Kirichenko started his career playing for small clubs such as Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody, Iskra Novoaleksandrovsk and Torpedo Taganrog.

In 1998, he joined Rostselmash, following impressive performance for Taganrog club during the previous year.

At the next round he scored a goal at the first match in a 1–0 victory against 2007 German champions VfB Stuttgart.

[2] In 2011, after Saturn were dissolved due to financial problems, Kirichenko returned to Rostov, the club where he had made a name for himself back in the 1990s.

[3] He was appointed the caretaker manager of FC Rostov on 6 August 2016 following the resignation of Kurban Berdyev.