The year 1977 – We were three Indian Army Officers on a training assignment [part of a procurement deal ] at Daugavpils , Latvia . My hotel room had a view to the square down below which had a statue of Lenin in the center . On a certain day of the week in the afternoon , Fridays if I remember correctly , I observed a convoy of six identical cars driving into the Square with a group – a marriage party – and the occupants got down in front of the statue . The newly weds then proceeded to garland the statue and then pose for photographs with relatives .
Generally about 10 to 12 such parties come to the square on such days and follow the same procedure , one after the other . In each case ,there are only six cars – not less or more . I took some interest in this ritual and did some research around . What I found out was very interesting .
I learned that there was some sort of a SOP [standard operating procedure] for weddings and the total number of participants [about 30 or so I believe] , number of cars , the rituals at the church , at the square , photographs permitted and also the format for dinner in the evening at a hotel in the town are all laid down in fair amount of detail and there was no way one could break any of these rules .
The hallmark of this SOP was austerity with a capital A . It was probably very necessary in the USSR of the seventies . Compare this with an Indian wedding in the 70’s and at present and its lavish spread with all the connected waste and vulgar show of wealth .
It was a humbling experience for me then and more so its reflections now .