New York Balalaika Duo (Mikhail Smirnov and Lev Zabeginsky) is based in New York City, and is part of the Russian music, dance and song ensemble Barynya (Russian: Барыня), established in the year 1991. Barynya is a world renowned group that enjoys exalting stature as the premier Russian folk ensemble outside of Russia. Barynya presents Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Gypsy Roma traditional dancing, music, songs, and virtuoso performances on instruments including the balalaika, garmoshka (Russian folk button accordion), balalaika contrabass, bayan, Gypsy guitars, domra, violin. Barynya has been invited to perform at some of the most prestigious cultural venues in the United States, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the Smithsonian Institute of America in Washington D.C., the United Nations in New York, and the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C.