For nationalities which had experienced discrimination in the tsarist empire, a deepening of the knowledge of their national culture was considered by the intelligentsia and social activists as a means of enhancing national awareness. The search for Lithuanian and Jewish folk culture was part of this phenomenon, and while it began in imperial Russia it continued in inter-war Lithuania. An important element of national identity that strengthened during this period among both communities was the formation and growth of sensitivity to the legacies of nationalities within Lithuania.