In the center of modern Vilnius stands the ancient Orthodox Church of St. Paraskeva Friday, which holds significant importance for Russian military history. It was here, 300 years ago, in the presence of Peter the Great, that a thanksgiving service was held in honor of Russia's victory in the Northern War. This was not Peter's first visit to the Church of St. Paraskeva.

In 1705, the first Russian emperor baptized Abram Petrovich Hannibal here, who later became a Russian general and the great-grandfather of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. The Polish queen Kristiana Eberhardina Brandenburg-Bayreuth participated in the baptismal ceremony, becoming Hannibal's godmother.

The church was founded in 1345 on the site of a destroyed pagan shrine, at the initiative of Princess Maria Yaroslavovna, the wife of the Lithuanian prince Olgerd. Within its walls, her sons were baptized, and after her death, she was buried here. Later, future Vilnius martyrs were baptized in the church.

Over the years, the church has repeatedly suffered from fires and has been almost completely restored. In its current form, it was almost rebuilt after the return of the Orthodox Church in the 18th century, so its antiquity can be considered conditional.

During the Stalin era, the church was closed, and the building gradually fell into disrepair. In 1990, the church was returned to the faithful and restored. Now the parish leads a full life.