This is a translation of Olga’s post from the Russian-language Kazakhstan.Neweurasia blog

Today, officers of the court did not evict 15 families from their dwelling. The dormitory in a poor outskirt of Almaty were waiting for them – according to the court decision they were to become homeless at 3 p.m.

The abandoned office of a bankrupt firm was given by the state to the migrants from rural areas in late 1990s. There was a president’s decree to give dwelling to those who didn’t have it, the residents say. Now there is no one to be brought to account – the settling was led by the now-pershed political party “Alash”.

Now some “Aldiyar” firm has claimed its rights for the building. The residents appealed to court and even won the trial, but the supervisory commission cancelled the verdict and ruled out to evict the people, who were desperate enough to protest with the threats of self-immolation. But I’d like to tell how they live.

A free cheese can be found only in a mouse-trap. The same with a free flat – 75 people are living there without natural gas, electricity, heating or hot water. They all have furnaces in their rooms and kerosene lamps. The first time when they had electricity for many years was this summer – they enjoyed it for three days: August 17, 18 and 19. You know what was in that period of time. When it became known who won on the elections, the electricity cut off.

Each family lives in one room with three to four children. Sultan Jusipov has five of them, the youngest is only 8. His wife has died. Early in the morning he is already drunk, and tells me – accompanying his story with strong smell of alcohol from his mouth how he traveled to Astana in order to find justice from the president. The logic is stainless – if the president once had given them the dwelling, he should help this time also. It turned out that it is not too easy to meet the president. “They didn’t let me in”, contritely sighs Sultan, adding that he wrote a letter to the head of state. Then all of them wait what will be the president’s reply…

Another drunken man comes out from the neighboring room. “Who are you? What do you want here”, he was quite aggressive. Then he calmed down and showed how the youngest family of his son lives. A cold room, garlands of child’s romper suits, exposed brick walls. A cute 18-year-old girl launders the bed-sheets in ice-cold water and smiles…. “My daughter-in-law” proudly says the drunken man and closed the door.

Here everybody has children. Here all men are heavy drinkers. Here is the last century. And here they are ready to shed blood for their humble happiness. Because there is nothing else to do. Jail won’t scare them. They will stand till the end.

But today the court officers did not come. The journalists were waiting a whole day vainly. No new blood, no tears, no fights, no gasoline and no fire. Perhaps, the authorities decided not to breach the peace? It is a very quiet district – a railway dead-end on the one side, and the central cemetery on the other …