After a severe illness suffered during the 81st year of his life, Yuri Sergeevich Balashov died in Saint Petersburg (Russia). He was one of the most outstanding modern parasitologists, a doctor of biological sciences, a professor, correspondent-member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and an advisor in the Presidium of the RAS.
His scientific work, covering almost 60 yr, was always associated with the activities of the Zoological Institute of the RAS.
Yuri Sergeevich Balashov was born in Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) into a family of researchers working in the field of oriental sciences. He expressed his interest in biology from childhood, and during his school years, Yuri was a member of a club of young naturalists.
After graduating from high school in 1949, he enrolled the same year in the Faculty of Biology of Leningrad State University (at that time). Being particularly interested in biological science as a...