The first documentary attestation of the settlement was made in 1584. Turkish registers mention it as Kizil-insarlic; subsequently, the locality appears with the name: Islawa, Slawa or Slava. In 1819, a Russian map mentions for the first time two localities: Star Slava (nowadays Slava Rusă) and Noia Slava (nowadays Slava Cercheză).

The settlement was populated by Russians emigrated after the Russian Church schism in 1658. They were named filipovţi, filipoveni and finally lipoveni (Lipovans), following their leader’s name, the abbot Filip. First attestation of Lipovans presence in the area was dates from 1754. After the Independence War (1877-1878), Romanians were colonized in Slava Rusă, many of them having their origin in Oltenia.

Slava Rusă is the centre of the old rite orthodox religion. This fact is demonstrated by the presence of two Lipovan churches, Sf. Nicolae and Acoperământul Maicii Domnului, and two monasteries. Uspenia, 3 km south-west from the village, is a monks’ monastery. Vovidenia, at the south-eastern limit of the village, is a nuns’ monastery.

At the western limit of the locality, one of the most impressive defensive complexes in Roman Dobrudja, consisting of the town/citadel Ibida, 24 ha surface, which “blocks” Slava’s Valley, the fortress – annex and the fort, these two last built opn the Harada Hill.

The proper citadel was built in the tetrarchy period (end of III A.D. – beginning of IV A.D.). It was rebuilt in time of Justinianus and functioned until the beginning of VII century when it was left by the Roman-Byzantine authorities, in a well known historical context, Slaves invasion. Between the revealed historical monuments, we mention a Palaeo-Christian basilica, dated from VI A.D., situated in the centre of the town/citadel, the West gate ensemble, the Palaeo-Christian monastic complex which was functional in IV-VII A.D., 2 km west from the citadel and a Roman-Byzantine family vault, at 1.5 km west from the citadel.

The area situated at west and north from the citadel was inhabited from the oldest times. Vestiges and archaeological traces from middle Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman epoch, Roman-Byzantine epoch and Early Middle Age have been revealed. A Getic settlement lies at 2.5 km east from the citadel.