Russia places a high cultural value on education, boasting an adult literacy rate of nearly 100%. The system is traditionally very strong in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Compulsory education spans 11 years, culminating in the Unified State Exam (EGE), which dictates university admissions.
Higher education is anchored by prestigious state institutions. Notable universities include: * **Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU):** The country's premier and oldest university, famous for its towering Stalinist main building. * **Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU):** A highly prestigious institution with deeply rooted historical significance. * **Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT):** Often called the "Russian MIT," renowned for churning out leading physicists and tech entrepreneurs. * **Higher School of Economics (HSE):** A leading modern university focused on economics, social sciences, and computer science. * **Bauman Moscow State Technical University:** One of the oldest and most prominent technical universities.
Russia is also home to a massive network of public libraries, including the Russian State Library in Moscow, which holds one of the largest collections of books in the world.