Early history
The history of Cherkasy has not been thoroughly explored. This can be explained by the fact that the city was forming under the Russian (and later Soviet) rule, which is why some periods in the life of Cherkasy still remain undiscovered (a lot of facts were hidden, documents and material proof was destroyed). The year of establishment is considered to be 1286. There are few facts about the beginning of the city's life, but it is documented that Cherkasy existed in the 14th century. The first record about Cherkasy was made in 1305 and was found in the Gustynskiy Chronicle, which is the Ukrainian chronicle. The city is mentioned as an existing city among other Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, Kaniv, Zhytomyr and Ovruch.
The city was one of the centers of the Cossack movement. Citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna and Koliyivschyna. The city was influenced by the cruel social and economical experiments of Soviet authorities and World War II. In 1954, Cherkasy became the administrative center of Cherkasy Oblast (province), the youngest oblast of Ukraine.
Under Grand Duchy of Lithuania
In the 1360s, the city entered a new period in its development, by becoming a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since then, Cherkasy has become an important defender of its southern borders. In 1384 the city is recognized as a fortified town on the south edge (of Grand Duchy of Lithuania), along with Vinnytsia, Bratslav and Kaniv making defensive line from Crimean Tatars. The city started to be ruled by headman (starosta).
During the end of 15th until the beginning of 16th centuries, the post of Cherkasy headman was held by the prominent persons of that time - Bogdan Glinskiy, Kmyta Oleksandrovych, Vasyl Dashkevych, Andriy Nemyrovych, Ostafiy Dashkevych, Vasyl Tyshkevych, Dmytro Baida-Vyshnevetskiy etc.
During 15th-16th centuries, Cherkasy was one of the main centers that helped the Cossacks in the population of Ukrainian
