Staraya Russa

Staraya Russa is one of the oldest cities in Russia, founded in the tenth century as one of the principal cities of the then-powerful and wealthy trading nation of the Novgorod Republic. It gained greatly in prestige with the establishment of the Monastery of the Transfiguration in the twelfth century. Its salt works made it the regional leader in salt and brine production, driving its economy, and leading to the growth of the town to nearly 5,000 inhabitants by the fifteenth century, when it was incorporated along with Novgorod into the Princedom of Muscovy.

Owing to its northwestern location, Staraya Russa has seen many battles. Well after its wooden walls had been burnt down and later replaced by stone fortifications, the town fought bloody battles against Swedish invaders for centuries, but the most devastating years of its history would come after the reign of Ivan the Terrible, during the Russian "Time of Troubles" in the early 17th century. Until the establishment of the Romanov Dynasty, the surrounding area was under the control of armed gangs and brigands, and the once-important city dwindled to a mere 38 people. Over time Staraya Russa recovered, but its fate as a town on the invasion route would come back to haunt it one last time in the twentieth century, when Hitler's forces invaded during World War II and virtually levelled the historic town.

Despite the destruction throughout the years, though, many old wooden houses (including the Dostoevsky residence) and several important churches remain intact, and other institutions, like the balneologic resort, have been rebuilt. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the town's population is shrinking (along with the rest of rural Russia), and feels a sleepy backwater—actually, a great change of pace for travellers who have been spending most of their time in Saint Petersburg or Moscow. The residential areas near the rivers are quite peaceful, the locals are friendly and laid-back, and there is a lot to see with all the Dostoevsky sights. Better still, despite the Dostoevsky connection, the place is pretty much devoid of any international travellers outside of the high tourist season in summer, so you'll have the place to yourself.

Transport connections to Staraya Russa are somewhat limited. The city is best visited as a side trip from Novgorod, or as a detour/stopover on the way from Moscow (or Valday) to Pskov or Novgorod.

While it is not a tiny town, it's still possible to get around everywhere via walking. Hailing a "cab" is a good way to speed things up if, say, you want to get back quickly to the bus back to Novgorod. A taxi from Dostoevsky's House-Museum would run only about 50 руб. From the train/bus station, you can take buses 1, 4, 6, or 11 to the centre, but given how slow the buses run, it's probably quicker to walk.

If you are spending just a half day in town, focus on the main Dostoevsky sights—above all the house museum, with a stop by St. George church and a stroll along the river—and pay the Monastery of the Transfiguration a visit. If you have a bit more time, perhaps take a tour through the Cultural Centre, and consider wandering over towards the Balneologic Resort to acquaint yourself with the very Russian/Soviet tradition of mineral water sanitoria. If the weather is OK, Staraya Russa is also just a really nice place to walk around. If you aim to simply walk by the various churches, you could spend several hours on a nice amble about the town.

• 🌍 Dostoevsky Cultural Centre (Научно-культурный центр Ф.М.Достоевского), nab. Dostoevskovo, 8, ☏ +7 816 52 37-285. Tu-F Su 10:00-18:00. This neat little neoclassical building has small temporary exhibits on the life and works of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, but the main reason to come is if you are interested in having a local guide take you around the town's literary sites (in Russian). 70 руб ; tours: c. 300 руб. 
• 🌍 Dostoevsky's House Museum (Дом-музей Ф.М.Достоевского), nab. Dostoevskovo, 42/2, ☏ +7 816 52 51-477. 10:00-18:00 daily. The Dostoevsky family spent their summers in the healthy country climate of Staraya Russa from 1872 through 1914—well past the writer's death in 1881. His time here saw some of his most prolific work, most importantly his masterpiece The Brothers Karamazov. The large, green, wooden dacha on the riverbank is today a carefully curated shrine to the great nineteenth century writer, having survived the revolutions and wars of the twentieth century unscathed. The first floor hosts exhibits, while the second floor is arranged and recreated in the same way as the Dostoevsky family kept it. 70 руб. 
• 🌍 Grushenka's House (Дом Грушеньки), nab. Glebova, 25. Grushenka's house, as depicted in The Brothers Karamazov, was based on this pretty 1850s-era house. Privately owned. 
• 🌍 Living Bridge (Живой мост) (across the Polist River). If you hear locals talking about "the living bridge", don't expect anything too necromantic — the name is a holdover from the bridge's earlier incarnation as a pontoon bridge with a lively "sway." 
• 🌍 Museum of the Northwest Front (Музей северо-западного фронта), ul. Volodarskovo, 25, ☏ +7 816 52 35-285. M W-F 10:00-18:00, Su 09:00-17:00. A modest military history museum with exhibits on the history of the Russian Northwest Front during World War II. 70 руб. 

• 🌍 Staraya Russa Balneologic Resort (Курорт Старая Русса), ul. Mineral'naya (ул. Минеральная), 62, ☏ +7 816 5231603. Muravyovsky Fountain 'gives' water strictly on schedule 07:00-09:00, 11:30-14:30, 18:00-19:30. While today foreigners come to Staraya Russa because of Dostoevsky, and Dostoevsky alone, the town was for hundreds of years known for its balneologic resort, where ailing Russians would come and avail themselves of the mineral water and mud treatments. The buildings and sculptures throughout the park are for the most part pretty unremarkable, whereas the so-called Muravyovsky Fountain merits a visit. This big fountain at the centre of the complex is built atop a natural mineral water spring, and for most of its history was covered by a rather marvellous metal pavilion, with covered galleries, adorned with wooden carvings, running from the fountain to the hotel and to the wooden theatre. The complex was almost completely destroyed in World War II. In the early 1980s, the government made a half-hearted attempt to erect a new metal dome over the fountain, but the salt in the air corroded the metal and quickly brought it down. Today, the fountain is a shell of its once majestic stature—even the flow has been reduced to reduce salt water damage to nearby trees. But you can still sample its waters from the Drinking Pavilion behind it—chilled or hot like it came out of the ground. 

• 🌍 Book Store (Магазин «Книга»), ul. Lenina (ул. Ленина), 6, ☏ +7 816 5237705. M-F 09:00-18:00, Sa Su 09:00-17:00, lunch break 14:00-15:00. A small, handy bookstore selling local road maps. 

• 🌍 Pishi, Chitay (Read & Write) Bookstore (Магазин «Пиши, читай»), ul. Engel'sa (ул. Энгельса), 3, ☏ +7 816 5251755. M-F 09:30-18:30, Sa Su 09:30-16:00, lunch break 14:00-15:00. Another bookstore with the same scope. 
• 🌍 Korobeynyk Shop (магазин «Коробейник»), ul. Mineral'naya (ул. Минеральная), 61 (near Staraya Russa Balneologic Resort). Souvenirs. 

There are several cheap cafés/cafeterias in the town, none of which are terribly tasty, but all of which will fill you up in a pinch. The best restaurant in town is inside Hotel Polist, and is actually quite a good option, with large portions of good Russian food at provincial prices (mains will run 250-400 руб). Outside the hotel, Café Il'men' is the local favourite, and is not a bad choice of watering hole.

In general, the best bar in town is either a public park or a stroll along the river. But if you are cold or otherwise want to drink in greater luxury, head over to the lobby bar at the hotel or to Cafe Il'men'.

• 🌍 Hotel Polist (Гостиница «Полисть»), ul. Engelsa, 20, ☏ +7 816 52 37-547, fax: +7 816 52 37-894, polist@mail.ru. Having undergone a full renovation, Hotel Polist is no longer a place to be avoided, and visitors now can overnight here without worrying about their comfort. The hotel has become a fine three-star provincial hotel, with what is the town's best restaurant. Breakfast included. 1800-3400 руб, single 1400 руб. 
• 🌍 Staraya Russa (Курорт «Старая Русса»), ul. Mineral'naya, 62 (Near to the entrance of the Resort), ☏ +7 816 524-10-41. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Quite good option to stay. It's possible to get a room with full board. 2800 руб (breakfast included), single 1400 руб. 
• 🌍 Hotel "Vis-à-vis" (Отель «Визави»), ul. Mineral'naya (ул. Минеральная), 59а (near the entrance of the resort), ☏ +7 816 5232777, +7 911 6284454. Double 2000-2400 руб. 

Besides of these 2 options there are lots of offers from Staraya Russa's citizens who are willing to let their flats (500-1000 руб). Look for such advertisements in Internet or ask for this once arrived.

Staraya Russa is the one real off-the-beaten-path gem anywhere nearby, so the next stop should likely be to a bigger destination like Pskov to the west, Novgorod to the north (Novgorod is a can't miss and should definitely be paired with any trip to Staraya Russa, if you haven't already been), or even Valday to the east. By way of contrast, going south brings you to an even more secluded, very hard-to-reach, but still tempting sight of Rdeisky Nature Reserve, a huge bog with a nice lake and a dilapidated monastery in the middle.