Diana Gurtskaya
| Diana Gurtskaya | |
|---|---|
 Diana Gurtskaya in 2008 | |
| 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.[1]
She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including Ray Charles, Toto Cutugno, and Demis Roussos.[1][2][3]
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.[4]
Gurtskaya is married to Pyotr Kucherenko, who is a sighted lawyer in Moscow, and they have one son, Konstantin (b. June 2007).
Diana Gurtskaya signed the petition of support of Putin's actions in Ukraine and Crimea in 2014.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
- Ty zdess (2000)[6]
- Ty Znayesh mama (2002)[7]
- Utro (2003)[8]
- Nezhnaya (2004)[9]
- 9 Mesjacev (2007)
- Ja Ljublju vas vseh (2009)[10]
Compilation albums
- MP3 Collection (2006)
- Novoye i luchshyeye (2009)
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 9 months | singing voice | She performed theme song |
External links
References
- 1 2 Diana Gurtskaya's biography at eurovision.tv
- ↑ Diana Gurtskaya's biography at eurovision-georgia.ge
- ↑ Get to know Diana page of esctime.com
- ↑ Blind singer beats UK redtape, from Russia Today on YouTube, 30 April 2009
- ↑ Деятели культуры России — в поддержку позиции Президента по Украине и Крыму (Russian). Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation. March 2014
- ↑ , 28,9,2012
- ↑ , 28,9,2012
- ↑ , 28,9,2012
- ↑ , 28,9,2012
- ↑ , 28,9,2012
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sopho Khalvashi with Visionary Dream |
Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 |
Succeeded by Sofia Nizharadze with Shine |