Most of those former soviet states are despotic regimes, where little has changed since the end of the USSR. The central asian states are probably a lot worse in terms of human rights than Russia when it comes to being ruled without any democracy at all. Case in point:

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Nursultan_Nazarbayev

At least Russia has had a few different presidents/prime ministers since the end of the USSR. This guy has been in power since 1990 till now, no wonder China has and wants to keep good relations with Kazakhstan, you know what they say about birds of a feather....