The following are three examples of how culture has contributed to the rise of nationalism in Europe. 1) Folk poetry, folk dance and folk music were used to spread the authentic essence of the country. As a result, documenting and gathering various types of folk culture was indeed an important aspect of nation-building. 2) The importance of language cannot be overstated. Polish languages were driven out of school systems just after the Russian takeover, and the Russian language was implemented nationwide. In Poland, the clerics started to use language as a means of the nationalist struggle. Church services and religious teaching were conducted in Polish. The usage of Polish became associated with resistance to Russian authority. 3) Romanticism was a cultural movement that tried to foster a specific type of patriotic spirit. The celebration of logic and rationality was often opposed by Romantic musicians and writers, who rather emphasised passion, vision, and spiritual sentiments. They attempted to establish a shared cultural history as the foundation of a country.