My own experience in Kazakhstan a few years ago was amazing — kind, generous people. I had the most surreal (but standard) Russian Bath experience: sitting with a bunch of naked folks as they self-flog with branches in rooms so hot you needed wool caps to keep the top of your head from singeing. When I was getting dressed a huge guy next to me said something in Russian, I was certain I had committed some bath faux pas, but then he repeated in heavily accented English: "Those boots, suitable in winter?"
Almaty was surprisingly cosmopolitan, walkable, felt eminently livable.
Took the train to Baikonur. Walked on the launch pad, visited the old control rooms. [0]
The whole way: Kindness and gentleness were the two words that kept bouncing around my head. In the middle of nowhere folks were driving sensibly (as opposed to, say, in Morocco where I felt like every car ride was a dice roll). I saw two cars have an accident in Almaty — the drivers calmly stepped out, shook hands, and discussed the situation.
Nur-Sultan was, however, miserable — built for cars, human antagonistic, artificial layout, depressing architecture.
I'd love to get back to Almaty.
Hoping for swift and peaceful resolution on all this.