The Resurrection bells had just pealed joyfully, and through the streets of the old city, the hymns of the Easter procession re-echoed. A crowd of people flowed into the Kaunas Basilica to greet the Risen Christ. The church was packed to the rafters, the churchyard full. And the automobiles! All the side streets in the area were packed with them! The town square was also covered with a mosaic of cars.
All around reigned a spirit of recollection and solemn peace.
The main altar of the Kaunas Cathedral.
In the cathedral, the services were drawing to a close; when in the city square, among the ant-heap of automobiles, appeared a lone passerby. He walked about in a suspicious manner, as though preparing (and this is how it seemed to some) to cheat or rob someone. However, he did not do so, even though strangely enough, he was constantly writing down something. Soon, one or two automobile owners appeared, who became concerned about the peculiar behavior of the stranger.
One of them approached him and asked,
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm writing down license numbers."
"What for?"
"Those are orders from Auto Inspection since there is no parking in the square."
Surprised and confused, the questioner returned to the knot of people, which had grown. All were commenting vociferously on the strange "news", since there was no "No Parking" sign to be seen. More and more men were gathering, and the "recorder" continued to write. Finally, a couple of huskier fellows accompanied by a rather large group of men approached the stranger, sternly demanded that he explain what all the scribbling meant, and asked him to produce identification.
The stranger save them a red booklet, from which one of the men read out loud the information that he was a KGB agent — "Grinevičius, Griškevičius, Grikevičius", or something of the sort. Then both of them unexpectedly seized the "agent" by the lapels so that even the seams squeaked. (In spite of the fact that the KGB agent was a tall, heavy-set man.) They tore the notebook with the license numbers from his hands, and dragged him over to Auto Inspection officers nearby.
When the men asked whether parking was permitted in the city square, auto inspectors assured them that it was.
"Then how come this character claims that he is acting on your instructions?"
"We didn't give him any instructions," said the militiamen, surprised.
Of course, an uproar ensued, annoyance that the KGB once more felt the need to discriminate against the faithful, interfering with their participation in the Easter holiday.
The auto inspectors, seeing that there could be an incident, quickly put the "activist" their automobile and removed him from the rather heated situation.
Thus shamefully ended one more effort to allow the faithful to fulfill their religious obligations "constitutionally".
