June 3rd, late at night.
The steam whistle broke the tranquil night sky as a steam train slowly came to a stop at the edge of the Saratov platform. A group of men, wearing tough leather boots, belted waists, and armed with epaulets, jumped down from the train.
They carried batons, their hard heels tapping out a uniform rhythm. Many among them also wore golden rings on their fingers.
The local police received them, silently exchanging documents. After obtaining a thick list of names, the men in leather boots immediately sprang into action.
Thump, thump, thump!
Thump, thump, thump!
The sound of whistles and commotion woke the sleeping people; door bolts were as fragile as sheets of paper before the leather boots, baby's cries, men's shouting, mothers' sobbing...
The whole of Saratov plunged into utter chaos.
Any resistor was met with the painful strike of a baton, and soon people knew the identity of these intruders—the secret police.
