Professor Yuri Sergeevich Balashov: legacy of an outstanding parasitologist
This paper is devoted to the contributions of the outstanding parasitologist Yuri S. Balashov. It is not biographical. Its purpose is to highlight selected aspects of Yuri S. Balashov’s scientific legacy that the authors consider most important for an international readership. This should direct the attention of international researchers to his various scientific theses and concepts, some of which have been only published in Russian language, and should also open up a broader discussion. The scope of Balashov’s scientific interests was remarkable, although he devoted special attention to the research of argasid and ixodid ticks (Argasidae and Ixodidae). The main results and conclusions of his tremendous work have been described here using mainly his own words. Only some explanations that may be required to increase the reader’s understanding of the concepts, terms and thoughts of Yu. Balashov were made by the authors.