Diana Gurtskaya

Who is Diana Gurtskaya?

Diana Gudaevna Gurtskaya is a blind Georgian singer of Russian ethnicity who resides in Moscow, Russia. Following a failed attempt in Belarus the previous year Diana, on March 1, 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 May 22 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.