Borys Ivanovych Balinsky (23 September 1905 – 1 September 1997) was a Ukrainian-South African biologist, embryologist, entomologist. A

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

at Kiev University and later the

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), commonly known as Wits University or Wits, is a multi-campus Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. The universit ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

, Balinsky was a pioneer researcher in the field of experimental embryology, electron microscopy and

developmental biology Developmental biology is the study of the process by which animals and plants grow and develop. Developmental biology also encompasses the biology of Regeneration (biology), regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and di ...

and the author of a popular textbook in embryology ''An Introduction to Embryology''.

Early life and education

Balinsky was born 23 September 1905, in

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(now the capital of present day,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

). His father, Ivan Balinsky, was a historian, lawyer and teacher at Galen College. His mother, Elizaveta Radzymovska was a biology teacher. Her aunt, Valentyna Radzymovska, was a biologist who was involved in Ukrainian independence movements. His parents loved English literature and spoke Ukrainian, Russian and English at home. His love of etymology began with a book he received in 1916 on collecting butterflies, as well as with the summers he spent in the village of Severinovka, where his grandfather kept bees. He was a student of the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and evolutionary biologist, Ivan Schmalhausen, and one of the first people to conduct experiments inducing organogenesis in amphibian embryos. His distinguished himself by having his first scientific paper published while he was only 20 and still an undergraduate. He married his first wife Katya Syngayevskaya in 1928, after meeting her during an embryology seminar. Balinsky's son John Balinsky was born in 1934.

Career

Balinsky became a full university professor at Kiev University in 1933 at age 28 and the deputy director of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences two years later in 1935. He became a recognised expert in fish and amphibian development. His wife was arrested October 7, 1937 for engaging in counter-revolutionary propaganda and was sentenced to ten years in a

gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...

. Therefore Balinsky lost his post as professor and as deputy director of the Institute. His wife, Syngayevskaya would die of peritonitis in 1943. A victim of Soviet repressions, Balinsky remained in Kiev under German occupation during World War II while others evacuated. He and his family fled to

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

after the German evacuation and later

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. From 1945 to 1947, he worked as a professor of Histology at the temporary UNRRA University in Munich. After the closing of the UNRRA University in 1947, Balinsky also briefly worked in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

in Conrad Hal Waddington's laboratory on mice embryology from 1947 to 1949. Later, in 1949, he migrated to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

where he become one of the founders of South African experimental bioscience. In 1949, Balinsky accepted a lecturer position at the University of the Witwatersrand. He was appointed Head of Zoology at the school, serving from 1954 to 1973. In 1960, drawing from the courses he taught at Witwatersrand, Balinsky published the ''An Introduction to Embryology'', which became one of the most widely used Embryology textbook worldwide and served as a foundational textbook in the field for years to come. He also served as Witwatersrand's Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1965 to 1967 He served as the President of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa in 1966. Balinsky also worked in entomology and described new species of

Plecoptera Plecoptera is an order (biology), order of insects commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to b ...

, Odonata and moths from the family Pyralidae, mainly from Caucasus and South Africa.

Death and legacy

He died at home in

on 1 September 1997, aged 91. His son John Balinsky also studied and became a scientist. John Balinsky went on to work for the University Witwatersrand and served as the chairman for the Department of Zoology at Iowa State University.

Insects described

Plecoptera

* '' Pontoperla teberdinica'' Balinsky, 1950 * '' Pontoperla katherinae'' Balinsky * '' Balinskycercella gudu'' Balinsky, 1956 * '' Balinskycercella tugelae'' Balinsky, 1956 * '' Balinskycercella fontium'' Balinsky, 1956

Dragonflies

* '' Agriocnemis pinheyi'' Balinsky, 1963 * '' Agriocnemis ruberrima'' Balinsky, 1961 * '' Ceratogomphus triceraticus'' Balinsky, 1963 * '' Chlorolestes draconicus'' Balinsky, 1956 * '' Orthetrum robustum'' Balinsky, 1965 * '' Pseudagrion helenae'' Balinsky, 1964 * '' Pseudagrion inopinatum'' Balinsky, 1971 * '' Pseudagrion vumbaense'' Balinsky, 1963 * '' Urothemis luciana'' Balinsky, 1961

Lepidoptera

New species

* '' Abachausia grisea'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Acrobasis africanella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Afromyelois communis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Afromylea natalica'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Afropsipyla pictella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Afropsipyla similis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ambetilia crucifera'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ancylosis aeola'' Balinsky, 1987 * '' Ancylosis eugraphella'' Balinsky, 1987 * '' Ancylosis eurhoda'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Ancylosis glaphyria'' Balinsky, 1987 * '' Ancylosis melanophlebia'' Balinsky, 1989 * ''

Ancylosis mimeugraphella ''Ancylosis mimeugraphella'' is a species of snout moth in the genus '' Ancylosis''. It was described by Boris Balinsky in 1989 and is found in South Africa and Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west ...

'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Ancylosis montana'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Ancylosis namibiella'' Balinsky, 1987 * '' Ancylosis obscurella'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Ancylosis perfervid'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Ancylosis similis'' Balinsky, 1987 * '' Apomyelois bicolorata'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Arsissa transvaalica'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Aspithroides minuta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Azanicola adspersa'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Bahiria defecta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria durbanica'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria flavicosta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria latevalvata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria macrognatha'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria magna'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria similis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Bahiria ximenianata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cabotella inconspicua'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Candiopella dukei'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cantheleamima excisa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ceuthelea umtalensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cunibertoides nigripatagiata'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Emporia melanobasis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Encryphodes ethiopella'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Epicrocis abbreviata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis ancylosiformis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis arcana'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis brevipalpata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis complicata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis coriacelloides'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis crassa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis flavicosta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis furcilinea'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis gracilis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis imitans'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis insolita'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis intermedia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis noncapillata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis ornata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis ornatella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis picta'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Epicrocis plumbifasciata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis punctata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis sacculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis spiculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Epicrocis vansoni'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Eucarphia anomala'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Eurhodope nyctosia'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Euzophera crassignatha'' Balinsky, 1994 * ''

Euzophera crinita ''Euzophera'' is a genus of Pyralidae, snout moths. It was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1867. Species *Subgenus ''Euzophera'' Zeller, 1867 **''Euzophera albicostalis'' Hampson, 1903 **''Euzophera alpherakyella'' Ragonot, 1887 **''Euz ...

'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Euzophera cullinanensis'' (Balinsky, 1991) * '' Euzophera minima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Euzophera termivelata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Euzopherodes capicola'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria dubia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria fusca'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria ignicephalis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria minima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria minuscula'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria nonceracanthia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria onigra'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Faveria poliostrota'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Flabellobasis montana'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Gaana minima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Gaana quatra'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Getulia maculosa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Hobohmia paradoxa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Homoeosoma masaiensis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Joannisia heterotypa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Joannisia jansei'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Joannisia poliopasta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Joannisia semiales'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Kivia longisacculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia affinis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia glaucocephalis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia grisella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia homotypa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia hortensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia inermis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia injucunda'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia karkloofensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia lugubris'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia nigerrima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia nonplagella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia pulchra'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia salisburyensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia sarniensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia similis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia spissa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia squamata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Laodamia zoetendalensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Leviantenna ferox'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Macrovalva quadrielevata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Magiriamorpha superpalpia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Miliberta gnathilata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Nakurubia sacculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Namibicola simplex'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Namibicola splendida'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Namibiopsis punctata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Nonphycita lineata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Nyctegretis cullinanensis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Oncocera affinis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera cenochreella'' Ragonot, 1888 * '' Oncocera dubia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera glaucocephalis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera grisella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera homotypa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera horrens'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera hortensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera ignicephalis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera inermis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera injucunda'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera karkloofensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera lugubris'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera nigerrima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera nonplagella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera pulchra'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera salisburyensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera sarniensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera similis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera spiculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera spissa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera squamata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Oncocera zoetendalensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ortholepis polyodonta'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Ortholepis pyrobasis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Ortholepis unguinata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia haploa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia angustata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia fraudulenta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia modesta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia pretoriensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia serrata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia subligaculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia transvaalica'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita attenuata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita exaggerata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita ligubris'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita randensis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita singularis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita spiculata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita spissoterminata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycita suppenditata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycitophila obscurita'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycitopsis insulata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Pretoria nigribasis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Proancylosis argenticostata'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Pseudogetulia luminosa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Pseudographis dermatina'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Pseudographis mesosema'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Psorosa africana'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Pylamorpha albida'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Pylamorpha cristata'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Quasiexuperius rhodesianus'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ramosignathos inconspicuella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Samaria inconspicuella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Sematoneura africana'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Shebania grandis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Shebania maculata'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Spatulipalpia monstrosa'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Staudingeria mimeugraphella'' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Trachypteryx victoriola'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Ulophora flavinia'' Balinsky, 1994

New genera

* '' Abachausia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Afromyelois'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Afromylea'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Afropsipyla'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ambetilia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Aspithroides'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Azanicola'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Bahiria'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cabotella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Candiopella'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cantheleamima'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ceuthelea'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Cunibertoides'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Flabellobasis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Hobohmia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Joannisia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Kivia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Leviantenna'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Macrovalva'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Magiriamorpha'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Miliberta'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Nakurubia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Namibicola'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Namibiopsis'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Nonphycita'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Paralaodamia'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Phycitophila'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Proancylosis'' Balinsky, 1991 * '' Pseudogetulia'' Balinsky, 1994 * ' Balinsky, 1989 * '' Pylamorpha'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Quasiexuperius'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Ramosignathos'' Balinsky, 1994 * '' Shebania'' Balinsky, 1991

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balinsky, Boris 1905 births 1997 deaths Scientists from Kyiv People from Kievsky Uyezd Ukrainian biologists South African biologists Soviet emigrants Immigrants to South Africa 20th-century Ukrainian biologists 20th-century South African biologists