The Friday Church, the first Orthodox temple in Vilnius, was built in 1345 at the initiative of Maria Yaroslavna, the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Olgerd. In the pagan era, Lithuanian princes sometimes accepted Christianity, but only temporarily, until they married Christian princesses. After the wedding ceremonies, they returned to pagan rituals. Even those who sincerely accepted Christianity did not force their subjects to change their faith.

Prince Olgerd was a tolerant man, but his Christian wife felt uncomfortable in Lithuania. She sought to strengthen Christianity in the country. Not far from the castle was a shrine to the god Ragutis, which the princess particularly hated. She managed to persuade her husband to destroy this shrine and build a Christian church in its place. Thus, the Church of Saint Paraskeva Friday appeared, the first in Lithuania.

After Lithuania became Catholic, Orthodox churches fell into decline. However, the Friday Church was preserved and restored after fires due to its special status. In the early 18th century, an important event occurred that saved the temple from oblivion. During the Northern War, Tsar Peter the Great, achieving victories, visited the church for thanksgiving services. In Lithuania, he baptized an Ethiopian boy, Ibrahim, who was given to him. The ceremony took place in the Friday Church, as it was the only temple where Orthodox services were held.

The godparents of Abram Petrovich Hannibal were Tsar Peter and the Polish queen. This diplomatic act might have gone unnoticed if, a hundred years later, Abram Petrovich's great-grandson had not become the great poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.

Today, the church is interesting for its external architecture, which combines Byzantine style and fashionable trends of the 19th century. Inside the temple, there is nothing remarkable, as it was practically rebuilt about 130 years ago.