Interview – Kostiantyn Liorek

Traveling is more than just a pastime — it’s a way of life, a relentless pursuit of discovery, and a source of endless inspiration. Few embody this spirit as fully as Kostiantyn Liorek, a seasoned explorer whose journey spans decades and continents.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, during the Soviet era, his fascination with the world began at an early age, fueled by family trips and a deep love for geography. From navigating the vast landscapes of the USSR to reaching the milestone of visiting every UN-recognized country, Kostiantyn;s travels have been marked by adventure, adaptability, and an insatiable curiosity.

In this interview, we dive into Kostiantyn’s remarkable travel experiences, the challenges and rewards of his unique travel style, and the emotions of completing 193-country goal. We’ll also explore the evolving impact of being a Ukrainian traveler in today’s world, Kostiantyn’s role in the NomadMania community.

Get ready for a conversation that will take you across the globe and beyond!

Tell us a little about yourself and how your initial interest in traveling developed.

I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, that time part of the USSR, into a family of biologists. My mother was a great traveler and traveled through all the republics of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary. A Mediterranean cruise – back in the days of socialism. We always tried to go somewhere as a family – either to my grandfather in Odessa on the Black Sea, or to my uncles and aunts in Lviv, Moscow, Moldova.

When the Chernobyl accident happened, I was sent by train to relatives in Tatarstan. It was a trip across the entire European part of Russia for a whole week, with transfers in different cities… Of course, in those days one could only dream of going abroad. I always loved geography, I had all possible maps, atlases of all continents and I traveled across them! I knew all the countries, their capitals. When I came to Great Britain as a student in 1991, it was a fantastic feeling! It was my first visit outside the USSR. 

What type of traveler do you consider yourself to be and what do you think are the advantages of your travel style?

I can’t say that I consider myself to be one type of traveler. It’s still a very big and unique mix of all styles! It all depends on the situation, age, experience, the trip itself or the destination. I worked as a representative for international companies, for example, introducing toys and the LEGO brand to the markets of the former Soviet Union. Fantastic company, product, LEGOLAND parks, which I visited all! I traveled to all the CIS countries, the Baltics, almost all European regions of Russia, Siberia and the Far East as a businessman.

Later, working in the automotive business, I was also responsible for markets in the Middle East. But I always tried to combine business with the opportunity to see as much as possible in the country I was visiting. I almost always stayed for a long weekend in Uzbekistan, Israel, Baikal or Georgia, went to UNESCO monuments, famous historical or natural sites.

At first, I visited some countries as part of traditional tourist groups, but as soon as I began to understand that I could see more and better, and often cheaper, I tried to travel alone or with friends with similar interests. Some countries you just can’t go to on your own – like, for example, North Korea, which I visited in 2005 as part of a tourist group.

I am very glad that I managed to go to one of the most difficult regions of the world – West Africa – with a group of friends, including Orest Zub. Together we traveled by land a difficult route from Dakar to Lagos!

But when work schedules or something else do not coincide, then, as a rule, I had to go to difficult countries myself or find a travel partner through my narrow circle of friends and social networks. I was able to visit Afghanistan, Somalia, Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso with my good travel buddy Viktor Ganushchin.

I always try to maintain a balance in time, expenses, comfort, and safety when traveling. I have not traveled to 10 countries in 10 days. I have always tried to see as much as possible, and I have returned to many countries or cities several times. 

Last year you reached the 193 mark. Tell us about your feelings, having reached it. What are your current travel goals?

I first seriously thought about the goal of visiting all the countries of the world in the fall of 2005, when on a trip to North Korea I met a Swede, Robert Petersson, in our group, who at that time had traveled to almost all the countries of the world – he only had the Maldives and Saudi Arabia left! From him I heard about the Club 100 from Sweden. And I set this goal for myself – to travel through all the UN countries! A little later, I even set a date – to visit the last country, a UN member, on December 9, 2020, on my 50th birthday.

Everything was very well planned and I was clearly and smoothly moving towards this goal until the spring of 2020. The pandemic broke all plans and postponed the fulfillment of my dream for an indefinite time. Then February 24, 2022 – the beginning of a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine. I have never experienced such an emotional blow and devastation in my life. I simply had no desire to go anywhere, I had completely different priorities. My family and home were under Russian occupation. The hardest times of my entire life …

Only months later I was able to force myself to return to the fulfillment of my place – only a few steps separated me from the goal! And so on January 20, 2024 – I reached Samoa, a state in the Pacific Ocean! A 32-year-long road – from the island of Great Britain to the island of Samoa! This is a fantastic feeling that my dream, which I’ve been working towards for years, has finally come true! It’s a thrill, it’s an orgasm, and it’s damn cool and pleasant!

Now that this stage is behind us, travels and discoveries continue. I’m very happy that NomadMania helps me with that. I traveled deeper through all the regions of France, Italy, Spain. I traveled through Federal Iraq from Basra to Erbil. I am now slowly traveling through Asia – I am living for months in different countries – Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam. There are plans for slow travels through China, Japan, India. The list of locations is extensive – these are islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, oases in the Sahara, national parks in Canada and the USA…

Of the countries you have visited so far, which one has been the biggest positive surprise for you and why?

I will note two countries that surprised me very positively. These are Pakistan and Malawi. Pakistan is an extremely diverse country, with amazing nature, beautiful monuments and the most hospitable people! This was the biggest impression! I could never have thought that Pakistan would be a country I would want to return to.

Malawi amazed me with its nature and tranquility. I was there in the wet season, everything around was emerald green. In Lake Malawi, you are simply swimming in the largest aquarium in the world! Incredible! Kind and smiling people. Everyone wanted to take a photo with you. And the artistically laid out vegetables and fruits along the road, especially tomatoes, simply made the trip bright and memorable.

As a Ukrainian, do you feel there are any advantages or disadvantages to your travels to certain countries? Please elaborate, including whether this has changed since February 2022.

I can’t say that I felt anything special or exclusive in the way I was treated as a Ukrainian before February 2022. I have been to countries where they didn’t know Ukraine and looked for it on a map or in a directory. A funny and curious incident happened at the DPRK embassy in Beijing, where I was getting a visa. There they saw a Ukrainian passport for the first time and asked if I had a USSR passport. In 2005! And then, after explaining that the USSR broke up into 15 countries back in 1991 and that Ukraine was one of them and here was its passport, they asked if I had visited other countries with this passport! I replied that I was now in China with this passport. And that satisfied them.

I visited most of the so-called unfriendly countries before the full-scale Russian invasion. And so, I had no problem getting visas to Mali, Niger, Eritrea, Syria or Burkina Faso. I understand perfectly well that I will not go to Belarus now, which I have visited countless times. And even more so I will not go to Russia, although I had plans to visit Kamchatka, Chukotka, the far north of Russia, Altai and other regions.

For example, the Irkutsk region, where there is a village called Vershina, founded by Polish settlers, my great-grandfather. He built two Roman Catholic churches there, one of which still survives… After the Bolshevik Revolution, my ancestors tried to return to their homeland in Poland for more than 10 years. And in the late 1930s, my grandfather was already interned in the Gulag back in Siberia. The 20th century passed very deeply and tragically through our family.

Of course, in most countries, people expressed solidarity and respect when they saw a Ukrainian passport. When I was in Machu Picchu, they even let us in for free when they saw that I was from Ukraine. I traditionally take photos with the Ukrainian flag everywhere. And then, in Machu Picchu, I was applauded by tourists from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Spain. It was very touching and important to feel such an attitude.

I know that many of my friends have experienced problems getting visas to India and Vietnam, for example. I know that all Ukrainians are additionally interrogated in Hong Kong. I heard that there are visa refusals in West African countries. But the opposite happened to me.

I was traveling in the Central African Republic in the fall of 2022. You know that this country is an ally of Russia, the Wagner group is at every step. It was exciting to go there. However, I got a visa and the trip was calm. But one evening our bus got lost in the suburbs of Bangui. Surprisingly, we were stopped by a military patrol. They demanded that we collect our passports for inspection. The group consisted of Canadians, Britons, Hong Kong residents and me, a Ukrainian.

Suddenly the officer asks – Who is here from Ukraine? Get out! You can imagine my condition and the reaction of my fellow travelers! What could this mean? Most likely, nothing good. I got off the bus and said – I am from Ukraine! And the officer, a young guy of 30, came up to me and said – Sir, I am pleased to see a Ukrainian here. You are showing the whole world how to fight for your freedom and independence! Let me shake your hand! Honestly, this was the least I could expect from a military officer in the CAR! Of course, we shook hands and were calmly released. 

If you were told that you would never be able to travel abroad again and had to choose one country to settle down for the rest of your life, which country would you choose and why?

Definitely Ukraine. It has always been and is the best country for me to live in. The culture, the food, the friends, my beautiful home and garden. I miss my home very much. I have seen enough of the world and although it is difficult for me to imagine myself without traveling, the happiest moment in traveling has always been returning home to Kyiv. I believe that after the war, Ukraine will become better and more beautiful and it will be a place that you will not want to leave.

Let’s turn to NomadMania, whose ambassador and head of verification you are. What do you especially like about NomadMania?

Now NomadMania is a big part of my life. I am incredibly happy that I once discovered this resource, which helped me record my travels. But nowadays NomadMania has become more than just a fantastically interesting and useful resource. Behind the name there are people, faces, destinies, friends, like-minded people and a community. I like that NomadMania is a dynamic community and that I am an active participant.

Tell us about your dual roles as an ambassador and verification leader. What have you done so far and how do you plan to do more in the future?

I have been a member of the NomadMania Verification team for several years now, where I verify NomadMania members. Mandatory verification of all UN Masters and those who are close to the goal. Regional Verification for the very well-traveled people who have visited the most number of NomadMania regions. This is done to make sure that the NomadMania is a community of passionate travelers eager to explore the world extensively and meaningfully, venturing beyond the ordinary and obvious.

I do also verification of travelers who wish to be certified and get awesome NomadMania recognition of their travel records – Certificates of a number of visited countries.

As a Messenger of NomadMania I see my mission in spreading the awareness of the community spirit and ideas. As I am constantly traveling now, I try to meet other NomadManians, organize small or big meetings and gatherings. I just had a nice meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, with a few travelers thanks to NomadMania’s new Location Sharing feature! I believe it will work in other locations as well as it did now!

And finally, our signature question. If you could invite any 4 people – from any period in human history, living or dead, even fictional characters – to an imaginary dinner, who would you like to invite and why?

It’s not easy to choose four!

Jules Verne. I grew up on his novels. I traveled around the world with Captain Grant’s children, descended to the bottom of the sea with Captain Nemo. I even visited many of the places described in his novels!

Tomek, a character from the novels of Alfred Szklarski. The teenager who traveled the world, one of my favorite adventure books. I grew up on those books! He was my hero when I was his age in books.

Gerald Durrell – his love for nature, animals, his books describing travels – this is a real treasure! Also one of the greatest people who influenced my hobbies and future passion for exploring the world and traveling.

And to brighten up this whole company, I want to invite Cheshire Cat – because I love pets, especially cats, especially a smart cat, who can smile! I hope that my guests are not allergic to wool.