The Rovaniemi Church is a famous sight

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The new Rovaniemi Church

The present Rovaniemi church was completed in 1950. It's an Evangelical Lutheran church.

The previous church building was destroyed during the razing of the town in the autumn of 1944 when the German troops destroyed the city. The new church is one of the most famous sights in town.

The construction of a new church started soon after the war ended. But this would not have been possible without extensive financial help from churches in Sweden and the United States.

Organ

The new organ was consecrated in February 1987. The 45-key organ was designed and constructed by the Bruno Christensen of the Danish Christensen Organ Factory. It contains 4000 pipes, and possesses 45 registers, three manuals and a pedal.

The building

The church of Rovaniemi was designed by architect Bertel Liljeqvist. The artist Antti Salmenlinna conceived the striking interior. The 14 meters high fresco called Elämän lähde (The fount of Life) on the altar wall was painted by professor Lennart Segerstråle in 1951.

It is interesting to see that the fresco uses elements from Lapland in a Biblical context. For example there are no lambs in the fresco as most people would find natural. Instead Segerstråle uses reindeers.

The church is 43 meters in length, and 18.5 meters across. The steeple with its cross is 54 meters high. The church seats nearly a 1000 people.

The Church of Rovaniemi is biggest Finnish Lapland church. It is open in the summer and also during the christmas seasons. The church is located within walking distance from the city center.

See more pictures of the Rovaniemi Church and other Finnish Lapland churches as well.



All photos on this page: Olav E. Johansen

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