Saint Charalambos Church, Iași

About

Saint Charalambos Church (Romanian: Biserica Sfântul Haralambie) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 4 Octav Botez Street in Iași, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Charalambos. According to a legend, repeated by Mihail Sadoveanu in Hanu Ancuței, there were two brothers from Epirus, Gheorghe and Haralambie Leondarie, who served as head messengers (ceauși) for Prince Constantine Ypsilantis at the end of the 18th century.

After Haralambie became a hajduk, Ypsilantis ordered Gheorghe to capture the outlaw dead or alive, on pain of execution. The latter went on pursuit with fifty troops. While attempting to capture his brother near Văratec Monastery, Gheorghe accidentally killed him.

He gave Haralambie's head to the prince, quit the service and, in order to obtain forgiveness, built the church on a plot of land granted by Ypsilantis. Begun in 1799, it was consecrated in 1804. The structure had three spires; the interior painting was done around 1900.

The bell tower preserves one bell donated by the ktitor in 1804 and others from the parishioners. In the early 19th century, the church belonged to the guild of mercenaries in the prince's guard and to firearms makers. For a time, the...