The first human settlements on the territory of the modern region were mentioned in the oldest period of the Stone Age – the Palaeolith. The implements produced by people more than 40000 years ago were discovered nearby the village of Velyka Burimka in the Chornobuy raion and the village of Mezhyrich in the Kaniv raion, which dates to 20000-15000 years BC.

The worldwide culture known as Trypillian, which is one of the brightest phenomenon of the European ancient history expanded 6000 years ago in the Western part of the region (modern Talne, Uman and Mankivka raions).

More than 100 ancient settlements and burial mounds of the Scythian epoch were discovered in the region. The biggest settlements were located in the Tiasmyn river-basin. They are Pastyrske, Sharpivske, Buda-Makivske, Motronynske, these territories treted with ancient cities-states, located on the Nothern Black Sea shore. The Scythians roamed around the forest and steppe territories. In 1996 the remained burial of the Scythian tribes leader was discovered nearby the village of Ryzhanivka in Zvenigorodka raion.

At the beginning of modern era Cherkasci constituted a nucleus of the Old Slavic tribes. It is known from the written sources that in IV-VII centuries the territory of our region was inhabited by powerful Ant tribes and later by Polans. In times of the Kyivska Rus the region played an important protecting role of the country’s Southern frontiers. In the X-XII centuries the armed cities-fortresses such as Vogin, Roden, Kaniv and Korsun were important craft, trade and culture centres. In 1144 the Uspenskyi Cathedral was erected in Kaniv, it was remained to our days and now it is an important historical and cultural monument.

Economic and cultural development of our land was interrupted by the Mongolian-Tatar invasion, which devastated revival began in the XIV century. At this time Cherkasy together with the neighboring territories passed under the control of Velyke Lytovske principality. After the foundation of the Crimea khanate in 1449, the protecting role in the defense of Lytva southern boundaries increased.

Cherkasy and Kaniv became the centre of Ukrainian Cossaks, who played an important role in protecting people from the Crimean-Tatar aggression, they struggled against the social and national-religious Polish oppression, regional territories passed under Polish protectorate. Cherkasy headmen such as Ostafiy Dashkevych and Dmitro Vyshnyvetskyi went down in history as the Cossacks founders.

In the XVI-XVII centuries the wave of Cossack rebelions trundled across the region, They passed into the liberation movement, headed by Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and creation of Ukrainian Cossack state, Chigirin became a political and military center of this state. After weakening national and liberation movement the left-bank part of Cherkashchina joined Russia and the right-bank part joined Poland under Andrusivskiy Treaty in 1667.

In the next century the territory was an epicenter of haidamatskiy movements, the climax of it was uprising named Koliivshchyna that broke out in 1768. People who were born there are Maksim Zaliznyak, Ivan Gonta, Iosip Shelest and other leaders of this uprising.

The right-bank part of Cherkashchyna joined Russia after the third division of Poland, creating five more administrative districts (poviti) of Kyivskaya province – Zvenigorodskiy, Kanivskiy, Umanskiy, Cherkaskiy, Chigirinskiy in addition to the left-bank Zolotonoshsiy administrative district (povit)

The branches of the processed industry were developing in the region in the XIX century, first of all sugar plants. The railway road Kyiv-Odessa was built through Korsun and Smila in 1876.

Social and economic processes were accompanied with activization of public and political movement. Rural revolts took place more often in the first half of the XIX century. And national movement was expanding in 1870.

The power of Ukrainian National movement getmanat and directorate were established on the wave of Cherkashchyna on the wave of national enthusiasm in 1917-1920. The first detachments of free Cossaks were formed. Soviet power become firmly established in 1920.

At the beginning of 1920 areas (rayoni) were formed instead of districts (poviti) on the territory of Cherkashchina. These areas(rayoni) were parts of four regions (okrugi) – Umanska, Cherkaska. Zolotoniska, Shevchenkivska (the centre was Korsun). Later on, two big regions Umanska and Shevchenkivska were left (the centre was Cherkasy).

During Great patriotic War (1941-1945) Korsun-Shevchenkivska battle took place on the territory of the modern regin in February 1944. The center of guerilla movement was Kholodniy Yar.

Cherkassy regin (oblast) was created by the edict of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in January, 7 1954. Cherkasy region (oblast) included tree cities of regional subordination – Cherkasy, Smila, Uman and 30 areas (rayoni) of Vinitska, Kyivska, Kirovogradska and Poltavska regions(oblasti).

New branches (chemical, textile, machine-building, tool-making) started developing with the creation of the region (oblast). Growing grain-crops, sugar-breeding took a leading position in the agricultural sector of the economy. Region (oblast) transferred from agrarian into industrial-agrarian.

During existence of the region considerable changes also took place in the spiritual sphere - more higher educational establishments were built, the number of students increased in them, new types of educational establishments also appeared. Cherkasy State Honored Ukrainian Folk Chorus was created in 1957. Literary and artistic event named ‘’In the free and new family’’ has been held in Cherkashchina since 1981, which won international recognition.