The Church of Saint Paraskeva (Biserica Sfânta Parascheva) is a historic Orthodox church in Botoșani, built in 1815 by the community of the Vrăbieni neighborhood with support from the local shoemakers’ guild. The masonry church replaced an older wooden place of worship dedicated to Saint Paraskeva that had stood on the site for generations.
The earlier church is documented by 1740, when it already had its own cemetery. As the neighborhood grew, plans were made to replace it with a more substantial building, and by 1815 the new stone-and-brick church had been completed. The shoemakers’ guild took responsibility for supporting the church, providing annual funds as well as oil, candles and incense for its services.
Repairs during the 19th century included work financed by boyar Iordache Ciolac in 1877, followed by another renovation in 1908. The church has a large Neo-Byzantine form, with a rectangular bell tower rising above the entrance porch and a brick structure built on stone foundations. Its original iconostasis survived into the 20th century, although it had deteriorated sufficiently by 1980-1981 to be replaced with the present carved oak screen during a new campaign of interior painting.
Further restoration and structural work took place between 2003 and 2013, including replacement of the roof with copper sheeting. When the church was reconsecrated in 2013, All Romanian Saints was added as a second dedication alongside Saint Paraskeva.
