Cherikov was first mentioned in 1460. At the time, it was a part of
Kingdom of Poland, and
Casimir IV Jagiellon, the king, ordered to have an Orthodox church to be built in Cherikov. In 1604, Cherikov was granted the town status, and in 1641, it was granted a coat of arms. In 1772, as a result of the
First Partition of Poland, it was transferred to
Russia. In the 19th century it belonged to
Mogilev Governorate. In 1919, Mogilev Governorate was abolished, and Cherikov was transferred to
Gomel Governorate. On July 17, 1924 the governorate was abolished, and Cherikov became the administrative center of Cherikov Raion, which belonged to
Kalinin Okrug of
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. In July, 1927, Kalinin Okrug was abolished, and Cherikov was transferred into
Mogilev Okrug. On January 15, 1938 the raion was transferred to Mogilev Region. During the Second World War, the town was occupied by German troops and severely damaged. In 1986, it was considerably affected by the
Chernobyl disaster. ==Economy==