Founding and the Russian Civil War

Polohy was established in 1887 after the construction of a railway that connected Berdiansk with Yekaterinoslav.^[3] The city specifically celebrates 17 September as the date of the city's founding.^[4]

By 1890, houses for workers had been built in the area. In 1894, the railway station was built, contributing to the growth of the village. By 1904, when a second railway line was built that crossed through the village, Polohy became a railway hub. In 1905, there were "about a hundred thatched huts and dugouts" in the village, and it had a total population of around 700.^[2] The population of the village took part in the Russian Revolution of 1905, demonstrating for workers' rights and going on strike.^[2]

The Bolsheviks took over the village in January 1918 during the Russian Civil War. However, in March the same year, Polohy was easily captured by the Central Powers during the 1918 Central Powers invasion of Ukraine. Local partisans resisted the occupation, and the occupying forces left the village in November 1918. It was captured by the anti-communist White Army in late December, before being recaptured by the Red Army on 5 February 1919. Continued fighting took place over Polohy throughout the war, involving Makhnovites, the Army of Wrangel, and South Russia, until an eventual Bolshevik victory in August 1920.^[2]

In the Soviet Union

On 7 October 1923, the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee declared the establishment of Polohy Raion inside Berdiansk Okruha [uk] of Yekaterinoslav Governorate, with its administrative center in Polohy.^[5] Polohy received the status of urban-type settlement in October 1928. From 1928 to 1937, Polohy carried the name of Chubarivka,^[2] after the Soviet politician Vlas Chubar.^[5] Polohy received city status in 1938.^[6]

During World War II, Polohy was occupied by Nazi Germany beginning 5 October 1941. Oppressions against the local Jewish population - who had comprised 3.2% of the population prewar - began immediately.^[3] In December 1941, a large number of Jews - either 70 families or 100 Jews, according to different reports - were murdered at Polohy as part of the Holocaust. There are some reports of subsequent mass killings of Jews and non-Jews at the same site over the following months.^[7] Polohy was liberated by the Red Army on 17 September 1943.^[3]

A cannery was opened in Polohy in 1967, which processed agricultural products.^[2]

In independent Ukraine

Polohy urban hromada, a hromada (low-level administrative division) of Ukraine with its center in Polohy, was formed on 30 March 2018 from the union of several local councils.^{[citation needed]}