The Macedonian city of Kichevo (Macedonian: Кичево) has a population of 25,129 Slavic Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, and Gypsy citizens. Kichevo is located in a valley in the south-eastern foothills and forests of Bistra mountain between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar in western Macedonia. The Macedonian capital Skopje is only 112 km away.

Kičevo was first mentioned as Uskana during the rule of the ancient Macedonian king Perseus during the Macedonian - Roman Wars, in 170-169 BC. The next written record of the town did not come until 1018, under the name of Kičavis, noted in one of the documents of the Byzantine emperor Basil II. It is presumed that the today's name of the town originates by the name of this settlement populated by the Slavic tribe Brsjaci .

History

When Macedonia was conquered by the Ottoman Empire Kičevo was turned into military and administrative center of the Macedonian area. In the foothills of the Kale of Kičevo, a clock tower was built. The first roots of the work of the Macedonian Revolutionary Movement , started in Kičevo with the priest Yoseph of the monastery St. Bogorodica Prečista and by many teachers. Pere Toshev formed the first armed detachment in Kičevo in 1878, lead by Duko Tasev . On August 2nd, 1903, the citizens of Kičevo joined the struggle for Macedonian independence, lead by the Duke Arso and Yordan Piperkata . Later in World War II Kičevo was occupied by forces from fascist Italy. On September 11th, 1943 Kičevo became the first liberated city in Macedonia.

Today Kičevo, is one of the most beatiful cities in Macedonia. On the slopes of Vrboj mountain , surrounded by dense forest trees, the monastery St. Prečista is located, with its church dedicated to the Annunciation, and with lodgings for devout Macedonian monks. The St. Prečista Kičevska is a medieval monastery that was known under the name Krninski monastery in the past