Russian Language Exported: BALALAIKA
The three‑stringed Russian folk instrument, familiar to all music lovers.
Balalaika (English ‘balalaika’, German ‘Balalaika’, French ‘balalaïka’, Spanish ‘balalaica’) is a Russian folk instrument with a triangular body that has become one of the main musical symbols of Russia.
The name likely comes from the Russian word ‘balakat’ (to chatter). Another theory links it to Turkic roots. The word has been recorded in English and French dictionaries since the second half of the 18th century.
The ‘balalaika’ owes its modern appearance and worldwide fame thanks to musician Vasily Andreev. In the late 19th century, he refined the instrument, giving it the triangular body shape and chromatic tuning we are familiar with today.
