Photo spectacular operation to move an emblematic building for Sweden. The 5 km road lasted two days

The magnificent red wooden church in Kiruna, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Sweden, arrived in its new location, after a two -day journey on wheels. The move was made in the relocation of the Kiruna mining city, determined by the exploitation of the deposits in the area, informs AFP, taken by Agerpres.

The development of the mine, the largest in Europe, operated by the Swedish company LKAB, increases the risk of collapse in certain areas, which led to the movement of the Arctic town. The group offered either to financially compensate all those affected by the relocation, or to rebuild their homes and other structures.

Move was done in the presence of the king

Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing Swedish Lutheran church of 672 tons, dating from 1912, has been completely moved. The relocation at a distance of five kilometers, a technical performance, was made with the help of remote-controlled trailers, which went 500 meters per hour.

Transmitted live on Swedish television, the operation, which started on Tuesday morning, was completed without problems Wednesday afternoon, and the church is currently near the locality cemetery. “Everything went incredibly well,” said the project manager, Roy Grip, for the Swedish SVT television station, who broadcast the entire move.

While the structure was moving, the pastor in Kiruna, Lena Tjarnberg, officiated a religious service for dignitaries in a shelter similar to a traditional “Laavu” of the indigenous population Sami. This move generated a great interest and took place under the eyes of a crowd made up of about 10,000 tourists.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was also present. He conversed in particular with one of the operators involved in the move, the Argentine Sebastian Drucker, who controlled the convoy with a joystick. The sovereign was to participate in an attempt to break down the world record for the number of people participating in a “kyrkkaffe”, a traditional coffee break at the church.

The process of relocating the city began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue in the coming years. The new city center was officially inaugurated in September 2022.

Rare ores, cause to move an entire city

Many inhabitants, however, criticized Lkab, among them being Alex Johansson and Magnus Fredriksson, who together make a podcast with local news from Kiruna. “LKAB may not understand the mood of the population well when it destroyed the whole city and then organized this huge popular holiday for the inhabitants,” Fredriksson told SVT.

“It's like saying, 'Here's some space to place Kiruna; now we continue to make billions here,” Johansson commented. They said, however, relieved that the church was saved. “It is good that the wood chips are not coming, like the rest of the city of Kiruna,” said Fredriksson.

Only the relocation of the church, financed entirely by LKAB, would cost 500 million crowns (44.8 million euros). With a width of 40 meters and a weight of 672 tons, the imposing church, designed by the Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, combines various architectural influences. The banks in the church are decorated with motifs inspired by Sami culture, the indigenous population of the region.

The dark interior presents elements of the national romantic style, as well as an altar Art Nouveau painted by Prince Eugen of Sweden (1865-1947), depicting a landscape in pastel colors, inspired by his travels in Tuscany and southwest of Sweden. The windows of the church, made of manually blown glass, were removed before moving. The bell tower, which was separately near the church, is to be moved next week.

LKAB, which exploits iron ore at a depth of 1,365 meters in Kiruna, announced in 2023 that it has discovered the largest known elements in the rare land group. It is right next to the iron ore mine. Rare lands are essential for ecological transition and are used in the manufacture of electric vehicles.

The general manager of the group, Jan Moström, told AFP that the deposit is “very important for Europe”, at a time when the continent is trying to reduce his addiction to imports from China.

Environmental activists, in their turn, believe that mining operations destroy the immaculate forests and lakes in the region, while disturbing the activities of growth of reindeer, usually traditional Sami population.