76-year-old traveler from Kazakhstan walks nearly 3,000 kilometers to Paris

Tengrinews.kz — A 76-year-old traveler from the Ulytau region, Sarsenbay Kotyrashov, reached Paris on foot, covering nearly 3,000 kilometers in 53 days, citing 24KZ.

Diplomats and fellow countrymen welcomed the aksakal with applause and shashu in the French capital.

Europe became the fourth stage of the Ulytauman’s journeys — this is the nickname by which his followers know him. Four years ago, he walked across all of Kazakhstan, then traveled through the Caucasus to Istanbul, and later — through Altai and Mongolia to Beijing.

The European trip was not easy: due to strict regulations, he often had to avoid direct autobahn routes and instead travel along bicycle paths and off-road tracks. Even his trolley with a suitcase could not withstand such a route, but the aksakal himself remained faithful to his principles and goals.

“With my example, I want to show the whole world that Kazakhs are a strong-willed and resilient people. Our ancestors were the first to master iron, worked with metal, engaged in astronomy, and tamed the horse. My goal is to enter the Guinness Book of Records as a pedestrian traveler over the age of 75. To do this, I need to cover a distance longer than the length of the equator — 40,000 kilometers. Today, I have completed 18,000. I hope I will succeed,” said Sarsenbay Kotyrashov.

At UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the Kazakh traveler was welcomed as a representative of Kazakh culture.

“We wanted to pay tribute to Mr. Sarsenbay’s life journey and dedication, who walked through different countries and reached UNESCO headquarters here in France. We believe he carries an important message that resonates with our work under the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage — preserving and promoting traditions, practices, and knowledge of communities around the world. He himself is a blacksmith, and we were very pleased to meet him today. And of course, we are grateful to Kazakhstan and the country’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO for this,” said Fumiko Ohinata, Secretary of the 2003 Intergovernmental Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

After returning home, the aksakal plans to continue his work as a blacksmith, attract sponsors, and prepare for a new journey.

In 2027, Sarsenbay Kotyrashov plans a trip across the United States, where he intends to walk through eight states — from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. He strongly advises Kazakhstanis to walk every day and never stop developing or believing in themselves and their abilities.