Antiquity and Medieval era Archeological excavations have shown that a settlement on the territory of the present-day city dates back to the second millennium BC. According to one explanation, the city derived its name from its location, being situated on a turn in the river that looked like a bow when viewed from above. Another theory holds that the city's name connotes the idea of being situated “on floodplain meadows”. Pryluky was first mentioned in 1085 by Prince
Vlаdimir Monomakh in his
Precepts To My Children. That year the city-fortress sheltered the prince and his entourage from the horde of
Polovtsy and soon the prince's armed forces, strengthened by the Pryluky militia, routed the enemy. However, in 1092 the Polovtsy attacked the fortress once more wiping out the whole population and sacking the city. During the period of
Kyivan Rus' the city was part of
Pereyaslav and
Chernihiv principalities. Later, the city was repeatedly plundered by eastern nomadic tribes and became a centre of internecine wars between Ruthenian princes. In 1239, Pryluky was destroyed by the Mongols; in 1362, the city was conquered by Lithuanian feudal lords. But the citizens always staunchly defended Pryluky, fighting for their freedom and dignity.
Early Modern period After the
Union of Lublin of 1569, according to which the city came under the rule of the Polish nobility, many inhabitants of Pryluky and nearby villages began to run away, seeking freedom in the vast Dnieper steppes. Oppressed peasants from other areas of central and eastern Ukraine took refuge there too. Settlements founded by the runaways in the late 15th-early 16th centuries occupied large territories in the vicinity of
Kyiv and Cherkasy. Thus grew the
Cossack community. Scared by the proliferation and popularity of Cossacks,
Poland tried to suppress this spontaneous resistance but did so in vain. In the 17th century the Cossacks took part in the
Khmelnytsky uprising. The fertile soil of the Udai basin proved itself attractive not only to marauders, but also to hard-working people fleeing from backbreaking toil. The number of inhabitants of Pryluky and adjacent villages grew considerably in the 17th century. One of the documents kept in the archives of
Stockholm,
Sweden stated that there were 800 chimneys, i.e. 800 houses, in Pryluky in 1632. Assuming that each house accommodated at least six persons, about 5,000 people lived in the city at that time. In 1648,
Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky introduced a new system of territorial-administrative division in Ukraine, having divided the country into regiments. Under this system the city of Pryluky became the military center of the
Pryluky Regiment and Colonel was appointed its first commander. The regiment comprised about 2,000 Cossacks, who actively participated in many battles during the war of 1648–1654. For instance, the entire Pryluky Regiment of Cossacks, led by I. Shkurat, died fighting valiantly in the
Battle of Berestechko in 1651. The Pryluky Regiment, under Colonel , demonstrated thorough military prowess in defeating a large Polish unit in June 1652. The regiment also took part in campaigns against
Poland and
Turkey.
Russian and Soviet rule Girded with a high rampart surmounted by guns, the city of Pryluky looked quite formidably at the time. However, in the second half of the 18th century, the border was moved far to the south for political and military reasons and the necessity for fortified cities like Pryluky disappeared. was the last colonel of Pryluky. In 1781, the Cossack regime was abolished in Ukraine and Pryluky became an
uyezd centre of
Chernigov Viceroyalty (1782-1796), A
ghetto was established at the beginning of 1942. From January 1942 groups of 30-40 young healthy men were systematically taken from the ghetto and executed at an unknown location. Most of the Jews of Pryluky were killed in a mass murder operation in May 1942. Another mass murder was carried out by Germans in Pryluky on 10 September 1942. Jews from Polova,
Ladan, and
Linovitsa of Pryluky County and from Kharitonovka, Podol, Radkovka and
Malaya Devitsa of other counties of the Chernigov District were murdered in Pryluky.
Independent Ukraine Pryluky is on the list of Ukraine's oldest cities, and in 1995 it was entered in the register of Ukrainian historical cities. Under the auspices of the “Innovations in Cultural Development of the Regions” program, the Pryluky local government is taking measures to restore old folk art traditions as well as seeking historical and architectural records of the city. City inhabitants hope that with time, Pryluky will become a part of the Golden Ring of the Chernihiv Region tour. Until 18 July 2020, Pryluky was designated as a
city of oblast significance and did not belong to Pryluky Raion even though it was the center of the raion. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Chernihiv Oblast to four, the city was merged into Pryluky Raion.
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 28 February 2022, during the opening days of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, a
Russian Army tank company was defeated by Ukrainian forces. On 7 March, near Pryluky, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a convoy of Russian military fuel trucks. On 13 June 2022, at 13:15, rocket attacks by
Russian forces were recorded in Pryluky. Russian missiles struck a facility located near Pryluky. Ammunition detonated. The fire was localized the same day. == Population ==