LEARNED   INSTITUTIONS.   ART  EDUCATION.
statistics show that, in 1874, illiterate recruits formed 79 per cent; while in 1887, they formed 74 per cent, and in 1893 — 64 per cent. Although, in this way the number of literates increased in this country in the course of 20 years by more than 70 per cent (from 21 to 36 per cent of the total number of recruits), nevertheless Russia is in this respect far behind the other large states of Europe, where the figures for illiterate recruits in 1888 — 91 were as follows:
Percentage of illiterate recruits.
Germany............     0.6
France      ............     9.4
Austria.............30.8
Hungary............36.o
Italy.............42.o
The greatest percentage of literate recruits is yielded by the Baltic governments of Esthonia and Livonia, and by Finland. Here the state of education approaches that of the western European States. Then follow the governments of the capitals and the industrial Great Russian governments. The smallest percentage of literates, on the contrary, appears in the governments of the kingdom of Poland, in Siberia, and in the southern governments, inhabited by Little Russians.
4. Learned Institutions. Art Education. In conclusion, we must enumerate the chief learned institutions serving to disseminate knowledge.
Here the first place belongs to the Academy of Science, of which we have already had occasion to speak,    comprising     three    sections:     physico-mathe-
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