question is the
great subject of controversy between the
two churches. On the one hand, the
Protestant minister's do their utmost to
teach school children German, and, at
the same time, convert them to Protest.
antism. On the other. the Russian
"pope" wields his influence In favor OF
the Russian language and the Orthodox
religion. In this manner new schools are
constantly being erected by the rival fac
tions, to the great benefit of education.
This explains why the number OF Hitter
ate In Couriand and Esthonia bas fallen
to less than 3 per cent and In Liyopia to
less tim 9 per cent.
The condition Of public education Is far
less satisfactory In the central aud east
ern provinces of the empire. In these
provinces educa ional 70 'orm is OF more
recent cate. Moreover, the absence OF
railways and of means of comm unicasion
together with tie absence of all spiri 10 OF
rivalry and emulation between hostile
factions, explains sufficiently the present
intellectual torpor of the russian peasan-
try. Nevertheless, great progress has been
made, oven in these provinces, during
the PAST 20 years. In proof " this, will
take as examples two prosiuces--that of
Moscow. in Central Russia. and that of
Yarosiay, in the north.
In the province of Yaroslay today there
ara no less than SO, l09 Urinary schools
for population of /, O7S. 5g3 inhabitants 4
This means that in the region OF
Ya-oslav there are about i've schools per
leo Inhabitants, and in the province of
Moscow, where the number OF primary
schools Is s3, 52S. for population OF
2, 43 1855, there are four schools per leo
Inhabitants. This is a figure which Is
hardty egualed in France and England.
Most of these schools are, however. of
recent date, and they have not yet had
timo to give many practical results This
explains why the number OF illiterAtes In
tbs Russian army is still consider q ble.
though less than Is generally supposed
abroad. Among the young soldiers
called upon for military service the num-
Der Of illiterates Is IL per cent in the
prosinces of st. Petersburg aud Of
1aroslav, GO per cent. in the district OF
Eyer, 20 per cent. in vladimir, SO per
cent. in kostroma, 81 per cent. in Mos
COW and SO per cent. in kalooga This
percentage 10 somewhat lower THAI in
Italy, where there are az per cent. of IL
literates, and about equal to that OF Hun
gary and Austria. respectively. SO and 80
per cent
Outside of Finland. the provinces Of the
empire In which school children are most
numerous, In proportion to the total pop
ulation. are: Livonia, scholars for la0
inhabitsnts; Esthonia and Courland,
o l-2 per 100 inhabitants; than the
provinces OF st. Petersburg, Yaroslay and
Moscow, 1-2 per cent; Olonets and Tyer,
g.; Kazsn. 1-2 per cent
The opening of all these new schools
tElc1f g..
leges and universities. But what are
wanting in Russia are technical and pro-
fessional sohools For two years past the
government has been striving to increase
their numter, for the proper tion OF engi-
neers is as YET entirely insufficient to
meet the demand. This explains why
there are so many foreign engineers in
Russia. Belgians and Germans notably.
Last year new school Of tech noloay,
bearing the name Of nicholas was
opened at Warsaw. The pro Since had
contributed 10 the foundation Of this
school 1000, 600 rubles.
likewise been opened at Kew. A gov
,erninent decree, just passed, has doubled
the sum allotted yearly to the thrss prin-
oipal schools In the EN- pire--that of Mich
olas Ii. in st. Petersburg; the Imperial
school Of technology, In Moscow, and the
Alexander III. school of technology. in
Perhaps the most interesting item con-
corning the campaign for public educA-
tion In Russia Is the opening Of new
Institute of technology at Tomsk. In the
heart of Siberiai The government is also
making plans for the foundation of Lew
institute OF technology at Mini -Novo-
CORD, with special section for naval en-
cheering. Further, in the industrial
region Of Ekatherincslaw, which has late
ly greatly increased In Importance, the
government has decided to establish a
new school Of mines. A similar decision
hes likewise been taken as regards the
other slope Of the Oral mountains, and
a school Of mines will shortly be opened
at Ekatherinebourg. In the very heart OF
the copper country. The provincial as
semblies have already subscribed two
thirds Of the sum necessary for this last
named institution.
Individual initiative in Russia Is far
more go ahsad than that OF the govern
menti and ip the matter Of the new high
er institutions OF learning the Russians
have been most generous. Large and