The Lithuanian Education Society Rytas was a Roman Catholic society fostering education in the Lithuanian language mostly in the Vilnius Region, then fiercely contested between Lithuania and the Second Polish Republic, now split between Lithuania and Belarus. Established in 1913, the society maintained some 100 primary schools, 50 evening classes, Vytautas the Great Gymnasium and Teacher's Seminary in Vilnius in 1927. Due to political tensions between Poland and Lithuania as well as wider Polonization policies, Rytas faced increasing difficulties and restrictions in maintaining its schools. Similar situation existed with Polish schools in Lithuania. The situation continued to worsen as both sides increased restrictions in retribution. As schools were closed, Rytas shifted its focus to main