Diana Gurtskaya
| Diana Gurtskaya | |
|---|---|
Diana Gurtskaya in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Diana Gurtskaya |
| Born |
2 July 1978 Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Origin | Georgia |
| Genres | Pop, synthpop, pop rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 2000–present |
Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya (Georgian: დიანა ღურწკაია, Russian: Диана Гудаевна Гурцкая, born 2 July 1978 in Sukhumi, Georgia) is a blind Georgian singer who resides in Moscow, Russia. Following a failed attempt in Belarus the previous year Diana, on 1 March 2008, won the Georgian national final with 39.4% of the vote, therefore she represented Georgia at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia. She won a place in the final at the second semi-final on 22 May and finished 11th.
Gurtskaya has a number of awards to her credit. Most notably, a 2007 Russian Honorable Artist award given to her by president Vladimir Putin, a Medal of Honor given to her by Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, and the Award of Saint Barbara in Ukraine amongst others.
She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including Ray Charles, Toto Cutugno, and Demis Roussos.
In 2009, Gurtskaya received significant media attention after failing to obtain a visa from the British embassy due to her blindness. However, after a much publicised campaign, a visa was granted and the rules were changed.
Gurtskaya is married to Pyotr Kucherenko, who is a sighted lawyer in Moscow, and they have one son, Konstantin (b. June 2007).
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