The area in the Middle Ages belonged intermittently to the
Principality of Smolensk, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the
Grand Duchy of Moscow, and Poland. In the course of the
administrative reform carried out in 1708 by
Peter the Great, the area was included into
Smolensk Governorate and remained there until 1929, with the exception of the brief periods between 1713 and 1726, when it belonged to
Riga Governorate, and between 1775 and 1796, when Smolensk Governorate was transformed into
Smolensk Viceroyalty. It was split between
Smolensky,
Dorogobuzhsky, and
Dukhovshchinsky Uyezds. On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Kardymovsky District with the administrative center in the
selo of Kardymovo was established on the territories which previously belonged to Smolensky, Dorogobuzhsky, and Dukhovshchinsky Uyezds. The district belonged to
Smolensk Okrug of
Western Oblast. On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 20 November 1930 Kardymovsky District was abolished and merged into Smolensky District. On 18 January 1935 Kardymovsky District was re-established. On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between
Oryol and Smolensk Oblasts. Kardymovsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast. Between 1941 and September 1943, during WWII, the district was occupied by German troops. In 1979, Kardymovo was made an urban-type settlement. ==Economy==