Staraya Russa Старая Русса | |
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 Cathedral Square in Staraya Russa | |
.jpg) Flag .jpg) Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of Staraya Russa | |
  Staraya Russa Location of Staraya Russa Show map of Russia Staraya Russa Staraya Russa (Novgorod Oblast) Show map of Novgorod Oblast | |
| Coordinates:58°00′N31°20′E / 58.000°N 31.333°E /58.000; 31.333 | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Novgorod Oblast[2] |
| First mentioned | 1167[3] |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 31,809 |
• Estimate (2021) | 27,487 (−13.6%) |
| • Subordinated to | town of oblast significance of Staraya Russa[2] |
| • Capital of | town of oblast significance of Staraya Russa,[2] Starorussky District[2] |
| • Municipal district | Starorussky Municipal District[5] |
| • Urban settlement | Staraya Russa Urban Settlement[5] |
| • Capital of | Starorussky Municipal District,[6] Staraya Russa Urban Settlement[5] |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK  [7]) |
| Postal code[8] | 175200–175207 |
| Dialing code | +7 81652[9] |
| OKTMO ID | 49639101001 |
| Website | admgorod |
Staraya Russa (Russian:Старая Русса,IPA:[ˈstarəjəˈrusːə]) is atown inNovgorod Oblast,Russia, located on thePolist River, 99 kilometers (62 mi) south ofVeliky Novgorod, theadministrative center of theoblast. Its population has steadily decreased over the past years, going from 41,538 recorded in the1989 Census[10] to 35,511 in the2002 Census[11] to 31,809 in the2010 Census.[4]
The origin of the name of Staraya Russa is unclear. The most involved and widespread hypothesis was presented by philologists and linguists R. A. Akheyeva, V. L. Vasilyev, and M.V. Gorbanevsky. According to this hypothesis,Russa (likeRussia) comes from theRus'—a people who settled in the vicinity to control trade routes leading fromNovgorod toPolotsk andKiev—which, in turn, is usually thought to originate from anOld Norse term for "the men who row" (rods-) as rowing was the main method of navigating the rivers of Eastern Europe, and that it could be linked to the Swedish coastal area ofRoslagen (the rowing crews) orRoden, as it was known in earlier times.[12][13]
Staraya is Russian for "Old" and was added to the name of the settlement around the 15th century to distinguish it from other settlements calledRussa.[14]Staraya Russa is therefore sometimes literally translated as "Old Russia".[14]
Thought to have originated in the mid-10th century, it was first mentioned asRusa (Russian:Руса) in chronicles for the year 1167[3] as one of three main towns of theNovgorod Republic, alongsidePskov andLadoga. After Pskov became independent, Russa became the second most important town and trade center of the Novgorod Republic afterNovgorod itself.[citation needed] By the end of the 15th century, it contained about one thousand homesteads.Brine springs made the saltworks the principal business activity in the town, which was the biggest center of salt industry in the Novgorod region.[15]
The wooden fortifications of Russa burned to ashes in 1190 and then in 1194, after which they were replaced by the stone fortress. In 1478, it was incorporated into theGrand Duchy of Moscow together with Novgorod. The word Staraya (Old) was prefixed to the name in the 15th century, to distinguish it from newer settlements called Russa. Nevertheless, the current name firmly established only in the 19th century, when the salt mining settlements around the town became collectively known as Novaya Russa (New Russa).[16]
WhenIvan the Terrible ascended the throne in 1533, Staraya Russa was a populous town. During theTime of Troubles, it was held by Polish brigands and heavily depopulated. Only 38 people lived there in 1613.
In the course of theadministrative reform carried out in 1708 byPeter the Great, Staraya Russa was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 asSt. Petersburg Governorate). In 1727, separateNovgorod Governorate was split off. In 1776, Staraya Russa became the seat ofStarorussky Uyezd ofNovgorod Viceroyalty. In 1796, the viceroyalty was transformed into Novgorod Governorate.Catherine II appointed German mineralogy expertFranz Ludwig von Cancrin as director of the salt-works in 1783.
In the 1820s,military settlements were organized in Staraya Russa and around, in accordance with the project designed byAleksey Arakcheyev, an influential statesman. It was inconvenient to have both civil and military administration in Staraya Russa, and therefore theuyezd was abolished in 1824. The town of Staraya Russa and some adjacent territories were directly subordinated to the Defense Ministry. The military settlements were proven inefficient, in particular, in 1831, the area participated in theCholera Riots.[clarification needed] They were abolished in 1856. In 1857, Starorussky Uyezd was re-established.[17]
Soviet authority in Staraya Russa was established on November 5(18), 1917.
In August 1927, the uyezds were abolished and, effective October 1, 1927, Starorussky District was established, with theadministrative center in Staraya Russa.[18] Novgorod Governorate was abolished as well and the district became a part ofNovgorod Okrug ofLeningrad Oblast.[18] On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast.[18]
On September 19, 1939, Staraya Russa was elevated in status to that of a town of oblast significance and thus ceased to be a part of the district.[19]
The town was occupied by theGermans between August 9, 1941 and February 18, 1944. The Germans operated the Dulag 110prisoner-of-war camp in the town.[20] Totally destroyed during the war, it was later restored.
On July 5, 1944, Staraya Russa was transferred to newly established Novgorod Oblast and remained there ever since.[19]
Within theframework of administrative divisions, Staraya Russa serves as theadministrative center ofStarorussky District, even though it is not a part of it.[2] As an administrative division, it is, together with two rural localities, incorporated separately as theTown of oblast significance of Staraya Russa—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of thedistricts (one of the three in Novgorod Oblast).[2] As amunicipal division, the town of oblast significance of Staraya Russa is incorporated within Starorussky Municipal District asStaraya Russa Urban Settlement.[5]
| Climate data for Staraya Russa (extremes 1936–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) | 10.9 (51.6) | 18.3 (64.9) | 26.4 (79.5) | 32.6 (90.7) | 34.2 (93.6) | 35.4 (95.7) | 36.4 (97.5) | 31.2 (88.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 13.6 (56.5) | 12.2 (54.0) | 36.4 (97.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) | −2.4 (27.7) | 3.2 (37.8) | 11.3 (52.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 23.9 (75.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 16.4 (61.5) | 9.1 (48.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | 10.1 (50.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.4 (22.3) | −5.6 (21.9) | −0.9 (30.4) | 6.1 (43.0) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 11.5 (52.7) | 5.7 (42.3) | 0.2 (32.4) | −3.3 (26.1) | 6.0 (42.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.3 (17.1) | −8.9 (16.0) | −4.7 (23.5) | 1.4 (34.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 2.7 (36.9) | −2.0 (28.4) | −5.8 (21.6) | 2.0 (35.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.5 (−42.7) | −40.1 (−40.2) | −31.1 (−24.0) | −26.5 (−15.7) | −5.5 (22.1) | −1.3 (29.7) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.3 (32.5) | −6.0 (21.2) | −13.2 (8.2) | −27.5 (−17.5) | −40.6 (−41.1) | −41.5 (−42.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 44.5 (1.75) | 35.6 (1.40) | 32.0 (1.26) | 40.0 (1.57) | 60.2 (2.37) | 74.0 (2.91) | 78.9 (3.11) | 75.0 (2.95) | 53.9 (2.12) | 61.8 (2.43) | 56.4 (2.22) | 45.1 (1.78) | 657.4 (25.87) |
| Source: pogoda.ru.net[21] | |||||||||||||
Historical population | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Censuses[22][23][24][25] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The biggest enterprise in Staraya Russa is the aircraft repair works. The mechanical engineering plant went bankrupt in 2011 and no longer exists.[26]
A railway which connectsBologoye andPskov passes through Staraya Russa.
Staraya Russa is connected by roads with Novgorod, Demyansk, andBezhanitsy viaKholm. There are also local roads.
There is awharf on thePolist River in theLake Ilmenbasin. The Polist is navigable downstream from Staraya Russa.
The town is served by theStaraya Russa Airport.
Staraya Russa is aspa. A summer residence of the Russian novelistFyodor Dostoyevsky, who wrote his novelsThe Brothers Karamazov andDemons there, is open to visitors as a museum.
Monuments include theTransfiguration Monastery, which includes a cathedral built in seventy days in 1198 and partly rebuilt in the 15th century, and several 17th-century buildings and churches. The principal city cathedral (1678) is dedicated to theResurrection ofChrist. Other notable churches are consecrated toSt. George (1410) (the Dostoyevsky family stayed in the house of the priest of this church[27]), Mina the Martyr (14th century), and theHoly Trinity (1676).
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