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The town of Suchan and Suchansky coal mine were founded in 1896. For the first time a coal deposit in Oleny Klyuch (Deer Spring) (near mine #1) was mentioned by V.P. Margaritov, a member of the Geographic Society of Amursky Region. Near the old and already closed mine a cast-iron sign was placed in 1932. It is called "The First Coal" by the town inhabitants. On this sign there are neither the names of the people who discovered coal in Suchanskaya Valley nor the names of the first Russian geologists that worked here. It says "In 1883 the first coal was found here. Here the mine begins."
The Pacific Fleet, which was based in Vladivostok, was in deep need of its own source for coal. Because of that the Department of Mines sent a geological expedition to South Ussuriysky Region. This expedition had been working here since 1888 till 1893. Found coal was sent to Nakhodka for the needs of the Fleet. Simultaneously with the deposit prospecting roads and dwellings were being built. In 1896 the Department of Mines made a large order for coal from Suchan.
In 1896 more detailed prospecting was organized in Suchan. The first extractions started. Suchan miners were living in dug-outs, cabins, and tents. The living conditions were awful. Only in 1900, when 46 highly qualified miners from Gorlovka arrived, construction of the mine #1 and of ten houses started. State coal mines were also organized at this time. The first migrants started to move to Suchan.
The tsarist government never cared about the maitaining of good living conditions for Suchan workers. For the period of 1896-1922 only one two-storey house was built. Suchan itself was just a group of several badly planned mine settlements. In 1905 and 1906 State schools were opened and a hospital for 50 people was built.
In the period of 1905-1914 several new mines were opened in Suchan. Wooden barracks and individual houses also appeared. The construction was being carried according to no plan at all. Each artel was building a barrack for its workers. Some of those buildings remained intact up till now. The founders of Suchansky mine had not done a lot till 1914. After the beginning of the World War I the development stopped at all. Many workers were called up for military service, extraction of coal reduced greatly, the construction works were cut down. Difficult years of need and hardship started.
In 1917 there were 11 mines which annually extracted up to 300,000 tons of coal. In 1918-1922 during the Civil War in Russia the supporters of the Bolsheviks conducted an active partisan struggle in the region. After the establishment of the Soviet Power in Primorye coal remained the region's main production.
After 1922 restoration of old mines and building of new ones started. Spread settlements merged into one large locality. Construction of multi-storey buildings began.
At this time great attention was paid to cultural development of the town. In 1917 People's House was built, which later tranformed into a club of miners. It became a cultural center of the towm. With the growth of mines and the population of the town necessity in new clubs arose. In 1926 a club for 350 people was built near mine #10. In 1932 a club for 200 people near mine #20 and for 250 people at timber plant were built. In 1933 the largest and the most beautiful Palace of Culture in Primorye with a hall for 1200 people, a foyer, and a lot of rooms for work started functioning. In 1932 the Suchansky mining technical college and an underground first-aid station at mine #10 were opened. In 1935 construction of a well-equipped hospital was finished. At the same time a railroad was built.
In 1972 after the Soviet-Chinese conflict on Damansky when all rivers and towns of Primorye bearing Chinese names were renamed, Suchan was renamed Partizansk.
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