Staraya Russa

To date, the question remains open about the origin of the town of Staraya Russa.

Rusa was first mentioned in the first Novgorod chronicle under 1167but the city at the confluence of the Polist and Porus rivers in South Prilmens appeared earlier. Found in Novgorod in 1975 birch bark charter № 526 confirms the existence of Rusa in the middle of the XI century: "On Boyana in Rousse gr(i)vna, on Zhitob(o)ude in Rousse 13 kone and gr(i)vna true...".. Not much younger - the last quarter of the XI century - and the oldest birch-bark writings, found in Ruse (fragment of the debt list, № 13).

Archaeologist G. S. Lebedev dated the origin of Staraya Russa from X-XI centuries. At present known archaeological sources allow to date the origin of Staraya Russa from the end of X to the beginning of XI century. At the present stage of archaeological study of the ancient center of the Southern Prilmensky region not only the question about the time of Staraya Russa appearance, but also about the localization of the ancient settlement, the character of fortifications and the topography of the city remains unsolved. Archaeological excavations at Pyatnitskii I excavation site testify to the settlement of this area in the XI century. In the 11th century, the center of Staraya Russa was located near the main gate of the resort near the open mineral springs, near the intersection of modern Mineralnaya and Svarog streets. Artifacts from the 11th century were also found on Cathedral Square.

Participants of the III All-Russian Archaeological Congress (Staraya Russa; October 24-29, 2011) Supported the petition of the administration of Staraya Russa and Staraya Russa Municipal District to the administration of Novgorod Region and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the history of Staraya Russa in 2015. On May 31, 2012 the Governor of Novgorod region S.G. Mitin addressed the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences academician Y.S. Osipov with a request "...to support the petition for the celebration of the millennium of the city of Staraya Russa in 2015".

Before the first mention in the chronicles in 1167, the history of the city can be judged only by archaeological data. According to the materials of excavations, Rusa in XI-XII centuries had regularly renewed wooden sidewalks and developed urban culture. The townspeople were actively engaged in saltworks, trade and crafts.

Since the end of the twelfth century, chronicles begin to regularly report events related to the city. In 1192 the future Novgorod archbishop, Abbot Martirius, founded the Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery. In 1194 the city survived a great fire. In 1198 was laid the first stone church - Transfiguration cathedral.

In 1199-1201 the city fortifications were built in Ruse. In 1234 a Lithuanian army penetrated the city during a raid, but the combined forces of the townspeople, merchants, Gridis and Ognishchians repulsed the attack.

In 1456 during the Moscow-Novgorod war Moscow troops seized the city and defeated the Novgorod army, who tried to free Rusa (battle of Rusa), after which Novgorod made concessions and Yazhelbitsky peace was concluded.

In March 1471 the city was sacked by the Lutsk prince Mikhail Olelkovich. In the same year, during the campaign of Dmitry Kholmsky and Fyodor Khromoy, Rusa was captured and burned by Moscow troops.

1478 - Rusa, together with all the Novgorod lands, becomes part of the Moscow principality after the campaigns of the Grand Prince of Moscow, Ivan III.

In 1565 Ivan the Terrible allocated Old Rusa in the oprichnaya lands, which saved it from the oprichnaya terror. The city's economy remained based on the rich salt mines.

In the last quarter of the 16th century the city entered a long period of decline. In February 1581 during the Livonian War, it was captured and almost completely burned by Polish-Lithuanian troops, who ruined its surroundings.

In the fall of 1608 Staraya Russa is captured by detachments of False Dmitry II, but in the spring of 1609, during the march on Moscow, the Russian-Swedish detachment under the command of Fyodor Chulkov and Evert Gorn repels Russa from Tushin.

In 1611 the city, together with Novgorod and the surrounding territory, became part of the Swedish occupation. By the time Stara Russa returned among other lands according to Stolbovsky peace treaty in 1617, the city was completely devastated and had only 38 inhabitants.

In 1693, the 21-year-old Peter I went to Arkhangelsk with his mother's permission and on his way stopped at Staraya Russa. He ordered to find ways to develop the Staraya Russa saltworks. For the second time he visited the city already as emperor in 1724.

When the Russian Empire was divided into provinces, in 1708 the city became part of the Ingermanland Province (from 1710 - St. Petersburg). Since 1719 - as part of the Novgorod province, from 1727 - as part of the Novgorod province of the same name.

In 1763 in Staraya Russa there was a fire that destroyed all wooden buildings, after which the city was built on a regular plan on the right bank of the river Polist.

On February 15, 1776, Staraya Russa received a coat of arms and was declared a district town.

In 1785 in the city was founded balneo-mud spa.

In 1831 there was a bloody cholera riot in Stara Russa.

In 1878 a railroad connection was opened to the city.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the city became known as Staraya Russa (with a double "s").

After the October events of 1917 in Petrograd in Staraya Russa, Soviet power was established November 3-5, 1917.

During the Civil War, from February 24 to July 1919 in Staraya Russa at the resort was located the headquarters of the Western Front of the Red Army.

On August 1, 1927 Staraya Russa became part of the Novgorod district of Leningrad region, becoming the administrative center of the newly formed Staraya Russa district (on July 23, 1930 the division into districts in the USSR was abolished).

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of September 19, 1939 Staraya Russa became a city of regional subordination.

During the Great Patriotic War from August 9, 1941 to February 18, 1944 Staraya Russa was occupied by German troops. The city was close to the front line and was severely damaged. Soviet troops repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to capture Staraya Russa by February 23, 1942. Later there was also unsuccessful Staraya Russa operation in March and August 1943.

February 18, 1944 Staraya Russa was liberated by the troops of the 1st Shock Army of the 2nd Baltic Front during the Staraya Russa-Novorzhevskaya offensive. By the time of liberation in the ruined city there was not a single inhabitant; by the end of 1944 there were 5 thousand.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet on July 5, 1944 Staraya Russa and the entire Staraya Russa district were included in the newly formed Novgorod region.

February 16, 1984 the city of Staraya Russa was awarded the Order of World War I.

On June 9-10, 2015, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, Head of the Russian Imperial House, visited the city as part of the 1000th anniversary of the city.

In January 2019, the city of Staraya Russa applied to become a member of the Hanseatic League of the New Age.