ChatGPT and Russian sites, side by side
OpenAI doesn’t serve Russia, and Kazakhstan is on its official list of supported countries. ChatGPT can still turn away addresses that belong to big data centers, even in supported countries. For that case there’s a ChatGPT guide, written in Russian.
Almaty doesn’t cut you off from Russian websites, so ChatGPT and a Russian service can sit in neighboring tabs without you switching countries back and forth. Inside Russia there’s another way to get the same result. Choose For Russia under Tunnel, and Russian sites skip the VPN whichever country you pick.
Why the app won’t pick it for you
The Fastest tile only offers servers with a gigabit channel or wider, and Almaty tops out at 250 Mbps. You have to choose it yourself.
For ChatGPT and websites, 250 Mbps is usually plenty. For movies, Turkey and Germany with their 10 Gbps channels fit better, and you can come back here when you need ChatGPT again.
Common questions
ChatGPT says “Access denied” with Kazakhstan selected
The site may remember an earlier visit from another address. Clear your cookies or switch to incognito mode. If ChatGPT asks for a phone number during registration, a Russian one won’t be accepted.
How do I find Kazakhstan among 187 countries?
Tap Location and enter “Kaz” in the Find location field. Only one row is left. Choose it, and if nothing happens on its own, tap Connect.
Similar locations
If a VPN with a server in Kazakhstan isn’t quite right, Russian websites also open through Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
