OVSC34

## OrbisVision Song Contest #34

Didysie mūsų (Hymn to Perkunas the Thunder God) and Čiūtyta, performed by Kūlgrinda
 **Grand Final:**
The Roop performing "Discoteque"
 Monique performing "Make Me Human"
 Monika Linkyte performing "Stay (ČIŪTO TŪTO)"
 Monika Liu performing "Sentimentai"

## Participants

### Returning

 Aruba
  Christmas Island
  Cocos Islands
  Cyprus
  Czechia
  Ecuador
  Finland
  France
  Gibraltar
  Israel
  Malta
  Monaco
  North Macedonia
  Puerto Rico
  Russia
  Tunisia
  Türkiye

### Withdrawing

 Andorra
  Barbados
  Bulgaria
  Estonia
  Guernsey
  Iceland
  Italy
  Libya
  Moldova
  Portugal
  Romania
  Senegal
  South Africa
  Spain
  Sudan
  Thailand
  Vietnam

## Voting

### System

Each country awards a set of 1 - 7 points, followed by 8, 10 and 12 points for their top 3 favourite songs

### Winner

 Türkiye
 "LOVERS HURRICANE" by Selin

After their victory in Nanjing, OVSC came to the Baltics for the very first time in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas for its 34th edition!

This was Lithuania's first time hosting the contest as well as the 17th time it went to Europe. This was also the 3rd time a former Soviet state hosted the contest.

The contest consisted of 3 shows, 2 semi-finals and a Grand Final.

44 countries have confirmed their participation.

The contest was won for the first time by Türkiye with the song "LOVERS HURRICANE" by Selin. This is only the second time a transcontinental country has won (16th time for Europe, 8th time for Asia if you count Türkiye as being a part of one of those two continents).

## Location

### Host city

**Kaunas** is the second biggest city in the center of Lithuania and is referred to by many as the *Pearl of the Baltics*.

Since 2015 Kaunas is approved as a UNESCO Design City. It is a creative city with sustainable development and cooperation between similar types of cities.

Kaunas was one of the three European Capitals of Culture in 2022, along with Novi Sad in Serbia and Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg.

The main reason to visit is its charming Old Town, connected to the 19th century New Town ranged along Laisvės alėja. It was the country's capital between the two world wars.

The city grew up in an obvious strategic position, at the confluence of the country's two main rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris. There's been settlement here for at least 2500 years but what we now call the Old Town dates from the 14th century when the castle was built.

Kaunas prospered as part of the Hanseatic League into the 16th century.

Medieval Lithuania had united with Poland to control a huge swathe of Europe, right down to the Black Sea, but Sweden and Russia grew and fought for regional control, and in the 17th and 18th centuries they attacked and wrecked Kaunas several times.

Russia won the power struggle and took over Lithuania in 1795, while Poland was carved up between Russia, Prussia and Austria.

The Grand Army of Napoleon marched through Kaunas to occupy Moscow in 1812, and then retreated, and devastated the city both times.

It had all been too easy to invade, and there were ominous local uprisings, so in the 19th century Russia tightened its grip by building up the local garrison.

This culminated in the colossal military complex of "Fortress Kaunas" encircling the city; but it proved of limited value in 20th century warfare, and nowadays only the "Ninth Fort" (of ten) is standing.

Lithuania proclaimed its independence in 1918, the "First Republic". Vilnius had always been the chief city, but it was seized first by the Russian Bolsheviks then by Poland; so instead Kaunas became the provisional capital.

This greatly stimulated its urban and cultural development, with handsome buildings in neoclassical, functional and Art Deco design, dubbed "Little Paris".

It was a diverse city: a quarter of the population were Jewish, engaged in commercial, artisan, professional life, and religious learning.

The First Republic was crushed in 1940 when the Soviet Union annexed Lithuania. But Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 and yet again the Russians fled, choosing not to make a stand so far from Moscow.

The Germans set about liquidating the Jewish population: over 30,000 perished. The Red Army retook the Baltic states in 1944, and post-war Lithuania became part of the USSR.

Not until 1990 was it again independent.

After World War II Kaunas became the main industrial city of Lithuania; it produced about a quarter of Lithuania's industrial output.

After the proclamation of Lithuanian independence in 1990, Soviet attempts to suppress the rebellion focused on the Sitkūnai Radio Station. They were defended by the citizenry of Kaunas.

Pope John Paul II said Holy Mass for the faithful of the Archdiocese of Kaunas at the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica and held a meeting with the young people of Lithuania at the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium (which was recently renovated in 2022), during his visit to Lithuania in 1993.

Kaunas natives Vytautas Landsbergis and Valdas Adamkus became the Head of State in 1990, and, respectively, in 1998 and 2004. Since the restoration of independence, substantially improving air and land transport links with Western Europe have made Kaunas easily accessible to foreign tourists.

Since recent years, most of the Soviet architecture that was abandoned or almost complete (deemed to be an eyesore by some) were demolished in the city, now replaced by more modern architecture.

Kaunas is famous for its basketball club, Žalgiris, which was founded in 1944 and was one of the most popular nonviolent expressions of resistance during its struggle with the CSKA Moscow. In 2011, the largest indoor arena in the Baltic states was built and was named Žalgiris Arena.

In March 2015, Kaunas's interwar-era buildings received the European Heritage Label.

On 18 September 2023, Kaunas's interwar-era modern architecture was included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

### Venue

The Žalgirio Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New Town of Kaunas, Lithuania. The arena is located on an island of the Nemunas River and is the largest indoor arena in the Baltics.

The arena's maximum possible seating capacity for basketball games is 15,415, and 20,000 spectators for concerts (when the stage is in the middle, and 17,000 when stage is in the side of the arena). The Žalgiris Arena replaced the Kaunas Sports Hall as a major venue in the city.

The Žalgirio Arena is used to host basketball games as well as concerts. The arena's namesake basketball club BC Žalgiris, which currently competes in the domestic LKL and the EuroLeague, uses the facility for all of its European and LKL home fixtures. BC Žalgiris and Žalgiris Arena has had the highest average attendance in the Euroleague in 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21.

The arena's construction started in September 2008; the main contractor of the arena is the Lithuanian construction company Vėtrūna, chief architect – Eugenijus Miliūnas. The total cost of the arena is estimated to be 168.8 million litas (50 million euros). The arena was opened on 18 August 2011 with a basketball match between Lithuania and Spain.

The Žalgiris Arena held the playoffs and finals of the 37th European Basketball Championship (EuroBasket 2011), which took place in September 2011.

On 5 December 2015, the Lithuanian group SEL set a new attendance record in the arena - 20,517 spectators with 360 stage concert. On 6 January 2016, EuroLeague clubs general managers voted Žalgiris Arena as the tournament's best arena.

The venue hosted some matches of the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup, including the opening and final matches. On 19 December 2022, Kaunas was announced as a host city for the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four, the first in Lithuania's sports history. The Final Four was held on 19–21 May 2023 in the Žalgiris Arena and the Real Madrid Baloncesto won the Grand Final versus the Olympiacos B.C. 79–78.

The complex has been expanded with a 50-meter Olympic pool with 10 lanes and seating for 500 spectators was installed in the arena and opened its doors in September 2022. Adjacent is an additional 25-meter pool with two 90-cm-deep lanes for teaching children to swim. The pool, equipment and facilities are adapted to meet the requirements of World Aquatics allowing it to host international level competitions.

Since its opening in 2011, Žalgiris Arena has hosted many concerts. The main stars, who held concerts in Kaunas were: the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Rammstein, Slash, Marilyn Manson, Katie Melua, The Prodigy, James Blunt, Hurts, Jean Michel Jarre, Zucchero, Sarah Brightman, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Iron Maiden, Mariah Carey, Muse, and Dua Lipa.

On May 5, 2017, Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado re-announced that she will be performing at the venue on October 24th 2017, instead of performing on October 13th 2017.

On April 18, 2017, Queen played at the venue on November 17th 2017, as a part of the Queen + Adam Lambert Tour. On 11th March 2018, it hosted the final of the Eurovizija national selection for Lithuania at Eurovision 2018, which was held in Lisbon, Portugal. The Žalgirio Arena will host the ISU European Figure Skating Championships next year from 8th to 14th January 2024.

## Participating countries

### Semi-final 1

China, Mali and Switzerland will vote in this semi-final. Qualifiers are marked in blue.

### Semi-final 2

Canada, Lithuania and Sweden will vote in this semi-final. Qualifiers are marked in blue.