Tokmak (, ) is a small

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Polohy Raion Polohy Raion () is one of the five raions (districts) of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine. The administrative center of the region is the town of Polohy. Population: On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, the n ...

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast (), commonly referred to as Zaporizhzhia (), is an oblast (region) in south-east Ukraine. Its administrative centre is the city of Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of , and has a population of The oblast is an import ...

, in south-central Ukraine. It stands on the Tokmak River, a tributary of the Molochna. It is the administrative centre of the Tokmak urban hromada, and was the centre of the

Tokmak Raion Tokmak Raion () was one of the raions (districts) of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southern Ukraine between 1923 and 2020. The administrative center of the region was the small city of Tokmak. Before 1962, it was known as Velykyi Tokmak Raion (). The las ...

until that was disestablished in 2020. Its population is approximately Tokmak has been occupied by Russia since early March 2022.

Etymology

The name of the town comes from the Tokmak River. One common theory is that the

hydronym A hydronym (from , , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As a subset of top ...

comes from the Turkish ("mallet, stick, hammer"). An alternative theory is that the name comes from the Turkish ("to pour"). Another possibility is that the name comes from a tribe belonging to the

Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...

or the

Kyrgyz people The Kyrgyz people (also spelled Kyrghyz, Kirgiz, and Kirghiz; or ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia. They primarily reside in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and China. A Kyrgyz diaspora is also found in Russia, Tajik ...

History

Early history

The territories around Tokmak have been inhabited since the

Neolithic era The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

. This is evidenced by the

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

of settlements and

burial mounds A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. ...

near the town, where burials dating from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

were found. There have also been excavations indicating the presence of the

Sarmatians The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

(3rd-2nd centuries BC), the

Scythians The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian peoples, Iranian Eurasian noma ...

(4th century BC), and of older Neolithic

nomads Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, Nomadic pastoralism, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and Merchant, trader nomads. In the twentieth century, ...

(10th-12th centuries BC). From the archival documents of the

Zaporizhian Sich The Zaporozhian Sich (, , ; also ) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of Zaporozhian Cossacks that existed between the 16th to 18th centuries, for the latter part of that period as an autonomous stratocratic state within the Cossa ...

(mid-18th century), it is known that there were seasonal deployments of the Cossack

Kurin Kurin () has two definitions: a military and administrative unit of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, Black Sea Cossack Host, and others; and of a type of housing (see below). In the administrative definition, a kurin usually consisted of a few hundred ...

s along the Tokmak River where they engaged in fishing and hunting. They were adjacent to the seasonal sheep-breeding camps of the

Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars (), or simply Crimeans (), are an Eastern European Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group and nation indigenous to Crimea. Their ethnogenesis lasted thousands of years in Crimea and the northern regions along the coast of the Blac ...

and the

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

, and the nomad camps of the

Nogais The Nogais ( ) are a Kipchaks, Kipchak people who speak a Turkic languages, Turkic language and live in Southeastern Europe, North Caucasus, Volga region, Central Asia and Turkey. Most are found in Northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well ...

, which sometimes led to conflicts and legal complaints from both sides.

Founding

The official year of the foundation of Tokmak was 1784, which coincides with the conquest of Crimea by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

and the formation of the

Taurida Oblast Taurida Oblast () was an administrative-territorial unit (''oblast'') of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of the Crimean Peninsula and parts of the Southern Ukraine regions. It was created out of territories of the Crimean Khan ...

. Intensive settlement of the region began after the end of the

Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) The Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved an unsuccessful attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to the Russian Empire in the course of the previous Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). It took place concomitantly with the Austro-T ...

, when several families descended from

Zaporozhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks (in Latin ''Cossacorum Zaporoviensis''), also known as the Zaporozhian Cossack Army or the Zaporozhian Host (), were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids. Along with Registered Cossa ...

and

state serf State peasants (, gosudarstvennye krestiane) were a special social estate (class) of peasantry in 18th–19th century Russia, the number of which in some periods reached half of the agricultural population. In contrast to private serfs, state peasa ...

s from the area of

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

settled on the banks of the Tokmak River. The village was named Velykyi Tokmak, or Bolshoi Tokmak (both "Great Tokmak"). Its rapid growth was facilitated by the existence of a

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over land or water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a singl ...

known as the "Old Chumatsky Road" that passed through the area.

Russian Empire

In 1796, Tokmak was appointed the center of the

Melitopolsky Uyezd Melitopolsky Uyezd (; ) was one of the subdivisions of the Taurida Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the northern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Melitopol. Demographics At the time of the Russian Empi ...

(Melitopol District) of the Taurida Oblast. In 1797, the Melitopol Uyezd was included in the

Mariupol uezd The Mariupol uezd (; ) was one of the subdivisions of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southeastern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Mariupol. Demographics At the time of the Russ ...

of the

Novorossiya Governorate Novorossiya Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1764–1783 and again in 1796–1802. It was created and governed according to the "Plan for the Colonization of New Russia ...

, the center of which again became Tokmak. In 1801, the center of the Uyezd was moved to

Orikhiv Orikhiv (, ; , ) is a city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southern Ukraine. It had an estimated population of as of 1 January 2022. Early in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, many residents were evacuated, with 6,000 remaining by Au ...

, and Tokmak remained the center of the Velykyi Tokmak

Volost Volost (; ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Kievan Rus', the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the Russian Empire. History The '' Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary'' (1890–1907) states that the origins of the concept is unc ...

Sloboda A sloboda was a type of settlement in the history of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The name is derived from the early Slavic word for 'freedom' and may be loosely translated as 'free settlement'.

of Novoalexandrovka, which became the town of Melitopol in 1842, was also part of the Bolshoi Tokmak Volost in 1814–1829. In the summer of 1842, a strong fire broke out in the city of

, and the administrative offices were again transferred to Velykyi Tokmak. In the same year, the

Berdyansky Uyezd Berdyansky Uyezd (; ) was one of the subdivisions of the Taurida Governorate of the Russian Empire. Its administrative centre was Berdiansk. Other populous places in the uyezd were and Tokmak. It was established in 1842. Demographics At the tim ...

was created and both Tokmak (which became a provincial town) and Orikhiv were included with the new Uyezd. During the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

, 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. 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

artisan An artisan (from , ) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, sculpture, clothing, food ite ...

ry. The goods were sold during the spring (9 May) and autumn (1 October)

fairs A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

, which included merchants from places such as

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...

, and

Berdyansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk (, ; , ) is a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Berdiansk Raion. The ...

. 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 (), 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 Kherson Oblast (, ; ), also known as Khersonshchyna (, ), is an oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank of the Dnieper river, which bisects t ...

. 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 In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. Origins of printing The history of printers in publishing in Western Europe dates back to the mid-15th century wit ...

, two

photographic studio A photographic studio is often a business owned and represented by one or more photographers, possibly accompanied by assistants and pupils, who create and sell their own and sometimes others’ photographs. History Since the early years of th ...

s, 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. In 1918, the Soviets established control of the town. From 23 March 1921 to 1 December 1922, the town of Velykyi Tokmak served as the administrative center of the Veliky Tokmak

Povit A povit (), also known as a county, was a type of historical territorial-administrative and judicial unit in Ukraine, administered by a starosta. Under the Russian Empire, the Russian administration introduced the system of uezds which locally ...

. The resolution of the All-Ukrainian Committee of 7 March 1923, created the Velykyi Tokmak Raion with its administrative center in the town of Velykyi Tokmak. 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". 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 Oleksandr Georgiyowych Ivchenko (, , ; born in Tokmak; died 30 June 1968 in Zaporizhzhia) was a Soviet aircraft engine design engineer. Life In 1920 Ivchenko began an apprenticeship in a metal foundry. He later completed his studies at the Ins ...

began his work in here in the "Red Progress" factory. On 7 October 1941, during the German invasion of the USSR, Soviet troops retreated from Tokmak. 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 20 September 1943, the city was liberated during the Donbass operation by the Soviet troops of the

Southern Front (Soviet Union) The Southern Front was a front, a formation about the size of an army group of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The Southern Front directed military operations during the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in 1940 a ...

: the

2nd Guards Army The 2nd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that fought in World War II, most notably at Stalingrad. History The 2nd Guards Army was formed according to the order of the Staff of the Supreme High Command (Stavka) from O ...

, the 4th Guards Motor Rifle Division, and the

4th Guards Cavalry Corps 4th Guards Order of Kutuzov Cavalry Corps was a prominent cavalry formation of the Soviet Red Army which served most notably as part of the Cavalry mechanized group under the command of Guards Lieutenant General Issa Pliyev in operational engageme ...

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

Independent Ukraine

On 5 September 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 19 May 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. On 12 June 2020, in accordance with the

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine (), is the highest body of state Executive (government), executive power in Ukraine. As the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republi ...

'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 17 July 2020, Tokmak Raion was dissolved and Tokmak became part of

Russo-Ukrainian War

During the southern campaign of the Russian invasion phase of the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

, a Russian armored brigade broke into Tokmak on 26 February 2022 despite the resistance of Ukrainian defenders. During the night of 27 February and the early morning of 28 February, Russian forces attacked the city in earnest. An infiltrated Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group that had previously stolen

Ukrainian military The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

uniforms from a Ukrainian military depot attacked. According to a report from 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. On 2 March 2022, the

Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (; MOD) is the governing body of the Russian Armed Forces. The President of Russia is the Commander-in-Chief of the forces and directs the activity of the ministry. The Minister of Defence exerci ...

announced that the city had been captured by Russian troops. Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Kharlov disputed this claim, although he reported that the situation in the city was extremely difficult the city was surrounded. The deputy mayor also claimed that there were military casualties on both sides along with civilian casualties during a battle which saw the use of tanks, artillery, and other weapons. He added that the city authorities were not cooperating with the Russian forces nor contacting them. However, by 4 March, Mayor Ihor Kotelevskyi announced that the city authorities were working on the restoration of power to the city and that an agreement had been made with the

Russian armed forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

to establish

humanitarian corridors Humanitarian Corridors is a partnership of European religious organisations, initially Italian ones, that sponsors refugees and helps them move to Europe. The partnership won the European Nansen Refugee Award in 2019. Membership Initial members ...

. By 7 March, Tokmak was fully captured by Russian forces. An unknown number of citizens reportedly held rallies against the occupation of the Russian military throughout the rest of March. On 3 April 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. On 21 April 2022, Russian singer

Yulia Chicherina Chicherina, officially Yulia Dmitriyevna Chicherina (), is a Russian pop-rock artist. She has been performing since 1997 and is part of the wave of Uralic rock along with Nautilus Pompilius and Chaif. Biography Chicherina was born in 1978 Sv ...

took part in the lighting of the eternal flame near the Tokmak memorial to the fallen participants of the Second World War. On 7 May 2022, news broke of the death of Mayor Igor Kotelevskyi. The cause of Kotelevsky's death is unknown, but "Ukrinform" noted at the time that, according to the unofficial version, he allegedly committed suicide. Kotelevsky had been first elected Mayor of Tokmak in August 2009. 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. On 11 July 2022, Ukrainian forces 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. Starting in early 2023, extensive fortifications were built by the Russian military in a ring around Tokmak. The Russian Ministry of Defense had anticipated that the main thrust of the

2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive In early June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine launched a Counter-offensive, counteroffensive against Russian forces Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupying its territory with a goal of breaching the front lines ...

will be in the direction of the city, and three consecutive defensive belts were built. This prediction turned out to be correct, and the fortifications succeeded in their goal as the counteroffensive failed to penetrate the line and fell short of reaching Tokmak, with small scale Russian offensive operations eventually restarting in February 2024 in and around

Robotyne Robotyne (, ) is a village in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. Administratively, it is part of Tokmak urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The village is approximately southeast of Orikhiv, and north of Tokmak. It had a p ...

, just north of the first defensive belt.

Governance

The city of Tokmak is divided into 8 microdistricts: *"Korolenko" *"Kalininsky" *"Livy Bereh" (English: "Left Bank") *"Ryzhok" *"Zaliznychny" *"Akhramiivka" *"Kovalsky" *"Tsentralʹny" (English: "Central") There are 12 village councils operating in the territory of the Tokmak urban hromada.

Demographics

The city of Tokmak had a population of 30,125 in 2021. The most recent information regarding native language and ethnicity usage comes from the

2001 Ukrainian Census The 2001 Ukrainian census is to date the only census of the population of independent Ukraine. It was conducted by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989.Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

Alexei N. Kot.

Culture

In Tokmak, there is a city cultural center, a city museum of local history, a public

folk museum A folk museum is a museum that deals with folk culture and heritage. Such museums cover local life in rural communities. A folk museum typically displays historical objects that were used as part of the people's everyday lives. Examples of such ...

of OJSC "Pivddieselmash" (Diesal Plant), three public libraries, and children's music and art schools. There are 21 groups of amateur artists and 6 clubs with more than 300 participants in the city's House of Culture. The decorative and applied art works of embroiderers V. M. Melai and Z. P. Fedan and the

basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...

of V. D. Olyzko were demonstrated at exhibitions in the cities of Zaporizhzhia and

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

. There are 17,307 exhibits in the city museum of local history, and 8,485 exhibits in the state museum. The city has 47 historical and artistic monuments. There is a local radio station and three local newspapers which cover the events of the city and the surrounding region.

Economy

Tokmak Solar Energy is large solar power plant with a 50 MW capacity. Largest enterprises in Tokmak: *

Open joint-stock company A public joint-stock company, abbreviated PJSC (, abbreviated ) or open joint-stock company, abbreviated OJSC (, abbreviated ), is a type of company in many successor states of the Soviet Union, particularly in Russia. Its distinguishing featur ...

: "Pivdendizelmash" (Diesel Plant). Formerly known as "Red Progress". Red Progress Ukrainian wiki page. * CJSC: "Tokmak-Agro" * Public joint-stock company
"Tokmak Forging and Stamping Plant" (TKSHZ)

Tokmak factory of building materials "Stroykeramika"
* CJSC: "Tokmak Plant "Progress"" * LLC: "Tokmack

Ferroalloy Ferroalloy refers to various alloys of iron with a high proportion of one or more other elements such as manganese (Mn), aluminium (Al), or silicon (Si). They are used in the production of steels and alloys. The alloys impart distinctive qualitie ...

Company" LLC * LLC: Tokmak Solar Energy

Infrastructure

The Velikiy Tokmak

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

of the Zaporizhzhia Directorate (part of the regional branch: Cisdnieper Railways) operates in the city on the line: Fedorivka - Verkhniy Tokmak II - Volnovakha.

Notable people

Petro Yefymenko Petro Yefymenko (or Jefymenko Ukrainian: Петро Єфименко, pseud. Petro Odynets), (2 September 1835, in Velykyi Tokmak, Berdiansk county, Ukraine – 7 May 1908, in Saint Petersburg, Russia) was a Ukrainian ethnographer and historian, ...

(1835–1907),

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

. * (1870–1922), one of the earliest Ukrainian

aircraft designers An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its en ...

. *

Marko Bezruchko Marko Danylovych Bezruchko (; 1883–1944) was a Ukrainian military commander and a General of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Bezruchko was born in 1883 in Velikiy Tokmak, Taurida Governorate. In 1912 he enrolled in the Russian ''Nikolai ...

(1883–1944), Ukrainian military commander and a General of the Ukrainian National Republic. *

Sydir Kovpak Sydir Artemovych Kovpak (; ), (June 7, 1887December 11, 1967) led Soviet partisans in Ukraine from 1941 to 1944 during the Axis-Soviet War phase of World War II. Biography Kovpak was born to a poor Ukrainian peasant family in Kotelva vi ...

(1887–1967), a leader of Soviet partisans in Ukraine during World War II. In 1921, he was the military commissar in Tokmak. * Ivan Kovtunenko (1896–1921), a Cossack of the 4th Kyiv Division of the UNR Army, Hero of the

Second Winter Campaign The Second Winter Campaign was a failed military campaign by the Ukrainian People's Republic, Ukrainian National Army in October and November 1921 against the Bolsheviks. It was the last campaign of the Ukrainian armed forces in post-World War I ...

. * Vasily Denisenko (1896–1964), historian and ethnographer. *

(1903–1968), a Soviet

design engineer A design engineer is an engineer focused on the engineering design process in any of the various engineering disciplines (including civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, textiles, aerospace, nuclear, manufacturing, systems, and struct ...

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

s. *

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production ...

(1906–1998), Ukrainian-British media proprietor who was born in Tokmak. *

Bernard Delfont Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont (born Boris Winogradsky; 5 September 1909 – 28 July 1994) was a leading Russian-born British theatrical impresario. Life and career Delfont was born in Tokmak, Berdyansky Uyezd, Taurida Governorate, Russian ...

(1909–1994), Ukrainian-British theatre

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

who was born in Tokmak. * Pavlo Matyukh (1911–1980), Hero of the Soviet Union who fought in World War II. * Alexei Kot (1914–1997), World War II pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, and author. * Hryhoriy Sardak (1916–2001), Ukrainian

surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...

and a pioneer of

vascular surgery Vascular surgery is a surgical subspecialty in which vascular diseases involving the arteries, veins, or lymphatic vessels, are managed by medical therapy, minimally-invasive catheter procedures and surgical reconstruction. The specialty evolve ...

. * Grigory Okhay (1916–2002), a Soviet

MiG-15 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate s ...

flying ace during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. * Georgy Krasulya (1929–1996),

Opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

singer and Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1974). * Anatoly Lagetko (1936–2006), a Soviet boxer who was born in Tokmak. * Yakiv Ochkalenko (1951–2021), Soviet and Ukrainian football coach and official. * Serhiy Ivanov (born 1952), a Ukrainian politician and Governor of Sevastopol who was born in Tokmak. * Sergey and Nikolai Radchenko (born 1958), Twin brothers who formed a

musical duo A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform Instrumental music, instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist ...

known as Radchenko Brothers. * Oleksandr Zayets (1962–2007), Soviet professional footballer who was born in Tokmak. * Yuri Ganus (born 1964), General Director of the Russian anti-doping agency

RUSADA The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA; ), established in January 2008, is the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), affiliated with (but suspended from, since 2015) the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). History It was established un ...

. * Kostyantyn Havryk (1978–2019), a sergeant in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant in the

. * Andriy Oberemko (born 1984), Ukrainian professional footballer. * Pavlo Levchuk (1988–2014), a Ukrainian

political scientist Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

, teacher, participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War. * Oleksandr Shelepaev (1991–2014), a sergeant in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War. * Maksym Shumak (1991–2016), a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant in the Russo-Ukrainian War. * Margaryta Yakovenko (born 1992),

Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

journalist and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

born in Tokmak. * Yevhen Pidlepenets (born 1998), Ukrainian professional footballer.

Gallery

Tokmak Mlyn Dubana 01 (YDS 8389).JPG, Ruins of a mill in Tokmak Tokmak Pam'yatnyk na Chest' 100-richchya Dyzelebudivnogo Zavodu 04 Fragment (YDS 8347).JPG, Diesel machine monument on the plant memorial Tokmak plant memorial.jpg, The plant memorial Tokmak Revolutsiyna 31 Torgovi Ryady (YDS 8382).JPG, A market street in Tokmak Tokmak Tserkva Sergiya Radonez'kogo 05 (Balanovka) (YDS 8437).JPG, St. Sergius of Radonezh church Tokmak Viddilennya Azovo-Dons'kogo Komertsiynogo Banku (YDS 8381).JPG, Former bank building Tokmak Volodars'kogo 68 Voznesens'ka Tserkva 01 (YDS 8398).JPG, Ascension Church Токмак.JPG, Tokmak bus station Tokmak Shevchenka Zhytloviy Budynok Kuptsya Blokhinova 01 (YDS 8849).jpg, Shevchenko Residential Building of Merchant Blokhinov Tokmak Brats'ka Mogyla Voyiniv 01 Stepova vul Kladovysche (DSCF8647).JPG, Fraternal Grave of the Soldiers

References

External links

Tokmak city site

Tokmak District Museum of Local Lore

Archive of Tokmak forum (In Russian)

Life and history of Tokmak (In Russian)
{{Authority control Cities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Polohy Raion Berdyansky Uyezd Historic Jewish communities in Ukraine Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Populated places established in the Russian Empire