Velyki Perehony

Velyki Perehony (Ukrainian: Великі Перегони; English: Great Race) was a Ukrainian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Following the premise of other versions in the Amazing Race franchise, the show follows ten teams of two as they race around Afro-Eurasia. The show was split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in foreign areas, interact with locals, perform physical and mental challenges, and travel by air, boat, car, taxi, and other modes of transport. Teams are progressively eliminated at the end of most legs for being the last to arrive at designated Pit Stops. The show visited three continents and eight countries and traveled over 35,000 kilometres (22,000 mi) during twelve legs. Starting in Kyiv, teams travelled through the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Singapore, the Philippines, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Poland before returning to Ukraine, travelling through Lviv Oblast and finishing in Kyiv. The first team to arrive at the Finish Line wins the grand prize of ₴500,000.
The show was hosted by Oleksandr "Fozzy" Sydorenko and produced by Sister's Production (Сістерз Продакшн), in association with ABC Studios and premiered on 1+1 on 13 April 2013 at 20:00 EEST. The finale aired on 29 June, and a special "Life after the Race" episode aired on 6 July.
Beauty queens Valeria Nikiforets and Bohdana Primak were the winners, while common-law married couple Oleksiy Yeremeyev and Olena Dolzhenko finished in second place and father and son Kostyantin and Yakiv Potomkyiv finished in third place.
On 23 July 2012, Ukrainian television network 1+1 announced that it had acquired the rights to make a version of The Amazing Race. On 23 November 2012, it was revealed that Ukrainian hip-hop singer Oleksandr "Fozzy" Sydorenko would host the show.
The show began filming on 25 November and lasted for four weeks. The show was produced by Sister's Production (Сістерз Продакшн), in association with ABC Studios. The first teaser for the show was released on 16 January.
Production arrived in the Philippines only a few days before the region was struck by Typhoon Bopha. The fifth episode makes many remarks about the coming storm, and heavy rainclouds, wind and thunder could be seen while the teams were racing.
Casting for the show was announced on the website of 1+1 on 23 July 2012.
The series' two sponsors are Carlsberg and Fa.
Ten teams of two make up the cast. At 72 years old, Vladimir from father and daughter team, Vladimir and Irina Vasilenko, is the oldest contestant in Amazing Race franchise history. Other racers including beauty queens, athletes, actors and physicians, etc.
During the eleventh leg, Oleksiy proposed to Olena at the Pit Stop and she accepted.
The following teams participated in the season, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order:
Individual prizes were awarded to the first team to complete certain legs.
Airdate: 13 April 2013
This series' first Detour was a choice between Скло (Sklo – Glass) or Золото (Zoloto – Gold). In Sklo, teams had to assemble ten hookahs to receive their next clue. In Zoloto, teams had to arrange five pieces of jewellery according to cost to receive their next clue.
In this series' first Roadblock, one team member had to drive a dune buggy through a marked course in the desert to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 20 April 2013
This leg's Detour was a choice between Гостро (Hostro – Hot) or Брудно (Brudno – Dirty). In Hostro, teams had to carry 50 kilograms (110 lb) of spicy peppers through a market and then mash the peppers into a sauce to receive their next clue. In Brudno, teams had to wash a bag full of dirty laundry, and then hang it on a clothesline to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to spin a large wheel with pictures of various masks on it, memorize the mask on the slot where the wheel stopped, and find the actual mask within the festival crowd to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 27 April 2013
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to prepare and sell 20 coconuts to earn at least 500 Sri Lankan rupees to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Вода (Voda – Water) or Коржіки (Korzhiky – Cakes). In Voda, teams had to wash the traditional markings off an elephant to receive their next clue. There were only five elephants available, first come, first served. In Korzhiky, teams had to make 150 manure cakes using only their bare hands and put them on a wall to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 4 May 2013
This leg's Detour was a choice between Політ (Polit – Flight) or Похід (Pokhid – Walk). In Polit, teams had to ride the G-MAX Reverse Bungy. While riding, teams had to spot an umbrella lit with the Amazing Race colours. Once they locate the umbrella at a stall, they could get their next clue from the shopkeeper. In Pokhid, teams had to go to the 226-metre (741 ft) Swissôtel The Stamford and climb all 73 floors to the top to get their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to climb an outdoor rock climbing wall to retrieve their next clue.
Airdate: 11 May 2013
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to eat six fertilised duck embryos, a local dish known as balut, to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Пляшкі (Plyashki – Bottles) or Рибкі (Rybki – Fish). In Plyashki, teams had to search among hundreds of bottles scattered around the shore for one containing a message with their next destination written on it. In Rybki, teams had to count the number of fish inside a basket amidst the distractions of the vendors to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 18 May 2013
In this leg's first Roadblock, one team member had to ride an 800-metre (0.50 mi) long zip line and memorize the colour patterns on four boats ("green, red, yellow"; "blue, yellow, green"; "red, blue, green"; "yellow, blue, red"). Once ashore, they had to reconstruct the patterns using coloured rectangular boards to receive their next clue.
In this leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to crack open coconuts with a knife until they could find one with red-coloured flesh to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 25 May 2013
This leg's Detour was a choice between Палиця (Palytsya – Stick) or Яйце (Yaytse – Egg). In Palytsya, teams had to throw a traditional South African club called a knobkierie from a distance to shatter three vases suspended in the air and receive their next clue. In Yaytse, teams had to use a straw to fill 12 ostrich eggs with water and then bury them in the sand to receive their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to jump off the highest bridge bungee jump in the world at Bloukrans Bridge to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 1 June 2013
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform a tandem skydive from a height of 9,000 feet (2,700 m) to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between блиск (Blysk – Shine) or Смак (Smak – Taste). In Blysk, teams had to search through a museum, housing hundreds of diamonds, for the first diamond ever discovered in South Africa, named Light Hearts to receive their next clue. In Smak, teams had to cook a traditional South African delicacy, a samosa, to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 8 June 2013
This leg's Detour was a choice between Сир (Syr – Cheese) or Шарманка (Sharmanka – Hand Organ). For both task, teams had to travel by boat through the Amsterdam canals to West Market Square. In Syr, teams had to don traditional Dutch outfits and use a wooden stretcher to carry cheese from a stockpile to a scale until they weighed out exactly 400 kilograms of cheese to receive their next clue. Only one team could use the scale at a time and the first team to place a piece of cheese on the scale would get to use it. In Sharmanka, teams had to find one of three street organs, and then one team member had to run the machine while the other asked for tips until they earned €30 to receive their next clue from the organ grinder.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to eat five soused herrings hanging from a string, while blindfolded and without using their hands, to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 15 June 2013
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to complete a jigsaw puzzle of a man on a horse to receive their next clue.
This leg's Detour was a choice between Проїхатися (Proïkhatysya – Ride) or Пройтися (Proy̆tysya – Walk). In Proïkhatysya, one team member had to be in the driver's seat of an old Polski Fiat car with a local in the other seat. The other team member had to push the car around the Main Square and was not allowed help from locals. After they are successful, they would be given their next clue. In Proy̆tysya, teams had to count and add up the number of stairs in the Town Hall Tower and one of the towers in St. Mary's Basilica. They were not however required to give the exact number of stairs, 352, and could give any number between 350 and 354. If they get any number between that, they would be given their next clue.
Airdate: 22 June 2013
This leg's Detour was a choice between Король (Korol – King) or Монах (Monakh – Monk). In Korol, teams had to travel to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and descend down the mines, where they had to push a minecart down a track. Then, they had to dig through the contents of the minecart to find a crystal key that they could use to open a locked compartment which contained their next clue, which instructed teams to find St Kinga's Chapel inside the mine to find their next clue. In Monakh, teams had to travel to the Tyniec Benedictine Abbey, where they had to abseil down the cliffs to reach a cave with baskets of food. Teams then had to transport two baskets back up to the abbey and present them to a monk, who would give them their next clue.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to shoot a bow and arrow at a target and either hit the target five times or hit the apple held in the centre of the target once to receive their next clue.
Airdate: 29 June 2013
For coming last on the previous leg, Oleksiy & Olena had to gather 50 people in the market square and have them perform the wave before they could continue racing.
In the series' final Roadblock, one team member had to snow tube down a hill, memorizing a series of flags from the countries they visited on the way down. At the bottom, they would have to arrange them in the correct order (United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines, South Africa, Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine) to receive their next clue.
The series's final Detour was a choice between Глечик (Hlechyk – Pot) and Гарбуз (Harbuz – Pumpkin). In Hlechyk, teams had to knock down six clay pots using a whip. In Harbuz, teams had to slash clean through six pumpkins with a saber in one slash each. At the end of either Detour, teams had to climb a slippery snow hill to receive their next clue.
The series premiered with a 4.9% rating with a 14% share of viewers aged 18 to 54. Before the finale, casting for a second season was announced but it did not come to fruition.