The key facts

  • Sarsenbai Kotyrashov, a 76-year-old blacksmith from the Ulytau region, has been traveling on foot since 2022 under the pseudonym Ulytauman.
  • He has walked across Kazakhstan (8,000 km in six months), Russia, the Caucasus, Turkey, Mongolia, China and, in 2026, five European countries (about 3,000 km in 53 days).
  • In 2027 he plans to walk through eight US states from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and hopes to enter the Guinness Book of Records with a result of more than 40,000 kilometers after the age of 75.

The blacksmith who set off on foot across continents

76-year-old blacksmith Sarsenbai Kotyrashov from the Ulytau region of Kazakhstan told Euronews about his journeys on foot. He took up blacksmithing in early childhood and has never parted with the craft to this day. "I never traveled far in my life. But it is never too late to travel. Age does not matter," he says.

First route: across all of Kazakhstan

In 2022, Kotyrashov set off on his first big journey. Starting in his native Ulytau region, he crossed all of Kazakhstan on foot: he walked through the south of the country, then the east and north, and finished the route in the west, on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Aktau. In six months he covered eight thousand kilometers and decided not to stop at the country's borders.

Abroad: the Caucasus, Turkey, China

Setting out from Atyrau, Kotyrashov crossed the border with Russia, walked through the Caucasus and reached Turkey and Istanbul. His next destination was China: from Ust-Kamenogorsk he walked through the Russian Altai and Mongolia to Beijing and took a memorable photo on the Great Wall of China. By that time he was traveling under the pseudonym Ulytauman — in honor of his native Ulytau. His recognizable image — a lean, sturdy man in a hat with a suitcase covered in stickers from the places he visited — made him popular on social media: people asked for photos together and posted videos of him.

Europe in 2026

In 2026, Kotyrashov found funding, obtained a Schengen visa and walked through five European countries: starting in Belgrade, he walked through Hungary, Austria and Germany to Paris, covering about three thousand kilometers in 53 days. Among his hardest memories is an episode when he spent three and a half days in the steppe without water or food. "If you have the desire to live, the urge to live, you can endure everything," says the traveler.

Plans: the USA and the Guinness Book of Records

In 2027, Kotyrashov plans to walk through eight American states — from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. This is part of a larger goal: he expects to enter the Guinness Book of Records, having covered more than 40,000 kilometers on foot after the age of 75. "I do not feel old. Until I fulfill my plan and get into the Guinness Book of Records, I will not consider myself old," he added.