International Day of Literacy is cerebrated, by the way, on September, 8th. At the initiative of UNESCO already since 1966. By definition of UNESCO, "literate person is the one who can write and read a short, simple text on a theme of everyday life and understand what you read and what is written".
It is clear that every person who had chance to read school compositions even during the Soviet period had all the right to doubt in universal literacy of fellow citizens, especially of those for whom Russian language is not absolutely native. At least, illiterate under standards of UNESCO citizens wrote dictations instead of obligatory compositions at entry to high schools - they entered, then finished them, received diplomas and further had possibility to prosper on a domestic field of education.
Well god with it - rotten intelligentzia. Here you are militia officers, future police officers - sample of civic courage and fidelity to debt. For some reason even reports on detention they write from ready-made in advance sample - that is they are incapable to make simple text about usual daily matter - detention of offenders - independently.
I also had a chance to read texts of public prosecutor's workers. They would be surprised in UNESCO, if they learn that illiterate people receive decent ranks in the Russian Office of Public Prosecutor.
I am not talking about deputies - it's a special category of people, competent per a post. Otherwise it is necessary to recognize that illiteracy among the Russian legislators - commonplace. In due time, working as the head of the press center of the Moscow Council, I suggested to take the teacher of Russian to work. So, later she made serious career - the person who is able not only to put commas where it is but also to state thoughts clearly on paper is in-demand among people's elects.
There are also judges. My practice shows that rare judge understands what is read from the first time. Sometimes they don't understand at all, though it doesn't prevent him from making decision. To read and understand what the judge write in operative part is difficult even to a very competent person.
Literacy of the president and the prime minister is still a big riddle to me. The matter is that it's impossible to establish the degree of literacy of citizen Medvedev by standard of UNESCO from remarks in Twitter and I never came across written works of citizen Putin, written personally by him, without somebody's help.
On the other hand, whether big heads need this literacy at all, if it's been successfully replaced with the Press Secretary?
Anatoly Baranov
