1) The balalaika was first mentioned in a 1688 document describing two men being flogged and exiled for playing the instrument near Moscow, as the Russian tsar at the time had banned native musical instruments. 2) In the late 17th century, the persecution of Russian musicians gradually subsided and the balalaika became popular among peasants and court musicians by the late 18th century. 3) However, the balalaika fell out of favor by the mid-19th century until it was rediscovered by a landowner who worked to improve the design and spread its popularity, helping to revive the instrument across Russia.