Savina Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located 2 km from the city of Herceg Novi, on the high shore of the Bay of Kotor, in a thick Mediterranean forest. The monastery was named after St Sava, the first Serbian archbishop. The oldest buildings on the territory of the monastery date back to the beginning of the 11th century, while the first written records about the monastery date back to the middle of the 17th century.
There are three churches in the monastery territory: the Lesser Dormition Church, the Greater Dormition Church and the smaller Church of St. Sava, located outside of the complex, near the upper cemetery. The latest mentioned church was probably built by St. Sava himself in the 13th century. The main shrine of the monastery is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Savin.
The most ancient building is the Small Assumption Church (1030), its size is 6 by 10 meters. In the XVII century the church was completely reconstructed. The main values of the Small Assumption Church are magnificent frescos in Byzantine and Gothic styles.
Монастырь известен также тем, что в 2005 году на Đurđevdan (День Святого Георгия) в нём принял крещение знаменитый сербский режиссер Эмир Кустурица.
The large Assumption Church was built at the end of the 18th century and it is a beautiful example of Baroque church architecture. The monastery treasury contains valuable and rare objects, such as a crystal cross adorned with rubies, which, according to a legend, belonged to St. Sava himself; a silvered hand of Queen Jelena, etc. There is also an interesting collection of icons made by Russian, Italian and Cretan masters. The monastery library keeps more than 5,000 rare manuscripts and there is a unique handwritten Gospel of 1375 among its exhibits.
The monastery is also known for the fact that a famous Serbian film director Emir Kusturica was baptized there on St. George's Day in 2005.