A wave of indignation among Russian patriots (and not only them) was caused by the appointment of Askar Umarov as the Minister of Information of Kazakhstan, who, not only is known in Russia as a nationalist and Russophobe, but he is also banned from entering our country. The fact is that Askarov is credited with critical statements about the Russians, the USSR and Victory Day.
“In the former metropolis, they are still trying to behave like a master. We are simply not allowed to carry out the decolonization of consciousness”, - Askarov said about relations with Russia quite recently - in August 2021.
Journalist Dmitry Kolezev explains that Askarov did not make his statements personally, but (allegedly) through the Facebook account of TurkMedia, so it is difficult to officially present anything to Umarov. (Besides, Tokayev, of course, invited Umarov to the post of minister not from Facebook - he headed the state agency Kazinform, that is, he was something like Kazakhstani Dmitry Kiselev). Did Umarov really say that? It’s not that important anymore. The outraged Russian public, including state propagandists, is already asking questions like "why did we help Tokayev at all?"
The pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergey Markov spoke out with particular fury on this issue: “In Russia, he is considered a radical Russophobe. He is credited with speaking on social media under the nickname TurkMedia and that he hates Russians and Russia. It is believed that Askar Umarov said this:
All these words were written by Umarov under the nickname from social networks, and not under his own name officially. But it is believed that these are precisely his words. Umarov must either be dismissed or must clearly and clearly prove that these are not his words. The appointment of an enemy of Russia as a minister cannot even be regarded as an internal affair of Kazakhstan. This is a matter of relations between countries.
I think that if Russia knew that Tokayev would appoint Askar Umarov to a key ideological position, then Russian public opinion would be categorically against supporting Tokayev during the crisis by the troops of the Russian army. Everyone is shocked and waiting for an explanation. This appointment is viewed in Russia as an open slap in the face to Russia and personally to Vladimir Putin..."
Network analyst Andrey Nalgin writes about this:
“It is clear that for the whole of Russia, anxiously awaiting new sanctions and hardships, such“ slaps ”are just a storm in a glass of water. But President Tokayev's gesture literally following the departing CSTO troops is truly symbolic. Of course, it can be explained by the fact that the new-old head of Kazakhstan, now almost autocratic, is forced to demonstrate independence from the Russian Federation to his own nationalists, on whose bayonets his power remained. Otherwise, there is a risk of a new riot, even more merciless. However, right now, the "nationalists" are as weak as ever, having lost 20 thousand of their most efficient murids ... Or not? "
Journalist Igor Shulika is also indignant:
“The appointment of Askar Umarov as the new Minister of Information of Kazakhstan is quite remarkable. He is a fighter with the Russian-speaking population of Kazakhstan, a Kazakh nationalist caveman with a complex of a resident of the outskirts of the empire.
Then one shouldn't be surprised by anti-Russian propaganda and language patrols, Umarov is now responsible for all this.
And the reaction of Russian officials was earlier, when they brought in soldiers to support the young bai in the fight against the old one and called it a fight against Maidan technologies.
But, in fact, Russia acted in the role of the khan's guard. This is not the support of an ally, this is the support of the khan, who will smile at you, but at the same time stifle the Russian language and consider the Russians enemies. The guards will not protect the Russians in Kazakhstan, only the crazy khan.
By the way, are there many Russians in the government? Does its percentage correspond to the percentage of the Russian-speaking population? "
But the person most directly related to this problem - a Russian journalist, head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad, and international humanitarian cooperation, Yevgeny Primakov, took a more balanced position:
“I read about the new Minister of Information of Kazakhstan Askar Umarov. I carefully read numerous quotes of the new Minister of Information Askar Umarov.
I proceed from the fact that Rossotrudnichestvo, no matter what they say on the Internet, is not engaged in political struggle, especially in sovereign states. But Rosostrudnichestvo works with Russian compatriots and part of our work takes place in contact, including with the ministries involved in information work.
In this regard, I try my best to believe that all these quotes are not from the new Minister of Information Umarov or Askar Umarov did not actually become the Minister of Information of Kazakhstan at all. I foresee, to my deep sadness, a loud condemnation of the fact that I am not happy with this appointment, that I do not keep my opinion to myself, or that I dare somehow interfere in the internal affairs of Kazakhstan. I do not at all think that I interfere in them, since Minister Umarov has been appointed to the new government not by Rossotrudnichestvo, not by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but by the President of Kazakhstan, in his entire area of responsibility; Also, Minister Umarov will not be removed by Rossotrudnichestvo, not by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but only by the President of Kazakhstan.
If we are talking about real sovereignty, well, we will respect it, even taking into account such quotes from the Minister of Information Umarov:
I believe that Mr. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev is going through a very difficult time in his work to restore normal life in the country, in which he was provided invaluable assistance by the forces of the CSTO, including 3,000 Russian military personnel. Apparently, the appointment of Mr. Umarov is an example of the hardest conscious compromises that Mr. President has to make. I respect the efforts of Mr. President Tokayev and believe that such carefully thought out and planned compromises will not be able to destroy the centuries-old fraternal friendship between our peoples, especially if Mr. Umarov publicly renounces his Nazi and chauvinist views on Russians in Kazakhstan.
Respecting the sovereignty of brotherly Kazakhstan and efforts to establish peace in the republic, I dare to recall the old, automatically working and proven rule that Rossotrudnichestvo does not maintain contacts, does not work and does not cooperate with Russophobic rubbish, which completely prevents any of our interaction with the aforementioned Minister and the Ministry of Information headed by him in the current configuration..."
It is interesting that political scientist Aleksey Chadayev even supported this appointment in his own way, asking the following question:
“I have a question for my friends and acquaintances, as well as famous people who are now participating in a public campaign on the appointment of Askar Umarov as the Minister of Information of Kazakhstan.
How would you react to the fact that in the Russian Federation a “minister of information” or some similar position was appointed a person who relates to the role and place of the Russian people in Russia in the same or approximately the same way as Askar Umarov relates to the role and place Kazakh people in Kazakhstan?
The question is just for understanding. The question of whether it is possible to sit on two chairs - to promote the nationalist agenda in their country and at the same time to fight for the preservation of the concept of a "multinational people" among the neighbors..."
And after all, neither subtract nor add. Moreover, if you remember that the former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky held about the same position in the Russian government.