After the "Victory Day" on May 9th, the city's birthday is the second biggest holiday for Staryj Oskol and is celebrated accordingly. Mayor Frank Klingebiel sent a message of congratulations to his counterpart Alexander Sergienko on behalf of all Salzgitter residents.

Founded in 1593, the city is located around 700 kilometers south of the Russian capital Moscow and around 500 kilometers north of the Black Sea on the world's largest iron ore deposits. Today, over 200,000 people live there.

The town's coat of arms shows a shield divided diagonally from top right to bottom left. In the upper part, on a red background, a rifle is depicted. At the bottom, on a green background, is a golden plow. In the upper left part of the coat of arms is the coat of arms of the Belgorod region with a bird of prey and a lion. The shield is crowned by a golden tower crown with five visible battlements. This coat of arms has only been officially used again since 2008. None other than Empress Catherine II approved the coat of arms in 1780. Originally founded as a bulwark against the Crimean Tatars, Staryj Oskol concentrated on agriculture and livestock farming in times of peace. The coat of arms therefore reflects the peace-loving farming population on the one hand, but also the defensive nature of the inhabitants on the other.