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38m ago

Kiruna Church Rolls Toward New Site in Two-Day Move to Clear Path for Expanding Mine

The LKAB‑funded transfer is a centerpiece of Kiruna’s long-planned relocation to safeguard the town as underground mining advances.

People look at the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation.(AP Photo/Malin Haarala)
FILE - People gather outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, during its move along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala, File)
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Overview

  • Day two of the 5 km relocation resumed Wednesday, with the 672‑tonne 1912 church inching on remote‑controlled trailers and arrival expected in the afternoon.
  • The church move, budgeted at about 500 million kronor and paid by LKAB, is part of a decadeslong program that will shift thousands of residents and buildings to a safer area.
  • Engineers widened sections of the route from 9 to 24 meters and built a 1,200‑tonne convoy; the separate belltower is scheduled to be moved next week.
  • Cultural assets including Prince Eugen’s altarpiece and a large pipe organ were stabilized for transport, and handblown windows were removed and temporarily replaced.
  • Crowds topped 10,000 as Swedish TV live‑streamed the event with the king in attendance, even as Sami representatives warned mine expansion threatens reindeer herding routes and livelihoods, with EU‑flagged rare‑earth plans at Per Geijer in view.