Particle.news
Download on the App Store
21 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

Kiruna’s 1912 Wooden Church Begins Two-Day, 5-Kilometer Relocation

The move safeguards a national landmark as mine-driven ground subsidence compels Kiruna’s broader town shift.

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)
Beams placed on an wheeled structure support 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)
Kiruna's historic wooden church sits on wheels before being moved to its new site next to the cemetery, in Kiruna, Sweden August 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Overview

  • After a morning blessing, the 672-ton church set off Tuesday on remote-controlled trailers at roughly 0.5 km/h, paused midafternoon ahead of schedule, and is due to arrive Wednesday.
  • LKAB is funding the roughly 500 million kronor operation, which uses a route widened from 9 to 24 meters, bringing the convoy’s total rolling weight to about 1,200 tons.
  • Tens of thousands followed the spectacle on site and via SVT’s live “Great Church Walk” broadcast, with King Carl XVI Gustaf in town and musical performances including Sweden’s Eurovision act KAJ.
  • The altarpiece by Prince Eugen and the organ with more than 2,000 pipes were stabilized for transport, and the separate belltower is slated to move next week.
  • The relocation marks a milestone in a decades-long plan to shift much of Kiruna—about 3,000 homes and 6,000 residents—as Sami representatives warn that further mine development, including the EU‑flagged Per Geijer project, threatens reindeer migration routes.