Serbian Kovin Monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Ráckeve, Hungary

The Serbian Kovin Monastery, dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God, stands in the centre of Ráckeve on Csepel Island. Its church is a 13th-century Early Gothic hall about 25 metres long with walls 90 cm thick, two portals and nine two-part windows. A separate bell tower, rebuilt in Baroque style in 1756, reaches 40.4 metres with its copper-clad cap.

A queen established this site in the early medieval period as a refuge for people coming from the south. The buildings were later renewed and transformed several times, with different artistic styles layered on top of one another.

The frescoes were painted by Teodor Simeonov of Voskopoja, whose contract with the commissioners survives; he had to fit Byzantine and Serbian church painting onto the sectioned Gothic walls. Serbian rulers of the Nemanjić house, Lazar and Grand Prince Uroš I, appear life-size in the lower wall sections between the pillars. The side chapels were painted in 1771.

The monastery stands in the centre of Ráckeve, on Csepel Island about 40 km south of Budapest. The church and its two side chapels are the parts to see; the detached bell tower stands apart from the church on the east side. As an active Serbian Orthodox monastery, entry follows the liturgical rhythm.

Inside, different architectural styles from different centuries meet, with Gothic arches standing beside Byzantine patterns. The collection of religious treasures from later centuries adds to this visual impression and shows how the building was cared for over a long time.