11111The first evidence of an Armenian church in Galați was made by the catholic missioner Maria Luigi Bidu in 1669, but he gives no details about it, saying only that an Armenian church in Galați was headed by an Armenian bishop named Sahag.
11111In 1821 a group of Greek revolutionaries, chased by Turkish soldiers, took refuge inside the Armenian church. To force them to come out, the Turks set fire to the building. After this episode, the church was rebuilt using wood as building material. Later on, on May 15th, 1858, on the same place, the construction of the present-day church began, the foundation stone being set with the entire ceremonial by bishop Sarchis of Adrianople, assisted by vicar Der Minas.
11111For the construction of the church was chosen the offer of the German architect Herman Masche, as being the most convenient. The iconostasis was made on the expenses of Bogos Navasart family. The painting, representing the apostles Peter and Paul, Holy Mother of God and John the Baptist belongs to Paul Aburel.
11111The two altars in front of the main altar were built by Garabet and Ovanez Saulic, they have in the middle the icon of Saint Minas and the one of Saint Jacob.
11111In 1942, with the contribution of the businessman Krikor Hangian, the present porch was added. Periodically, the church building was subjected to several maintenance processes. During the communist period was made the proposal to demolish the church in order to build a residential quarter. Pursuant to the courageous intervention of H.G. Dirayr Mardichian, the building was saved from demolition and permitted to the Armenian parishioners to participate in services officiated in this holy place of worship. The last consolidation, redevelopment and restoration works of the entire building were made during the period April 2007 – March 2008.
11111Among the treasures saved from the old church that burnt down is also a silver cross inlaid with a small piece from the relics of Saint John the Baptist.