After Ukraine, Kazakhstan wary of ethnic Russians broaching autonomy

The black and orange ribbon of St. George, a symbol widely associated with pro-Russian protests in Ukraine, is tied to the machine gun of a pro-Russian armed man in Slaviansk, in this April 21, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/Files

KOSTANAY, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - In the city of Kostanay in northern Kazakhstan, the ribbon of St George, a black-and-orange symbol of resurgent Russian patriotism that was adopted by separatists in Ukraine, hangs from every second car's rear-view mirror.

Most people in this town and the surrounding region are ethnic Russians, distinct from the mainly Muslim ethnic Kazakhs who are in the majority nationwide and control the main levers of power in this oil-producing former Soviet state.