Initially at the place of nowadays St. John’s (Jana) Church was the first residence of Riga bishop. Later monks of the Dominican Order built a monastery here, the chapel remained from earlier times was enlarged to the dimensions of a church and named after St. John the Baptist. Initially here there was the first residence of Riga bishop. Having started construction of a new residence he transferred the old one to the monks of the Dominican Order – devotees of the Catholic Church. In 1330 the Dominicans reconstructed the chapel given to them according to the dimensions of a church, adding to it features of Dominican cloisters that existed at that time in Germany. After the Reformation in 1523 the Town Hall drove the «black monks» out of the Church. Abandoned by the monks St. John’s church was used for household needs (once there were arranged stables and a cow-shed), then it was transferred to a Latvian commune. The building was reconstructed more than once, but was always restored to its original shape. Today it is the Evangelical Lutheran church.