Vasily Alekseevich Chertkov, born on March 12, 1726, and died on October 5, 1793, in Khvoschevatka, Voronezh Governorate, was a lieutenant general from the Chertkov family and served as the governor-general of the Voronezh, Kharkov, and Saratov governorates in 1782 and 1793.

He was born into the family of Alexei Nikitich Chertkov, a captain of the 1st rank, and Anna Ivanovna Lvova. His father was the son of Nikita Fyodorovich Chertkov, a captain of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and Anna Ivanovna Kushnikova.

Vasily Chertkov began his education at the Land Noble Corps on February 5, 1742, and was promoted to corporal on November 12, 1747. From 1748, he taught mathematics at the corps, gradually rising through the ranks: sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. In 1757, he became a teacher of the higher mathematics class. In 1760 and 1764, he oversaw the publication of translations into French and German.

From 1761, Chertkov served in the army as a major, and in June of the same year, he became a lieutenant colonel. In 1764, he was appointed chief commandant of the fortress of Saint Elizabeth in the Novorossiysk Governorate and promoted to brigadier of the Horse Piquet Regiment. In 1770 and 1775, he held the position of chief commandant of Kremenchug and deputy chief commander of the military department of the Novorossiysk Governorate. In 1771, he was promoted to major general and appointed chief commander of the Dnieper fortified line, as well as chief of the Don Regiment.

From July 1775, he was the governor of the Azov Governorate. In 1776, at the request of G. A. Potemkin, he founded Yekaterinoslav and oversaw its construction. In 1777, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed chief of the Lugansk Piquet Regiment. In 1778, he moved with the administration to Yekaterinoslav and founded Mariupol, creating its plan. In a report from 1779, he informed Potemkin about the beginning of the city's construction.

In 1782, Chertkov became the governor-general of the Voronezh and Kharkov governorates, and from 1787, also of the Saratov Governorate. In the Voronezh Governorate, he conducted an anti-alcohol campaign, established a noble deputy assembly, opened a public school and a city hospital, introduced street lighting, and approved a plan for regular city layout. He also facilitated the construction of the state chamber house and the archbishop's courtyard, the strengthening of the Chernava dam, and the establishment of merchant fairs.

In 1787 and 1793, performances featuring amateur actors, including Chertkov's children and officials from his office, took place at the gubernatorial residence in Voronezh.

In the Saratov Governorate, he proposed a project to build a fortress for protection against Kazakh raids. In January 1790, he submitted a request to be included in the prestigious genealogical book for himself and his family, which was granted.

On April 13, 1793, Vasily Chertkov retired while retaining his salary. He was buried in Voronezh, in the Pokrovsky Convent, which no longer exists, and his grave has been lost.