Evidence from archeological finds and burial mounds from 30,000 BC indicates the Saltovo-Mayaki were Antratsyt's earliest ancestors. Since the Saltovo-Mayaki were nomadic, the area was left uninhabited and considered part of the Wild Fields. It was only in the late 16th century that the Don Cossacks claimed the area, protecting it from Tatar and Mongol raids, and started farming settlements. In 1874, Cossack Ivan Dvuzhenov found coal nearby and by 1904, the Antratsyt Bokovsky Coal Mine was built. A small settlement grew around the mine and soon after, the Kolberg Coal Mine was built in 1912, allowing the settlement to grow and prosper. In 1920, the town was officially named Bokovo-Antratsyt after its first coal mine, which was later shortened to Antratsyt (1962). With the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922, the town became under the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's rule. As an important center for coal extraction, the city was made a rayon center in 1936. From 1942 to 1943, the city was occupied by Nazi troops. Led by I.E. Voropayeva, the city retaliated and regained its freedom. A quarter of Antratsyt's population at the time (7100) were awarded military honors and of those awarded, six were given the title Hero of the Soviet Union and three were given the Order of Glory
