Lovat River
The Lovat River was a part of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, one of the oldest trading routes passing through Rus'. Staraya Russa was first mentioned in the 1167 chronicle as Rusa. The area belonged to the Novgorod Republic. After the fall of Novgorod in 1483, it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Between 1611 and 1615, during the Ingrian War, it was occupied by Swedish troops.