Sarsenbay Kotyrashov had never left his native Kazakhstan when, in 2023, he set out to walk across the Caucasus. A blacksmith from the industrial province of Ulytau in central Kazakhstan, Kotyrashov had in tow only a battered suitcase and his signature leather hat as he crossed the Kazakh border. He was 73 years old.
Now, three years later, Kotyrashov has almost 30,000 followers on Instagram who have tuned in for his journeys on foot across Eurasia. People stop him and ask for selfies with Ulytauman, his online moniker and a reference to his home province.
Alongside his growing social media presence, Kotyrashov has been working with UNESCO to document Kazakh artisanal practices. He is now 76, and his travels are far from over.
Museum worker to tourist
Kotyrashov started his first job at age nine, working as a herder. By the time he entered his 70s, he had worked an astonishing diversity of manual labor jobs: carpenter, joiner, stonemason, lathe operator, metalworker, and most recently blacksmith. His expertise in traditional artisanship landed him a job at the Ulytau National Reserve Museum, a 150,000-hectare open-air museum comprising everything from mountains to mausoleums. From 2010 to 2020, Kotyrashov worked restoring historical buildings on the reserve, some of which date back to the Bronze Age.
The mausoleum of Jochi Khan, a 12th century Mongol ruler, is only one of the 25 building complexes at the Ulytau National Museum Reserve. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Tourists came from around the world to visit the reserve. Kotyrashov began to dream of traveling like them. “Why not?” he asked himself. “Why haven’t I seen the whole world myself? In my entire life, I’ve only ever seen Ulytau and Astana.”
Then came the pandemic, and his wife of 40 years passed away. Kotyrashov built a small hand-cart and set out across Kazakhstan on foot. “I chose to travel on foot, because when you walk, you notice much more, including nature, landscapes, animals, and plants,” he explained. “There is also time to think, to reflect, and to understand things.”
Kotyrashov’s first trips
Kotyrashov’s first journey in 2022 was a love letter to Kazakhstan. As he walked from town to town over 181 days, pulling a homemade cart weighing around 60kg, he spoke with local artisans about their crafts. He tied a flag to his cart to promote the Qymyzmuryndyk festival, which celebrates the traditional Kazakh drink of kumis, or fermented mare’s milk. Local governments began holding press conferences for him and organizing lodging.
Photo: Sarsenbay Kotyrashov/Instagram
“Each day, I would meet with anywhere from 150 to 500 people in different parts of the country,” he told a Kazakh outlet. “The greatest discovery of my journey was the people — the citizens of Kazakhstan. They are generous, kind, noble, and open-hearted; I was truly struck by the kind of people who inhabit our Kazakhstan. It gives me hope for a better future.”
In 2023, he crossed the border into Russia, then followed the spine of the Caucasus Mountains through Chechnya and Georgia, and finally into Türkiye. Sometimes, he bivouacked in his sleeping bag. In towns, though, Chechen and Ingush Georgian locals invited him to stay with them. In Türkiye, he slept in mosques.
Kotyrashov decorated his cart with flags celebrating Kazakhstan. Photo: Kazinform
Through Europe
After his trip to Türkiye, Kotyrashov tackled China. Unlike in Central Asia and the Caucasus, he finally had to pay for hotels. By now, though, he had secured a trip coordinator and sponsors who helped him cover the costs. He took photos at the Great Wall and ended his journey in Beijing.
Europe posed greater difficulties. Everywhere else he had visited, he walked along the side of the highway. Unbeknownst to him when he began his 2026 trip, 3,000km from Belgrade to Paris, walking on highways is largely illegal in Europe. He had replaced his cart with an old suitcase, but the suitcase bit the dust on an unpaved footpath 150km outside Paris.
But Kotyrashov had an appointment. Determined to make it, he left the suitcase behind and sped on with his backpack.
On April 24th, he arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage Center in Paris and presented officials there with a handmade iron bell. At the Center, he met with Kazakhstan’s permanent UNESCO representative and shared his research on Kazakh artisanship and nomadic travel.
Kotyrashov on the Great Wall of China. Photo: Astana Times
Across the U.S. in 2027
After returning from Paris, Kotyrashov began working once more as a blacksmith to save up for his next trip. Sponsors help him with lodging and food, but he still needs to pay for his own gear. “Over the course of six months, I wore out seven pairs of shoes,” he said.
In 2027, he will set out to another continent: the Americas. He aims to cross the United States from coast to coast, starting in Florida and ending in California. After his experience in Europe, he’s studying up on American highway law.
Three years ago, Kotyrashov left Kazakhstan for the first time. Now, he’s hoping the American trip will contribute to his broader goal of claiming a Guinness record for the most miles walked by a person over 75.
“I had never traveled far in my life,” he said. “But it is never too late to travel.”
Photo: Sarsenbay Kotyrashov/Instagram
Kotyrashov’s four major treks:
Year Route Distance
2022 Across Kazakhstan, ending in Aktau on the Caspian Sea ~8,000km
2023 Atyrau, Kazakhstan → Russia → Caucasus → Türkiye ~3,000km
2024 Kazakhstan → Russian Altai → Mongolia → China uncertain
2026 Belgrade → Hungary → Austria → Germany → Paris ~3,000km
