The Literate Ukrainian

Even though I feel quite stupid because of my lack of language skills here (pointing at things is so useful!) I am amazed at the literacy rate in Ukraine. My sister, who is a teacher, tells me that the literacy rate in Ukraine is around 99%. Everybody reads; you see them in parks, of which there are hundreds -- on a short walk around the neighbourhood I saw at least 3 separate parks with benches and some kind of statue. In the park nearest us there is an ice cream kiosk, and a book stall!

There are also many, many street kiosks around the city, some selling fruit, some drinks, some pastry, and always one lined with newspapers. There must be at least 5 Kiev newspapers alone. Education is valued, as well. There is a pedagogical monument to the Father of Education in Ukraine outside the "pedagogy house".

I was also fortunate enough to meet up with a very friendly librarian, a Fulbright scholar who has been working with libraries all over Ukraine for the past 10 months. She showed me the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, a university established in 1615, though only in the 1990's restored to a liberal arts university. I saw the main library, which to my surprise was funded largely by donors from the Canadian diaspora of Ukrainians. It was lovely.