Totallympics Annual International Song Contest 2021

[Wanderer 1,726]

I can swap with Greece if that works for them, but otherwise, I am fine with the time

[rybak 3,217]

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

I can swap with Greece if that works for them, but otherwise, I am fine with the time

@Makedonas @Yannakis are you able to change your voting time with New Zealand?

[rybak 3,217]

Today we will introduce two remaining teams, first one is...

 

Tatra Chamois

 

 

 

The team consists of four countries

 

•  Tunisia
•  Indonesia
•  New Zealand
•  Greece

 

Tatra chamois (Kozica tatrzańska in Polish) is a subspecies of the chamois of the genus Rupicapra. Tatra chamois live in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and Poland. 

 

The Tatra chamois live in all parts of the Tatras: West Tatras (Slovakia and Poland) and Eastern Tatras, which consist of the High Tatras (Slovakia and Poland) and the Belianske Tatras (Slovakia), all protected by national parks in both countries.

 

 

The population has undergone several troughs and peaks in known history, with the most noticeable troughs occurring during both world wars. The largest population in the 20th century was recorded in the year 1964, when as much as 940 individuals were counted in the Slovak region of the Tatras. Subsequently, the population declined steadily to the lowest recorded numbers in history at the end of the century. During the years 1999-2000 numbers dropped below 200 individuals, which is considered a critical population size for the long-term survival of the subspecies.

 

 

A 5-year programme to save the Tatra chamois started in 2001, focusing on preserving its environment - especially during the mating season - by strict regulation of tourism and suppression of poaching. The population started to recover, and after some 10 years it even reached its highest numbers in recorded history.

 

The team base will be well known place by winter sports fans, especially by ski jumping fans, town of Zakopane.

 

 

Zakopane is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. Since 1999, it has been part of Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Zakopane is a centre of Goral culture and is often referred to as "the winter capital of Poland”. It is a popular destination for mountaineering, skiing, and tourism.

 

Zakopane lies near Poland's border with Slovakia, in a valley between the Tatra Mountains and Gubałówka Hill. It can be reached by train or bus from the province capital, Kraków, about two hours away. Zakopane lies 800–1,000 metres above sea level and centres on the intersection of its Krupówki and Kościuszko Streets.

 

 

The earliest documents mentioning Zakopane date to the 17th century, describing a glade called Zakopisko. In 1676 it was a village of 43 inhabitants. In 1818 Zakopane was a small town that was still being developed. There were only 340 homes that held 445 families. The population of Zakopane at that time was 1,805. 934 women and 871 men lived in Zakopane. The first church was built in 1847, by Józef Stolarczyk. Zakopane became a center for the region's mining and metallurgy industries; in the 19th century, it was the largest center for metallurgy in Galicia. It expanded during the 19th century as the climate attracted more inhabitants. By 1889 it had developed from a small village into a climatic health resort. Rail service to Zakopane began October 1, 1899. In the late 1800s Zakopane constructed a road that went to the town of Nowy Targ, and railways that came from Chabówka. Because of easier transportation the population of Zakopane had increased to about 3,000 people by the end of the 1800s. In the 19th century, Krupówki street was just a narrow beaten path that was meant for people to get from the central part of town to the village of Kuźnice.

 

 

The ski jump hill on Wielka Krokiew was opened in 1925. It's the biggest ski jumping hill built on the slope of Krokiew mountain (1378 m). Since 1989 the hills bears the official name Wielka Krokiew im. Stanisława Marusarza. It is a regular venue in the FIS Ski jumping World Cup. The capacity of the ski jumping stadium is 40,001.

 

The hill was featured in competitions at the 1939 and 1962 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships as well as the 2001 Universiade.

 

Since 2001, due to the success of Polish jumper Adam Małysz, Wielka Krokiew has seen some of the largest audiences in World Cup ski jumping history. During the 2020 Ski Jumping World Cup - Teams, Japanese ski jumper Yukiya Satō broke Dawid Kubacki's previous hill record at 143.5m with a massive 147m jump. It was also 4m meters better than the next best jump, at 143m which belonged to Ryōyū Kobayashi from Japan.

 

The cable car to Kasprowy Wierch was completed in 1936. The funicular connected Zakopane and the top of Gubałówka in 1938.

 

Because of Zakopane's popular ski mountains, the town gained popularity this made the number of tourists increase to about 60,000 people by 1930.

 

Other attraction is The Tatra Museum - a place of the history, culture, nature and ethnography of the Polish Tatras. The main building houses an exhibition presenting the history of the Polish Tatras. Photographs, archival documents and publications present a history of the Podhale region from prehistoric times, through first human settlements, the development of towns and villages, the development of Zakopane from a small village into a health resort and centre of the arts and culture in the interwar period. The exhibition presents the time of Zakopane's rapid development and the emergence of a society of active artists and social activists in Podhale at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Tytus Chałubiński, Stanisław Witkiewicz and many other Polish artists had chosen Zakopane as their resort of choice, fascinated by the local folklore and nature. The exhibition traces further developments of the city and region until the present day.

 

 

Not too far from Zakopane is also one place worth to see if you are near. The place is Morskie Oko - the largest and fourth-deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains. It is located deep within the Tatra National Park in the Rybi Potok (the Fish Brook) Valley, of the High Tatras mountain range.

 

 

The peaks that surround the lake rise about 1,000 meters above its surface; one of them is Rysy (2,499 meters), the highest peak in the Polish Tatras. Besides Mięguszowiecki Summits (including Mięguszowiecki Szczyt Wielki, 2,438 meters), farther away and slightly to the left, is the distinctive, slender Mnich (“Monk,” 2,068 meters). Many Swiss Pines also grow around the lake.

In the past, Morskie Oko was called "Rybie Jezioro" ("Fish Lake") due to its natural stock of fish, which are uncommon in Tatra lakes and ponds. In the clear depths of the water, one can easily notice trout - so-called "famine" trout - that live in the lake. The name "Morskie Oko" ("Sea Eye", "Eye of the Sea") is derived from an old legend, according to which the lake was connected to the sea via an underground passage.

 

The hut of the Polish Tourism and Local Lore Society (PTTK) stands on the moraine that closes the lake from the north. The hut is situated 1,405 meters above sea level and belongs to the oldest Tatra chalets. The hut is named after Stanisław Staszic, who explored the lake in 1805. It is a point of departure for hikes to Rysy and Szpiglasowa Przełęcz. Nearby is the Stare Schronisko ("Old Shelter"), originally a coachhouse. Both buildings have been granted historical status.

 

 

Morskie Oko is one of the most popular destinations in the Tatras, often receiving over 50,000 visitors during the vacation season. It is reached by foot in about two hours from the nearest road that allows motorized access. Many other tourists opt to take the journey by horse-drawn cart, a large number of which are operated by the local Górale inhabitants. In winter, a short section of the journey is in an avalanche danger zone, and the area can remain cold and rainy even in summer. In the advent of its popularity, visitors have been forbidden from swimming in the lake or feeding the trout.

[rybak 3,217]

We finally reached the end, the last team which will be introduced is...

 

Masurian White Storks

 

 

The team consists of four countries

 

•  Serbia
•  Israel
•  Portugal
•  Denmark

 

The white stork is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100–115 cm from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155–215 cm wingspan. The two subspecies, which differ slightly in size, breed in Europe (north to Finland), northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan) and southern Africa. The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, because the air thermals on which it depends for soaring do not form over water.

 

 

A carnivore, the white stork eats a wide range of animal prey, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and small birds. It takes most of its food from the ground, among low vegetation, and from shallow water. It is a monogamous breeder, but does not pair for life. Both members of the pair build a large stick nest, which may be used for several years. Each year the female can lay one clutch of usually four eggs, which hatch asynchronously 33–34 days after being laid. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the young. The young leave the nest 58–64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days

 

The nominate race of the white stork has a wide although disjunct summer range across Europe, clustered in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa in the west, and much of eastern and central Europe, with 25% of the world's population concentrated in Poland.

 

The team base will be resort town Mikołajki.

 

 

Mikołajki is a resort town in Mrągowo County in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in north-eastern part of country. The town is located near the Śniardwy, the largest lake of both the Masurian Lake District and Poland. It is located in the center of the ethnocultural region of Masuria.

 

The name of the village comes from the patron of the church of St. Nicholas. Originally there was an Old Prussian settlement in the place of Mikołajki.

 

 

The first mention of the village comes from 1444. From 1466 under the authority of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland as a fief under the Teutonic Order. In 1515, the first permanent bridge was built on the isthmus of the lake, a toll was charged for the passage, part of which was transferred to the Teutonic Knights. Two inns were built next to the bridge. Privileges for innkeepers were renewed in 1516, they were obliged to transport Teutonic robes and food (each in a two-horse cart) to Ryn and back. The Teutonic Knights built a manor and an inn in Mikołajki, they had a monopoly on catching fish, which they exported. The main occupation of the inhabitants was rafting and logging, as well as weaving, Mikołajki was famous for making hairs of cow and horse hair, from which Masurian skirts were sewn.

 

Before the Reformation, the church in Mikołajki was not included in the list of parishes and branch churches in the Warmian archpriesthood. The church in Mikołajki was most likely served by the Teutonic chaplain from Ryn. After the secularization of the Teutonic Order in the year, most Masurian Protestant parishes received Polish-speaking pastors. In 1539 Mikołajki was inhabited almost exclusively by Poles. Pastor Jakub Wilamowski came from Poland to Mikołajki in 1552. In 1798, priests from the parish in Święta Lipka led missions in Mikołajki.

 

 

 

From 1701 Mikołajki was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1726 it was granted city rights by the Prussian king Frederick William I, three years later a large part of the buildings was destroyed by fire. The town was made up of three settlement units: Rynek, Koniec and Kozłowo. The latter is located on the other side of the lake in relation to the center of Mikołajki. In 1833, some buildings were destroyed by a fire. During the census of 1837 out of 1963, only 271 inhabitants spoke German on a daily basis. From 1843, permanent shipping in Masuria was launched, which brought the city to life. In 1911 Mikołajki gained a railway connection with Mrągowo and Orzysz. From 1920, the city became a popular tourist destination, now it is known as the "sailing capital of Poland". 

 

 

[Yannakis 362]

16 hours ago, rybak said:

@Makedonas @Yannakis are you able to change your voting time with New Zealand?

I'm okay with that. @Makedonas?

[Makedonas 2,155]

8 minutes ago, Yannakis said:

I'm okay with that. @Makedonas?

Sure.

[rybak 3,217]

The logo have been revealed!

 

It's about time to presented Totallympics Annual International Song Contest 2021 logo. Ladies and gentlemen, this is it:

 

 

 

As you can see there is white stork (it was reason why I presented the White Storks team as last). As you could read earlier today this bird is one of the Polish animal symbol as over 25% of all storks is living here by most of the year. With Poland's national flag in the background. But it isn't just flag, the red part of logo is as well water over which the stork is flying and on the white part of the flag you can see blades of grass. Simply, the white stork is flying over one of the hundrends Masurian lakes. It's song contest, so the notes couldn't be missed in the logo as well. 

 

This year contest motto is "Let the notes fly!"

 

I want say a big thank you to @Olympian1010 who helped created this stunning logo and idea for the motto. Thank you so much!

 

The opening ceremony which is scheduled for Friday, April 16th will take place in Moszna Palace in small village Moszna.

 

 

The Moszna Palace is a historic castle and palace located in the small village of Moszna, in southwestern Poland. Situated approximately 30 kilometres south of the regional capital Opole, the residence is an excellent example of romantic fairy-tale and eclectic architecture.

 

The history of this building begins in the 18th century, although traces of older cellars were discovered in the gardens during excavation and reconstruction works at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the those could have been remnants of a presumed Templar stronghold.

 

 

The central part of the castle is an old baroque palace which was partially destroyed by fire on the night of April 2, 1896 and was reconstructed in the same year in its original form by Franz Hubert von Tiele-Winckler (the son of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler). The reconstruction works involved an extension of the residence. The eastern Neogothic-styled wing of the building was built by 1900, along with an adjacent orangery. In 1912-1914, the western wing was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. The architectural form of the castle contains a wide variety of styles, thus it can be generally defined as eclectic. The height of the building, as well as its numerous turrets and spires, give the impression of verticalism. The whole castle has exactly ninety-nine turrets. Inside, it contains 365 rooms with a total floorage of 7,000 sq. m. and a cubic capacity of about 65,000m The castle was twice visited by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. His participation in hunting during his stay at the castle was documented in a hand-written chronicle in 1911 as well as in the following year.

After World War II the castle did not have a permanent owner and was the home of various institutions until 1972 when it became a convalescent home. Later it became a Public Health Care Centre for Therapies of Neuroses. Nowadays it can be visited by tourists since the health institution has moved to another building in the neighbourhood. The castle also has a chapel which is used as a concert hall. Since 1998 the castle housed a gallery in which works of various artists are presented at regular exhibitions.

 

 

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precise boundaries and includes nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the castle. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park terminates at the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. On the eastern side of the avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached by a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, as part of the whole park complex was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself. Preserved documents of 1868 state that the improvement in the garden's aesthetic quality was undertaken by Hubert von Tiele-Winckler.

 

[dcro 10,210]

Fantastic logo and motto combo. Let the show begin!

[OlympicIRL 5,532]

Beautiful logo . Great job @Olympian1010 and @rybak. The slogan is great too

 

[Wanderer 1,726]

On 13/04/2021 at 17:41, Wumo said:

  Mali    

Songhoy Blues - Barre

 

 

 

I love Songhoy Blues  

Absolute 12