In the small town of Staraya Russa in Novgorod Oblast legends and stories have become intertwined with real history, helping to immerse inhabitants and visitors into an atmosphere of years past. There was a time when Staraya Russa received great attention from rulers such as Ivan the Terrible and Peter the First however nowadays much of the town’s fame is due to one author. It was in this town that Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote one of his famed classics and where tourists can visit a museum in his name. There the House on the Embankment has become known as the place where Dostoyevsky lived between 1872 and 1880 while working on his novel The Brothers Karmazov. Staraya Russa is also recognised for the Starorussky Resort with its natural salt-water mineral springs which shoot up to ten metres in height in some places. RTG TV’s Olga Degtyareva spent a few fantastic days in this diverse town and tells us about the history and industries of this modern city.