Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chişinău – February 5, 1859 in Iaşi), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist. Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Mioriţa. He was also a contributor to the Iaşi periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852. Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir.