Great trip report so far! I cannot wait to hear about your travels in Tashkent.
Sadly, travel to much of the Former Soviet Union besides Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltics, means arriving and departing at ungodly hours. I think many airlines look at the republics as a way to sneak in a profitable flight on an aircraft they can then use on other routes during the day.
And, one last observation, it seems almost every trip report that includes a SQ F segment has the reporter book the cook for the Lobster Thermidor. Its kind of funny.