Below is the translated post by Marat from the Russian-language blog.

Often our and Russian political reporters are not able to characterize a politician. I will try to give them a hand - within the limits of the possible. Some politicians unite 2 images.

Marat Tazhin vs. Vladislav Surkov - internal ideologists and spin doctors. The first invented “Kazakhstan-2030″, the second introduced a “sovereign democracy”.

Nurtai Abykaev vs. Igor Sechin - power broker and silovik (adherent of “hard power”, affiliated with force structures).

Kasym-Jomart Tokayev vs. Sergey Mironov - smart representatives of intelligentsia without any big influence, but both kept busy.

Rakhat Aliyev vs.  Boris Berezovski+Alexander Korzhakov - former close silovik and media-tycoon, currently in exile.

Imangali Tasmagambetov vs. Yuri luzhkov+Dmitry Kozak - effective manager+mayor of the biggest city, tough politician in a “hot region”.

Nurzhan Subhanberdin vs. Anatoly Chubais - an oligarch, too mighty for dispossession, with cronies all around the place.

Oraz Jandosov vs. Andrei Illarionov - prominent economist in retirement

Mukhtar Ablyazov vs. Mikhail Khodorkovski - the Kazakh one got pardon and his “yukocs” back

Timur Kulibayev vs. Alexei Miller - close crony in charge of oil and gas. Although now it’s not so clear with the Kazakh.

Nurlan Balgimbayev vs. Victor Chernomyrdin - a former “petroleum” prime-minister.