A settlement named Likharevskoye Gorodishche near present-day Skopin was founded some time in the 12th century.

[citation needed] It was fortified with moats and ramparts for protection against the Cuman people.

In 1663 (or 1597, according to another account[9]), the Tsar built a wooden fortress on the spot of today's Skopin, which would become a part of the defense system on the southeast of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

In the second half of the 19th century, mining for brown coal began in the outskirts of Skopin, which would continue until 1989.

The town became known for its handicraft ceramic items with the discovery of fire clay deposits in the area.