Latvia as region in Northern Europe had high literacy rate, if to compare to Western European counties. Basis for that was adopted in 1632 "Swedish Church Law", which obliged any person be able to read.

After "division" of Poland and its occupation by Russia, Prussia and Austro- Hungary, economic, human situation of nations living in territories annected by Russia, got worse and several uprisings occured.

After the Uprising of 1863-1864, Russia started unprecendented Russification programme in territories formerly related to Poland, but later included in Russia (Parts of Latvia (Latgale), Lithuania, etc.). One of such steps to get full russification of these regions was prohibition of use traditional latin alphabet, including of printing / use books, speak (even in primary schools in local languages etc.). These regions were densily populated by Latin Catholics (>90%), and only Latin alphabet was used.

New Latin alphabet use prohibition rule for printing was implemented starting from 1.1.1865.

Starting from 1871 also distribution of any materials / documents in Latvian / Latgalian (dialect of Latvian in Latgale region) / Polish / Latin / German. Educated people started to rewrite books and news manually and distribute them illegally. Prohibition influenced this region literacy rate badly. According to census of Russian Empire 1897 data, average literacy rate in Latgale region in Latvia was 3-4x times lower than in other parts of territories inhabitated by Latvians (graphs).

Prohibition was cancelled in Latgale only on 7th of May 1904

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The Lithuanian press ban (Lithuanian: spaudos draudimas) was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania at the time. Lithuanian-language publications that used Cyrillic were allowed and even encouraged. The concept arose after the failed January Uprising of 1863, taking the form of an administrative order in 1864, and was not lifted until 24 April 1904.

The Russian courts reversed two convictions in press ban cases in 1902 and 1903, and the setbacks of the Russo-Japanese War in early 1904 brought about a loosened Russian policy towards minorities.

Under the ban, it was illegal to print, import, distribute, or possess any publications in the Latin alphabet. Tsarist authorities hoped that this measure, part of a larger Russification plan, would decrease Polish influence on Lithuanians and would return them to what were considered their "ancient historical ties" with Russia (actually these ties meant rule of Lithuanian warlods in vaste territories of later Moscovia, Belarus, Ukraine)

 However, Lithuanians organized printing outside the Empire, largely in Lithuania Minor (East Prussia), and in the United States