Staraya Russa (Russian:Старая Русса;IPA:[ˈstarəjə ˈrusə]) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist River, 99 kilometers (62mi) south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over the past years, going from41,538 recorded in the **** Census to35,511 in the 2002 Census to31,809 in the 2010 Census.