After eight years of planning and a cost exceeding 500 million kronor (£39 million), the historic Kiruna Church in northern Sweden began a slow-motion 5-kilometre journey on Tuesday to make way for the expansion of Europe's largest underground iron ore mine. The 672-tonne wooden church, inaugurated in 1912, is being rolled to its new location at a pace of half a kilometre per hour over two days.
The move is part of a massive multi-decade operation to relocate the entire Arctic town of Kiruna, as mining by state-owned LKAB weakens the ground, threatening to swallow the town. More than 10,000 people, including King Carl XVI Gustaf, are expected to line the specially widened streets to witness the event, which has been dubbed 'Den stora kyrkflytten' (the big church move) by broadcaster SVT.
The church, designed by Gustaf Wickman and resembling a Sámi hut (lávvu), is one of Sweden's most beloved older buildings. It is among 23 cultural buildings being relocated in what LKAB describes as 'a unique event in world history'. The altarpiece by Prince Eugen and the 2,000-pipe organ have been carefully wrapped for the journey, with beams placed under the church and trailers slid beneath.
However, the expansion has drawn criticism, particularly from the Sámi community. Reindeer owner Karin K Niia accused LKAB of using the church move as a 'big show' to distract from the destruction of Indigenous culture and land. She said mining activities threaten biodiversity, water, and reindeer herding. LKAB's Stefan Hämäläinen countered that the move is necessary for the church's survival and that the company seeks constructive solutions for reindeer herding.
LKAB CEO Jan Moström insisted the cost was justified, stating: 'If the mine is to remain, we have to move Kiruna city centre. Kiruna city centre without the church, I can’t see it.' The church is expected to reopen at its new location by the end of 2025, while the town's full relocation is slated for completion by 2035.
