Using ancient and modern geographical names as a kind of “time machine”, the co-authors of the book, a Moscow linguist and an Old Russian local historian - an honorary citizen of Staraya Russa, show how the names of streets, squares, alleys and embankments, historical areas of Staraya Russa reflected various facts of the biography of the city, the Staraya Russa region and our country. Readers of the book are exposed to some pages (sometimes unexpected and contradictory) of Russian culture and native language, geography and literature, but first of all - the bright pages of the history of Staraya Russa; city-museum, city-resort, city-warrior, city-worker, city F.M. Dostoevsky. A group of local historians, tour guides, museum employees, journalists, teachers, artists of Staraya Russa, as well as activists of the Staraya Russa community in other cities and towns took part in collecting material for the book; the most significant contribution was made by V.V. Bulynin, E.G. Denisova, V.A. Egorov, E.S. Efimkina, N.M. Efremov, T.I. Efremova, V.V. Krasilnikov, N.A. Kuznetsova. L.N. Litvinova, V.O. Maksimov and M.Yu. Simonov. The publication is addressed to a wide range of readers, as well as students and teachers of schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, colleges and universities, guests of Staraya Russa.