Annotation: The name Svetlana has a fascinating cultural history: it was not included in church calendars nor found in Old Russian literary monuments, yet it became part of the Russian onomasticon thanks to Vasily Zhukovsky's famous ballad. Elena Dushechkina traces its journey from the classical poetic text of the early 19th century to its incredible popularity in Soviet times, when it unexpectedly became one of the new names with an "ideological resonance." After detailing the history of the creation of Zhukovsky's ballad and the literary fate of its central image, the author turns to the history of the name Svetlana in the 20th century, drawing on extensive material, including anthroponymic research and interviews with women who bear the name. Elena Dushechkina (1941–2020) was a Doctor of Philology, a professor at Saint Petersburg University, and a specialist in Russian literature and culture.