Željko Malnar
Željko Malnar (12 April 1944 – 9 July 2013) was a Croatian maverick traveller, writer and a fringe television celebrity, best known for his own weekly show Nightmare Stage and his satirical micronation the Republic of Peščenica. Biography His first expedition was in 1964 in the area of Perućica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the last remaining primeval forest in Europe. Between 1965 and 1995 he traveled the Middle East, Africa, South America, Oceania, Pakistan and India in numerous expeditions. He co-wrote the book U potrazi za staklenim gradom (In pursuit of the glass city). In the period between 1970 and 1974 he studied philosophy and mass media in India and the Indian philosopher Swami Ashram Shama, which allowed him to gain more insight into Indian society. He ended studies as the best foreign student. He received diploma personally from Indian president V. V. Giri. In India, he worked for the producers Don Charnon, Canadian film ltd, Indian film division, and for the government of the state Rajasthan. In 1977 he led an expedition for Zagreb television entitled "Journey to the East", which had great success. In 1982 he became the leader of professional expeditions, and worked for the Institute of Ecotechnics