i bought this balalaika in St. Petersburg (Russia) while I was at an international conference. After the last session I went to the city by foot and I looked for a shop I had previously found on internet. It was not in the street where it was supposed to be so I tried to ask someone... and the only word that I could say in russian was "balalaika"!! A policeman was able to direct me in the good direction and I finally found the shop.
Once I came back in the hotel I immediately tried to play "Katyusha" with my new instrument!