We , three Indian Army Officers in Moscow on the May Day in 1977 thought we were very lucky to be there to witness the great spectacle – The May Day parade in Red Square . We were on a training assignment including knowledge transfer in connection with acquiring a soviet military equipment .
We planned our schedule at the hotel in the morning and bought a train ticket to the nearest railway station to the Red Square by Metro . When we got down , we were asked by the police on duty to show our passes to witness the parade . We did not have it but told the policeman that we have a valid train ticket to exit at that station . We were told that all stations leading out to the Red Square are closed for public movement except with valid passes for the parade . With disappointment writ largely on our face , we went back to our hotel and finally witnessed the celebrations and procession going on in the neighborhood .
While we were quite impressed by the control exercised by the police even at the cost of public liberty to travel to any destination in the Metro with a valid ticket , we wish we knew this in advance so that we could arrange valid passes from the Indian Embassy at Moscow.
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