In 1995, Gurtskaya won an international junior song contest, leading her to become popular in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Israel and countries with substantial Russian-speaking minorities. Gurtskaya then signed with a major Russian music label, and released a series of hit singles with a record-breaking number of copies sold. She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including
Ray Charles,
Toto Cutugno, and
Demis Roussos. In 2006, President
Vladimir Putin presented Diana with "The Honored Artist of Russia" award – one of the highest state prizes in the Russian entertainment industry. In an online voting on March 1, 2008, residents of
Georgia voted for Gurtskaya to represent Georgia in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. she competed with 12 finalists from Georgia and won, after her performance of the song "
Peace will come". In 2009, on the International Paralympic Day, held for the first time in Moscow, the
Organizing Committee of the Sochi
2014 Olympic Games awarded Diana Gurtskaya the status of Sochi 2014 Ambassador as a person who promotes the ideas of the Olympic and Paralympic movement in Russia and the world. Gurtskaya is a member of the Public Council under Chairman of the Federation Council of the
Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Since 2011 Diana has served as a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Commission for Improving Accessible Environment and Inclusive practices. In 2013, Gurtskaya was appointed a member of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation for Disabled People. In 2005, Gurtskaya married Pyotr Kucherenko, a professor of law at the
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. In June 2007, she gave birth to a baby son, Constantine. Pyotr Kucherenko
died in 2023. In 2018 Gurtskaya launched the "Centre for Social Integration" for
people with disabilities under the department of labor and social protection of the population of Moscow. This project aims to help people with disabilities better integrate into the society through various forms of art (vocal, theatrical and computer design) using inclusive methods. In 2022, she was named "
People's Artist of the Russian Federation". ==Discography==