The Balalaika is a Russian stringed instrument developed in the 18th century. It derived from the dombra, or domra, a three-stringed lute played in Russia and Central Asia. It is possible that the emergence and evolution of the balalaika was a product of interaction with Asian-Oriental cultures.

The balalaika comes in six sizes, ranging from piccolo to double bass. It has a flat back and triangle table, or belly, which tapers to a fretted neck, and the three strings can either be plucked with the fingers, or if they are metal, with a leather plectrum.

Two strings are typically tuned to the same note, with the third string a perfect fourther higher. Melodies and chords are usually played on the higher-pitched balalaikas. Higher-pitched balalaikas have a short sustain which lends itself to rapid strumming or plucking used to play melodies.

Balalaikas were used in folk music and dancing as well as large balalaika orchestras formed in the 20th century. The characteristic size, known as the prime or treble, is normally tuned E-E-A in the octave above middle C.

The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest: the piccolo balalaika, prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass balalaika, and contrabass balalaika. There are balalaika orchestras which consist solely of different balalaikas; these ensembles typically play Classical music that has been arranged for balalaikas.