In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Istanbul often served as a stop for pilgrims heading to Mount Athos or the Holy Land. For their convenience, a residence was built near the port, with a church located on the sixth floor. In 1914, the Turkish authorities used the Russian residence as a warehouse, but it reopened in 1918.

After the October Revolution, many Russian emigrants arrived in Istanbul, and St. Andrew the First-Called Church became an important place for them. In 1928 and 1929, artist Nikolai Perov decorated its interiors. Although the church was temporarily closed in the 1930s, from the 1960s to the 1990s, it remained the only functioning church in Istanbul. Currently, services at the church are held irregularly.