The dictionary considers the origin of about 1000 names of settlements mentioned in Russian chronicles during the Old Russian era (IX-XVII centuries) and located on the territory of the northern and eastern lands of Russia (i.e. within the European part of modern Russia): Novgorod-Pskov, Vladimir-Suzdal lands, Tver, Smolensk, Ryazan and eastern regions of the Chernihiv principality, adjacent to Russia territories of the Volga region, Podonya and the North Caucasus. The sources of the study were ancient Russian annals published in the multi-volume "Complete Collection of Russian Annals" and a number of separate publications.