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Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Historic Swedish church on the move in logistical feat
[KIRUNA] With great fanfare, a historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings began its slow move from its home in the Arctic town of Kiruna on Tuesday (Aug 19) to allow the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna's entire town centre is being moved because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, whose ever deeper burrowing over the years has weakened the ground, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing 672-tonne Swedish Lutheran church from 1912, is being moved five kilometres on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, inching along at a pace of half a kilometre an hour over two days to the new Kiruna town. The complex and costly logistical operation kicked off after a blessing by Bishop Asa Nystrom and Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, with the trailers' 220 wheels slowly pulling out under sunny blue skies. One of the trickiest parts of the meticulously choreographed journey was the start, officials said, with the 1,200-tonne convoy required to make a turn and roll down a slight incline to reach the main road it was to travel on. Throughout its journey on Tuesday, workers in yellow vests and helmets scrambled around the structure, taking measurements and conducting tests to ensure everything proceeded as planned. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3:50 pm (1350 GMT), more than an hour ahead of schedule. It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon. 'Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again,' LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom said, admitting he had been 'a little worried about this'. 'Unique event' The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people. King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live – a new iteration of the 'slow TV' trend. The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor (S$67 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40 metres tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece. LKAB has called the relocation 'a unique event in world history'. Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas – not through small towns. The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24 metres, and levelled to provide a smooth ride. 'Not just any building' Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who travelled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck. 'It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building,' she said. Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel Stolen, which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings. 'I'm glad the church is being moved... anything else would have been a scandal,' she told SVT. 'It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul. 'I was baptised, confirmed and married in this church,' she said. 'But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear,' she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move. LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. 'But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece,' LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson said, adding the move was being handled 'with great reverence'. 'This is not just any building, it's a church.' Particular attention was paid to protect both the church's large organ, with its more than 2,000 pipes, and the altarpiece, a pastel landscape painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947). The bell tower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week. AFP
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Historic Swedish church on the move in logistical feat
KIRUNA, Sweden (AFP) -- With great fanfare, a historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings began its slow move from its home in the Arctic town of Kiruna on Tuesday to allow the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna's entire town center is being moved because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, whose ever deeper burrowing over the years has weakened the ground, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing 672-metric-ton Swedish Lutheran church from 1912, is being moved 5 kilometers on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, inching along at a pace of half a kilometer an hour over two days to the new Kiruna town. The complex and costly logistical operation kicked off after a blessing by Bishop Asa Nystrom and Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, with the trailers' 220 wheels slowly pulling out under sunny blue skies. One of the trickiest parts of the meticulously choreographed journey was the start, officials said, with the 1,200-metric-ton convoy required to make a turn and roll down a slight incline to reach the main road it was to travel on. Throughout its journey on Tuesday, workers in yellow vests and helmets scrambled around the structure, taking measurements and conducting tests to ensure everything proceeded as planned. After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3:50 p.m., more than an hour ahead of schedule. It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon. "Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again," LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom said, admitting he had been "a little worried about this." Unique event The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people. King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live -- a new iteration of the "slow TV" trend. The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town center was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40 meters tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece. LKAB has called the relocation "a unique event in world history." Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas -- not through small towns. The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24 meters, and leveled to provide a smooth ride. Not just any building Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who traveled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck. "It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building," she said. Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel "Stolen," which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings. "I'm glad the church is being moved ... anything else would have been a scandal," she told SVT. "It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul." "I was baptized, confirmed and married in this church," she said. "But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear," she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move. LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. "But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece," LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson said, saying the move was being handled "with great reverence." "This is not just any building, it's a church." Particular attention was paid to protect both the church's large organ, with its more than 2,000 pipes, and altarpiece, a pastel landscape painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947). The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week.
Rhyl Journal
4 hours ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Swedish church sets off on three-mile road trip to new city centre
The Kiruna Church — called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish — and its belfry are being moved this week along a five-kilometre (three-mile) route east to a new city centre as part of the town's relocation. The world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town, meaning the church and the rest of the town need to be moved. This week, thousands of visitors have descended upon Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town, at 200 kilometres (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle. It's home to roughly 23,000 inhabitants, including members of the Sami Indigenous people, spread over nearly 19,500 square kilometres (7,528 square miles). Lena Tjarnberg, the church's vicar, kicked off the move with a blessing on Tuesday morning. The church's move is expected to last until Wednesday afternoon. This week's move has turned into a two-day, highly choreographed media spectacle, run by LKAB, the state-owned mining company, and featuring an appearance by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. Musical performances will include a set from KAJ, Sweden's 2025 Eurovision entry, who had been the bookies' favourite to win this year's contest. Known for both the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, Kiruna and the surrounding area are a major draw year-round for visitors to Swedish Lapland. But not everyone is thrilled about LKAB's extravaganza. Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, chairman of one of the Sami reindeer herding organisations in Kiruna, said LKAB's plans for a new mine could threaten reindeer migration routes and imperil the livelihood of herders in the area. The move of Kiruna's town centre, including the church, has been in the works since 2004. As the mine expanded deeper underground, residents began seeing cracks in buildings and roads. In order to reach a new depth of 1,365 meters (4,478 feet) — and to prevent Kiruna from being swallowed up — officials began moving buildings to a new downtown at a safe distance from the mine. As of July, 25 buildings had been lifted up onto beams and wheeled east. Sixteen, including the church, remain. At approximately 40 metres (131 feet) wide with a weight of 672 tonnes, the church required extra effort. Engineers widened a major road from nine metres to 24 metres (30 to 79 feet) and dismantled a viaduct to make way for a new intersection. A driver, using a large control box, is piloting the church through the route as it travels roughly 12 hours over Tuesday and Wednesday, with a pause each day for fika, the traditional Swedish afternoon coffee break. It's expected to move at a varying pace between 0.5 and 1.5 kilometres per hour (0.31 and 0.93 miles per hour). Stefan Holmblad Johansson, LKAB's project manager for the move, would not say how much it has cost the mining company.
Int'l Business Times
5 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Historic Swedish Church On The Move In Logistical Feat
With great fanfare, a historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings began its slow move from its home in the Arctic town of Kiruna on Tuesday to allow the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna's entire town centre is being moved because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, whose ever deeper burrowing over the years has weakened the ground, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing 672-tonne Swedish Lutheran church from 1912, is being moved five kilometres (three miles) on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, inching along at a pace of half a kilometre an hour over two days to the new Kiruna town. The complex and costly logistical operation kicked off after a blessing by Bishop Asa Nystrom and Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, with the trailers' 220 wheels slowly pulling out under sunny blue skies. One of the trickiest parts of the meticulously choreographed journey was the start, officials said, with the 1,200-tonne convoy required to make a turn and roll down a slight incline to reach the main road it was to travel on. Throughout its journey on Tuesday, workers in yellow vests and helmets scrambled around the structure, taking measurements and conducting tests to ensure everything proceeded as planned. After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3:50 pm (1350 GMT), more than an hour ahead of schedule. It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon. "Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again," LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom told AFP, admitting he had been "a little worried about this". The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people. King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live -- a new iteration of the "slow TV" trend. The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40 metres (131 feet) tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece. LKAB has called the relocation "a unique event in world history". Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas -- not through small towns. The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24 metres, and levelled to provide a smooth ride. Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who travelled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck. "It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building," she told AFP. Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel "Stolen", which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings. "I'm glad the church is being moved... anything else would have been a scandal," she told SVT. "It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul. "I was baptised, confirmed and married in this church," she said. "But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear," she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move. LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. "But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece," LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP, saying the move was being handled "with great reverence". "This is not just any building, it's a church." The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week. The wooden church in Kiruna, northern Sweden, is being moved as part of a relocation of the city centre AFP The 672-tonne structure is being moved on remote-controlled flatbed trailers at half a kilometre an hour over two days AFP The move is being broadcast live on Swedish television and has attracted huge interest AFP The state-owned operator of the Kiruna iron ore mine, LKAB, has offered to compensate those affected by the relocation AFP
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Swedish church being moved three miles to prevent it being swallowed by underground mine
One of Sweden's most famous wooden churches is being moved to a new site - to prevent it from being swallowed by the world's largest underground iron-ore mine. The Kiruna Church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, and its belfry, are being moved this week along a three-mile route east to a new city centre. They are the latest buildings to be moved from the current location of Kiruna - Sweden's northernmost city, which is around 124 miles inside the Arctic Circle. The city has a population of around 23,000 people, including members of the Indigenous Sami community, living across an area of nearly 7,528 square miles. This week, thousands of visitors have descended upon the city to watch and take part in the moving of the church. The church's vicar, Lena Tjarnberg, kicked off the move with a blessing on Tuesday morning. The move is expected to take until Wednesday afternoon. The relocation of the church has become a meticulously planned two-day media event, organised by LKAB, the state-owned mining company, and highlighted by an appearance from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf. It will feature a music show, including a performance by KAJ, Sweden's 2025 Eurovision representative, who had been the bookmakers' top pick to win this year's competition, but finished fourth behind Austria, Israel and Estonia. Stefan Holmblad Johansson, LKAB's project manager for the move, would not say how much the move had cost the mining company. Famous for its Midnight Sun and Northern Lights, Kiruna and its surrounding region attract visitors to Swedish Lapland throughout the entire year. The move of Kiruna's centre, including the church, has been in the works since 2004. As the nearby mine expanded deeper underground, residents began seeing cracks in buildings and roads. In order to reach a new depth of 1,365 meters (4,478 feet) - and to prevent Kiruna from being swallowed up - officials began moving buildings to a new downtown at a safe distance from the mine. As of July, 25 buildings had been lifted onto beams and wheeled east. Sixteen, including the church, remain. The Sami reindeer herding organisations in Kiruna have warned that a new mine could threaten reindeer migration routes and imperil the livelihood of herders in the area.
