A Swedish town is literally 'rolling' its beloved 1912 church 3 miles to save it—and you can watch it live
Kiruna Kyrka, one of Sweden's most beloved wooden churches, started its slow two-day journey across town on Aug 19.
It took eight years of planning, more than half a billion kronor (52.09 million USD), and even a morning blessing in the town of Kiruna in northern Sweden to begin the move of a 672-tonne church — a journey termed "den stora kyrkflytten," or "the big church move." Kiruna Kyrka, one of Sweden's most beloved wooden churches, started its slow two-day journey across town on Aug 19, reported The Guardian. The church, inaugurated in 1912 and designed by architect Gustaf Wickman, is being relocated five kilometres away to protect it from the expansion of Europe's biggest underground iron ore mine, and you can watch it live.
The mine, operated by the state-owned company LKAB, runs deep beneath the Arctic ground. As tunnels expanded, the earth under Kiruna began to crack and sink, threatening to swallow roads, homes, and even the church that locals had voted "the best building of all time built before 1950," as per the South China Morning Post. Nearly the entire town is being rebuilt a safe distance away — a process expected to last until 2035. To save the church, engineers dug out the foundation and slid yellow beams underneath, creating a platform. From there, the convoy began inching forward at half a kilometre an hour, weaving through newly widened streets. One of the trickiest stretches came at the start, when the 1,200-tonne setup had to turn and descend a small incline before reaching the main road.
Crowds lined the streets on Tuesday as the towering red structure crawled past, trailed by cheers, cameras, and traditional fika breaks for the workers. The church is just one of 23 cultural buildings being relocated in this once-in-a-lifetime transformation. LKAB has offered to either rebuild homes or compensate residents financially as part of the town's move. "If the mine is to remain, we have to move Kiruna city centre," LKAB's chief executive Jan Moström said during the live broadcast, "Kiruna city centre without the church, I can't see it — so there are no alternatives."
Still, the effort has stirred controversy. Some in the Sámi community say the spectacle distracts from deeper losses. Karin K Niia, a reindeer owner and board member of Gabna Sameby, called the relocation of the church "a big show" meant to preserve a symbol while ignoring biodiversity, water, and the Indigenous culture rooted in the land. "It feels rather difficult to see the move of the church when I'm well aware of the consequences that mining activities have on everything around it," she said. A 2017 study on Kiruna’s urban transformation also argued that while moving landmark buildings may preserve their physical structure, it risks stripping them of authenticity if the wider urban and cultural context is lost. The relocation protects an icon, but the question of whether a community’s identity can travel with it remains unresolved.
LKAB insists it has worked on constructive solutions with Sámi groups, but acknowledges the strain. Stefan Hämäläinen, senior vice president of urban development, said, "The move of Kiruna church is necessary for it to continue to exist at all. We are obliged to compensate for what is affected by the mine." Despite the debate, the moment remains historic. The town's streets have been widened from 9 to 24 meters to accommodate the convoy. On Wednesday, residents will gather for a service and attempt a world record in "church coffee," with music from Swedish singer Carola. The building is expected to reopen at its new location by the end of 2026.
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