Why were the tragic events of January 2022 in Kazakhstan followed with excitement all over the world and above all the closest neighbors - Russia and China? An economically successful and oil-rich country is the backbone of political and economic stability in a strategically important, but explosive region. Kazakhstan is the largest state in Central Asia. And in the post-Soviet space - the second in territory and the third in population. In those days, the fate of the country depended on one person. From President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev. Those who started all this proceeded from the assumption that the president would give slack, be afraid, and maybe leave the country. And they made a big mistake in it. He couldn't leave his country. And he did everything to save her. Discontent caused by rising fuel prices suddenly escalated into a large-scale political protest, and then into terrorist actions, into an anti-state conspiracy... But much is still unclear. A new book by Leonid Mlechin, who visited the scene, tells about what happened in January 2022 and about today's Kazakhstan, which Russia is a neighbor, partner and ally.