STARY OSKOL

also spelled Starij Oskol, or Staryi Oskol, city and centre of Stary Oskol rayon (sector), Belgorod oblast (province), Russia. It lies along the Oskol River. It was founded as a fortress called Oskol in 1593 for the defense against Crimean Tatars and was named Stary (Old) Oskol in 1655. Machinery and food industries reflect the city's mineral and agricultural hinterland. One of the largest cement plants in central Russia has been constructed at Stary Oskol. The city is also the site of a major iron and steel complex. Iron-ore deposits of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly lie just southwest of the city. There is a geologic college and a medical school. Pop. (1989 prelim.) 174,000.