Sterlitamak is a city in the Republic of Bashkortostan, located on the banks of the Belaya River. The city begins its history in 1766, when the Ashkadar salt pier was built here. Later, the marina was renamed Sterlitamak.
In the same year, the story of the coat of arms of Sterlitamak begins. What was she like?
The first coat of arms of the settlement
In 1781, Ufa governorship was formed. It consists of the Ufa and Orenburg regions. It was in the Ufa region that the city of Sterlitamak entered, which in 1782, on the orders of Catherine II, was assigned the official symbol. The first coat of arms of Sterlitamak, whose photo you see in the article, was created by adviser A.A. Volkov. The shield, divided into two equal parts, depicted a marten at the top running along a silver field (this symbol was the emblem of Ufa at that time).
On the lower half of the shield were three geese of silver color against a blue background. Until the renaming of Ufa governorship in the Orenburg province (that is, until 1796), this image was the official symbol of Sterlitamak.
Coat of arms of Sterlitamak: the story continues
For a long time, Sterlitamak became a small county town in the Orenburg province. Not only his status, but also the coat of arms underwent a change. The new approved shield had a solemn gold background. It was divided in half by a horizontal wavy line of blue color. This line was a symbol of the Sterl River. In the upper part of the coat of arms was the symbol of the Russian Empire - a two-headed eagle. It is visible only to the middle of the body. Three swans, the former symbols of the settlement, “swim” on the bottom of the shield. By the way, birds appeared on the coat of arms as a sign of their abundance in this area.
In 1865, the city again passed into the possession of the Ufa province. His official sign changes again. History turned back - a decision was made to return to the previous image on the shield of the marten and three geese. In this form, the coat of arms of Sterlitamak lasted until 1917.
The symbol of the city in Soviet times
In its traditional form, the symbol of Sterlitamak lasted during the Soviet era. True, there were attempts to change it, but they did not end there. The most popular sketches of the coat of arms at that time are known by the icons on souvenirs.
The first option - the golden field is crossed by a slightly darker golden line, on which the name of the city is written in black. A gear is depicted on both sides of the line: the top is red and without notches, and the bottom is azure, with golden notches. At the very bottom of the shield is a mountain of azure color and golden silhouettes of plants.
The second option - the golden field of the shield contains a black line at the bottom. It symbolizes oil. From the bottom line upward gold pipes rush, then four apparatus. The composition is crowned by a golden gear filled with azure from the inside.
The coat of arms of Sterlitamak, the description of which you read above, was to symbolize the industrialization of the Soviet era, the construction of factories, the development of the chemical and oil industries, and mechanical engineering. But still they decided not to change the traditional image.
July-October 2006
On July 18, 2006, the City Council decided to change the symbolism of the settlement. The pre-existing coat of arms of Sterlitamak is being updated. In the lower blue field of the shield are three swimming geese of silver color. Their silhouettes are framed by gilded lines. The marten of brown (natural) color is depicted in the upper field of silver color. These fields on the shield disconnect three curved azure lines. This version of the symbol lasted in official status for only a few months. On the recommendation of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation, it was canceled on November 1, 2006. At the same time, the new coat of arms of Sterlitamak was approved. The symbol of the Ufa governorship - the marten - is removed from it.
The current symbol of the city
For 225 years, the main symbols of the city remain recognizable. It's about proud birds - geese.
The coat of arms is a symbol of a developing city, residents are proud of it. In the bright azure field of the shield with a low intersection in the form of four wavy lines of silver color, three silver geese swim, their beaks are scarlet - this is what the coat of arms of Sterlitamak looks like today. What does this symbol mean?
Three geese are associated with the high relevance of environmental protection, because today Sterlitamak is the industrial center of Bashkortostan.
The color of geese is a symbol of faith and nobility, spirituality and purity, sincerity of the inhabitants of the settlement on five rivers. The coat of arms field is filled with azure color for a reason, it is a symbol of the greatness of the city, its beauty. It also means the desire of residents to maintain its environmental friendliness, which in our time is becoming so difficult to do. The color of the beaks of the sedate birds - the scarlet - indicates generosity, courage and courage of the townspeople. A wide silver belt symbolizes the abundance of water and rivers in Sterlitamak.
Coat of arms with a festive decoration
The coat of arms with a festive decoration is not always used, but it is necessary to know how it looks. The shield is framed by a wreath of oak branches in gold color. The wreath is woven in the style of a Bashkir folk ornament. There is a blue ribbon on the wreath. The name of the city “Sterlitamak” is written on it in white letters. A crown in the form of a kurai flower crowns a coat of arms from above. Image approved November 1, 2006. The emblem with the frame was adopted on November 13, 2007. The day of the coat of arms of the city is scheduled for June 8 of each year.
Currently, the emblem of the city is of considerable importance in the process of educating young people in a patriotic spirit, in maintaining the image of Sterlitamak and in shaping the worldview of its inhabitants.