Down With Illiteracy

an Ail-Russian voluntary society founded in 1923 to eradicate illiteracy and near-illiteracy among the adult population of the USSR. The society set up schools and groups, and its members provided individual instruction to illiterates as well as political education on a large scale. In 1930 the society had about 3 million members and 200,000 cells. Its accomplishments were especially remarkable in the countryside. During the society’s existence (1923-36) its members instructed about 5 million illiterates and near-illiterates. The society published the magazines Kul’tpokhod (Cultural Campaign, 1930-32), Povysim gramotnost’ (Let’s Raise Literacy, 1933-36), and Biulleten’ tsentral’novo Soveta obshchestva “Doloi negramotnost” (Bulletin of the Central Council of the Down with Illiteracy Society, 1930-35).