The Sami were the main population of the district until the 12th – 13th centuries. Later the Karelians and the first Russian immigrants from the Novgorod lands settled here.

In 1694 fugitive peasants and members of the Solovki Revolt founded the Vygoretsky Monastery. It was located on River Top Vyg, with its branches housed along the coast of Lake Vygozero too.

From the early 1800s it was part of the Vygozero District in the Olonets Province.

The small railroad station of Segezha was founded in the course of construction of the Murmansk Railroad started in 1914.