Vytautas Magnus gymnasium under the auspices of "Rytas" society

In the present article, the efforts of “Rytas” society in establishing and maintaining the first Lithuanian gymnasium in the Vilnius region are described. Although it operated in extremely complicated political conditions, Vilnius Vytautas Magnus gymnasium put into life the goals of the proclaimers of the national revival in the middle stage of secondary education. The gymnasiums activity considerably helped to maintain the Lithuanian spirit in the occupied historical capital of Lithuania and the entire Vilnius region. The roots of Vytautas Magnus Gymnasium go back to the private school „Lessons from the Curriculum of Jonas Basanavičius, Mykolas Biržiška, and Povilas Gaidelionis Gymnasium of Vilnius Lithuanians“ established on 5 (18) September 1915. The present article contains some data about the teachers and pupils, teaching programmes and textbooks of the gymnasium in the first decades of its activity. An authoritative staff of teachers led by Mykolas Biržiška and Marcelinas Šikšnys not only gave their pupils good education, but also forged the patriots of Lithuania. Quite many gymnasium graduates later became distinguished in various fields of public life and state work