🇲🇰
Geography and location
The village is located in the area of Kopacka, in the western part of the municipality of Kicevo, located near the town of Kicevo, and is therefore considered part of its rural area. The village is mountainous, at an altitude of 1,000 meters. It is less than five kilometers from the town of Kicevo.
The village is located on hilly land, west of the town of Kicevo. Surrounding villages are Drugovo in the south, Osoj and Leshnica in the north, Javorec and Gorno Dobrenoec in the west and Kicevo in the east.
The localities in the area of the village bear the following names: Ceramidnica, Mala Livada, Jaorche, Rupcina, Middle Hill, Marculesi, Archangel, Drmnici, Kutel, Batanoec and others.
The village is of a compact type. It is not divided into neighborhoods because it is a small village. However, the relatives’ houses are grouped.
The village of Knezino is located in the Upper Kopacka area, 4 km northwest of Kicevo.
History
In the 19th century, Knezino was a village in the Kicevo Kaza of the Ottoman Empire.
According to tradition told by locals, the village was first founded in the Middle Ages. The founder of the village and the nearby monastery was a knyaz. It is believed that the name of the village was obtained afterwards.
In historical sources, the village was first mentioned in 1476/77, when there were 35 Slav-Christian houses.
The medieval Monastery “Saint George” was located 500 meters southeast of today’s village. The monastery had a lot of land and a vast forest. During the Turkish rule, it was demolished. At that moment, the village of Knezino itself, along with six other Kicevo villages, also suffered.
Then Knezino was restored. Today’s genders have come from many sides.
On the hills above the present-day village of Knezino there are five deserted villages, formerly villages:
- Marculesi – east of today’s village
- Krusino – east of today’s village, where today there is a vast chestnut forest
- Kolibishte – north of today’s village
- Kutel – south of today’s village
- Archangel – west of today’s village
Tradition says that all of these villages collapsed at the time of the destruction of the Monastery of Saint George. Even today, the remains of houses and old tombs can be seen in their places.
Church ,, St. Demetrius ”
St. Demetrius – the main village and grave church in the village of Knezino. The church is located in the central part of the village and around it are the village cemeteries. The church was built in 1911. It was consecrated only on October 10, 2005.
