This ancient town is the only town in Russia that has preserved the name of the Slavonic tribe of russes in its name. It was first mentioned in chronicles in 1167, and the results of the archeological research let one think that it was founded not later than in the second half of the Xth century. In the beginning of the XIth century it is already a big trading and administrative centre of the southern Ilmen lakeside.

During many centuries the main occupation of the population of Staraya Russa was salt production. Trading was also very important. Here there was the crossroads of the shipping routs that connected the Baltic, Black, and Caspian seas. The great shipping route "from the varangians to the greeks" and the trading route from Kiev to Veliky Novgorod passed here.

The rich town was devastated by invaders many times. It suffered great losses especially from the Swedish. After the Stolbov peace in 1617 there were no inhabitants left in the town, and according to the tsar's edict it was inhabited by the immigrants from other districts.

In the XIXth century "the town of salt-workers" was replaced by "the town-resort". Founded in 1828, Staraya Russa resort is well-known for its curative muds and waters, and due to the fact Staraya Russa became a remarkable cultural centre. Many famous Russian people and even the members of the tsar's family received treatment here. The first theatre in the province opened here in 1866. The leaders of Russian drama theatre - Kommissarzhevskaya, Andreyeva, Savina, Davidova, Orlenev and others - played on its stage. Dobrolyubov, Gorky, Napravnik received treatment here.

Dostoyevsky also received treatment in Staraya Russa. He came here in 1872 for the first time, and since 1873 he lived in the house that later was named after him. In Staraya Russa Dostoyevsky wrote a part of his novel " Demons", the novel "Adolescent", a great part of the novel "The Karamazov Brothers", some parts of the "Writer's journal" and the famous speech devoted to the grand opening of the Pushkin monument in Moscow. Since 1981 international readings "Dostoyevsky and the present" are held annualy in May in the Museum, and since 1997 in November - international festival of chamber performances based on Dostoyevsky works takes place.

The ancient land of Staraya Russa is homeland of writer and scientist Glinka, painter Svarog (Kurochkin), famous landscape painter Ushakov, composer Rakhmaninov, sculptor Tomsky.