Every night a dense fog envelops Almaty. It is caused by explosions that are heard in different districts of the city and are sometimes accompanied by blue and gray lightning. Every now and then shots are fired. But it is clear that the situation has stabilized somewhat after the bloody riots of recent days. In the largest city and former capital of Kazakhstan, people are starting to leave their homes again. Many go to the neighborhood grocery store to get supplies. The big stores and supermarkets remain closed anyway.
As the grocer Askar Dzermekov observes, in recent days people have been buying mainly bread and pasta. “Before I open my own shop, I will also wait in line at the bakery to get bread,” says Askar Dzermekov. “If I succeed, I even get 50 loaves. I usually open at nine and already at ten there is nothing left, not even milk and pasta. “The bakers may work normally, but the drivers are afraid and do not take the bread to the shops.”
“Everyone should help”
And yet, the people of Almaty seem to be finding the bread they need. It may help that even the small, fast-food neighborhoods that used to sell only savarma and samsa pies, the traditional fast food of Central Asia, have bread. Some people cook their own dishes with influences from the cuisine of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or the Uighurs, transport them by car to central points and distribute them free of charge to anyone interested. “People are struggling and we have to help, all together,” said the bakery owner, who did not want to be named. “As soon as I heard that there were problems, I started waking up earlier to knead as much bread as I could. But I only give one loaf to each one so that everyone can take a little “.
An oven near the ruined Presidential Palace got a job again, and even there they distribute free bread. In addition, in the queues they exchange information on the latest developments. After all, says a woman waiting in line for bread, “how else are we going to know what’s going on?” “There is no internet, the television network is not working properly, we often hear gunshots, but we do not know what is happening and so we take to the streets to find out more.”
It is difficult to get reliable information about the situation in Almaty. There are various rumors and unbelievable stories, which are usually spread through landlines, although not everyone has a landline. Instant Messenger, which is very popular in Kazakhstan under normal circumstances, has collapsed. Problems also occur in the mobile network. In addition, many stores that had prepaid cards have been looted.
Armor on the streets
With the first light of day more shots are heard. However, none of those waiting for bread leave their place in the queue, as if they have all adapted to the new situation. Suddenly two speeding armored vehicles appear. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Some say they are army vehicles, which took to the streets to “restore order”. Others believe they belong to Russians or Belarusians, members of the “peacekeeping force” that arrived in Kazakhstan at the request of the government. In any case, after the anarchy of the last days, policemen appear on the streets again, even soldiers of the security forces, armed with machine guns.
In a televised address last Friday, Kazakh President Kasim Yomart Tokayev claimed that Almaty had been “attacked by 20,000 robbers” and ordered security forces to open fire “on terrorists” without warning. As for the calls from abroad for a peaceful solution to the crisis, Tokayev rejects them, saying that he considers them “stupid” …
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