The monograph explores the problem of literacy in Ancient Russia on new material - inscriptions on stone crosses and walls of ancient temples, works of art, everyday life, etc. These are annals, and inscriptions, fragments of literary texts, signatures of the owners (for example, the inscription on the bowl of Igor Svyatoslavich - the hero of "The Words about Igor's Regiment"). Such material gives new information about the use of two Slavic alphabets - Cyrillic and Glagolitic - and about the dynamics of literacy throughout Russia from the 10th century. to the Mongol-Tatar invasion.