Early history

The territories around Tokmak have been inhabited since the Neolithic era. This is evidenced by the excavations of settlements and burial mounds near the town, where burials dating from the Bronze Age were found. There have also been excavations indicating the presence of the Scythians (4th century BC), Sarmatians (3rd-2nd centuries BC), and of nomads (10th-12th centuries BC).

From the archival documents of the Zaporizhian Sich (mid-18th century), it is known that there were seasonal deployments of the Cossack kurins along the Tokmak river where they engaged in fishing and hunting. They were adjacent to the seasonal sheep-breeding camps of the Crimean Tatars and Armenians, and the nomad camps of the Nogais, which sometimes led to conflicts and legal complaints from both sides.

Founding

The official year of the foundation of Tokmak is 1784, which coincides with the conquest of the Crimea and the formation of the Taurida Oblast. Intensive settlement of the region began after 1791, the end of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792), when several families, who were descendants of Zaporozhian Cossacks, and state serfs from the area of Poltava settled on the banks of the Tokmak River. Facilitated by the trade route, the Old Chumatsky Road, that passed through the area, the settlement grew. The village was named Velykyi Tokmak, or Bolshoi Tokmak (both "Great Tokmak").

Russian Empire

In 1796, Tokmak was appointed the center of the Melitopolsky Uyezd (Melitopol District) of the Taurida Oblast. In 1797, the Melitopol Uyezd was included in the Mariupol uezd of the Novorossiya Governorate, the center of which again became Tokmak. In 1801, the center of the Uyezd was moved to Orikhiv, and Tokmak remained the center of the Velykyi Tokmak Volost. Sloboda of Novoalexandrovka, which became the town of Melitopol in 1842, was also part of the Bolshoi Tokmak Volost in 1814–1829.^[4]

In the summer of 1842, a strong fire broke out in the city of Orikhiv, and the administrative offices were again transferred to Velykyi Tokmak. In the same year, the Berdyansky Uyezd was created and both Tokmak (which became a provincial town) and Orikhiv were included with the new Uyezd.

During the Crimean War, Velykyi Tokmak temporarily became the center of the Berdyansky Uyezd. Between 1854 and 1856, a military hospital was located in the village. 281 soldiers who died of wounds and diseases were buried in Tokmak.^[5]

In 1861, the settlement was granted the status of a small town and became part of the Berdyan district of the Tavrya province. The inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, trade, and artisanry. The goods were sold during the spring (May 9) and autumn (October 1) fairs, which included merchants from places such as Moscow, Kursk, and Berdyansk.

Velikiy Tokmak railway station

By the beginning of the 20th century, there were about one thousand workers at nine Tokmak enterprises. The largest of them were factories for the production of agricultural machinery. These factories were founded in 1882 by I. I. Fuchs and in 1885 by I. V. Kleiner.

Further economic development was facilitated by the construction of a railway line connecting the town with the Pryshyb Station on the Kharkiv–Sevastopol line. On the eve of the First World War, local manufacturers and merchants built the railway line between Tsarekostyantynivka (Komysh-Zoria) and Fedorivka station (Novobohdanivka), and the Velikiy Tokmak station on it, which further contributed to the growth of trade and the development of the city.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Tokmak was one of the largest settlements in Northern Tavria. A branch of the Azov-Don Commercial Bank contributed to the development of the local economy. The company "Triumph" began to produce gasoline engines. Berger and Zagorelin, machine-building and iron-foundry factories, began operations around this time as well. Despite this modest industrialization, the majority of the population was still working the land. At that time, there was a small printing house, two photographic studios, a hospital with 15 beds, and 5 elementary schools in Tokmak.

Soviet era

In 1917, the publication of the local newspaper "News of the Bolshoi Tokmak Council of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies" began.^[6] In 1918, the Soviets established control of the town.

From March 23, 1921 to December 1, 1922, the town of Velykyi Tokmak served as the administrative center of the Veliky Tokmak Povit. The resolution of the All-Ukrainian Committee of March 7, 1923, created the Velykyi Tokmak Raion with its administrative center in the town of Velykyi Tokmak.^[7] In those years, the military commissar in Tokmak was Sydir Kovpak.

In addition to the formation of administrative authorities, attention was paid in particular to industry and education. A library was opened on the premises of the party committee and the executive committee of the council. The executive committee also organized classes in order to eliminate illiteracy. Professionals of various types were educated at mechanical technical school, a nursing school, and a collective farming administration school. There were 8 clubs, 2 cinemas, and 13 general education schools. An infectious disease department and 2 pharmacies also began operating.

From 1923 to 1927, the factory "Red Progress" produced a serial three-wheeled tractor known as the "Zaporozhets".^[8] For the original design and its high productivity, the factory staff were awarded a state diploma of the 1st degree. "Red Progress" was the first state factory of agricultural machinery. In the 1930s, the plant produced 75% of the low-power diesel engines in the USSR. Oleksandr Ivchenko began his work in here in the "Red Progress" factory.

On October 7, 1941, during the German invasion of the USSR, Soviet troops retreated from Tokmak. ^[9][10]

During the Nazi occupation of 1941-1943, two partisan units operated in the area: A Soviet partisan unit led by V.G. Akulov and I.K. Shchava. And an underground partisan group organized by G.F. Burkut, V.V. Veretennikov and V. O. Fedyushin. On September 20, 1943, the city was liberated during the Donbass operation by the Soviet troops of the Southern Front (Soviet Union): the 2nd Guards Army, the 4th Guards Motor Rifle Division, and the 4th Guards Cavalry Corps.^[10]

On December 30, 1962, Velikiy Tokmak was renamed Tokmak and received the status of a city of regional significance.^[11]

Independent Ukraine

On September 5, 2002, the city of Tokmak was divided into 8 microdistricts: "Korolenko", "Kalininsky", "Livy Bereh" (English: "Left Bank"), "Ryzhok", "Zaliznychny", "Akhramiivka", "Kovalsky", "Tsentralʹny" (English: "Central").

On May 19, 2016, the Zaporizhia Regional State Administration issued Order No. 275 which renamed five streets in the city of Tokmak:

• Shchorsa Street became Zaliznychna Street. (Zaliznychna meaning railroad.)
• Volodarsky Street became Vasyl Vyshyvanyi Street.
• Zhovtneva Street became Heroes of Ukraine Street.
• Proletarska Street became Victory Street.
• Revolution Street became Central Street. ^[12]

On June 12, 2020, in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine's Order No. 713-R, "On the determination of administrative centers and approval of the territories of territorial communities of Zaporizhzhya Oblast", the city acquired the status of administrative center of the Tokmak urban hromada. On July 17, 2020, Tokmak Raion was dissolved and Tokmak became part of Polohy Raion.^[13]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

On February 26, 2022, Russian tanks broke into the territory of the Tokmak urban community despite the resistance of Ukrainian defenders. During the night of February 27 and the early morning of February 28th, Russian forces attacked the city.^[14] Russian saboteurs, who were part of sabotage and reconnaissance groups on the territory of Ukraine and had previously stolen the military uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from one of the military depots, entered into battle with the Ukrainian military.^[15] According to a report of the Zaporizhzhia State Administration, as a result of the confrontation, the enemy lost a large number of personnel and retreated to the southern outskirts of the city of Tokmak.^[16]

On March 2, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the city was captured by Russian troops.^[2] Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Kharlov disputed this claim as he reported that the situation in the city was extremely difficult as Russian troops have surrounded the city, but the city was nonetheless still under the control of Ukrainian authorities. Deputy Mayor Kharlov also reported that there were military casualties on both sides along with civilian casualties during the battle which saw the use of tanks, artillery, and other weapons. The Deputy Mayor added that the city authorities were not working with the Russian forces nor contacting them.^[17] On March 4, Mayor Ihor Kotelevskyi announced that the city authorities were continuing to work on the restoration of power to the city and that an agreement had been made with the Russian armed forces to establish humanitarian corridors.^[18] By March 7, Tokmak was captured by Russian forces.^[19] Citizens repeatedly went to rallies against the occupation of the Russian military throughout the rest of March.^[20][21]

On April 3, 2022, it was reported that the Russian military intended to hold a "referendum" in the city of Tokmak. The leaders of the Zaporizhia Oblast appealed to citizens with a message that the referendum would not be legal.^[22]

The war memorial to victims of the Second World War

On April 21, 2022, the Russian singer Yulia Chicherina, while in Tokmak, took part in the lighting of the eternal flame near the memorial to the fallen participants of the Second World War.^[23] On May 7, 2022, news broke of the death of the mayor of Tokmak, Igor Kotelevskyi, who refused to cooperate with occupying Russian forces. The cause of Kotelevsky's death is unknown, but "Ukrinform" noted at the time that, according to the unofficial version, he probably committed suicide. Igor Kotelevsky was first elected Mayor of Tokmak in August 2009.^[24][25][26]

Near the end of June, 2022, there were reports of Russian soldiers dismantling the Tokmak solar power plant and relocating it to Russia. These reports were later disproven.^[27] On July 11, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck a Russian military base in Tokmak. After several hits in the area of the military unit and warehouses, an ammunition storage site was destroyed.^[28]

Starting in early 2023, extensive fortifications have been built by the Russian military in a ring around the city.^[29] The main thrust of the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive has been in the direction of Tokmak.^[30]