river port and capital of the Staraya Russa rayon (sector), Novgorod oblast (province), northwestern Russia, on the Polist River. It is one of the oldest settlements by Lake Ilmen, having been mentioned in documents as early as 1167. Its mineral springs made it an important spa town in the 19th century, and the mineral baths were reconstructed after World War II. The city has wood-processing, chemical, machine-building, and textile industries. Pop. (1991 est.) 41,700.