This Swedish church is being moved down the road before a mine swallows its town

KIRUNA, Sweden (AP) — How do you move one of Sweden’s most beloved wooden churches down the road? With a little engineering, a lot of prayer — and some Eurovision for good luck.

The Kiruna Church — called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish — is being moved this week along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east as part of the town’s relocation. It’s happening because the world’s largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town.

This week, thousands of visitors have descended on Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town at 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle. It's home to roughly 23,000 people, including members of the Sami Indigenous people, spread over nearly 19,500 square kilometers (7,528 square miles).

Lena Tjärnberg, the church’s vicar, kicked off the move with a blessing Tuesday morning after the church was lifted on beams to be wheeled across town.

Thousands of spectators lined the streets, bundled up in layers for strong winds and temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit), as the church inched along for hours at a glacial pace.

The journey is scheduled to end Wednesday afternoon.

In 2001, the Swedish people voted the wooden church the “best building of all time, built before 1950” in a poll connected to the Ministry of Culture. Built on a hill so worshippers could overlook Kiruna, the Swedish Lutheran church was designed to emulate the Sami style as a gift from LKAB, the state-owned mining company.

The Kiruna mine itself dates back to 1910 and the church was completed in 1912. Its neo-Gothic exterior is considered the town's most distinctive building, and tourists regularly traveled there before it was closed a year ago to prepare for the relocation. It's set to reopen in the new location at the end of 2026.

Tjärnberg said the final service in the old spot was bittersweet.

"The last day you go down the stairs and close the church door, you know it's going to be several years before you can open it — and in a new place,” she said. “We don't know how it's going to feel to open the door.”

This week's move has turned into a two-day, highly choreographed spectacle, run by LKAB and featuring an appearance by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. Musical performances include a set from KAJ, Sweden’s 2025 Eurovision entry that was the bookies’ favorite to win this year’s contest. It lost out to classically trained countertenor JJ of Austria.

SVT, Sweden's national broadcaster, is livestreaming and billing it as “The Great Church Walk” to play off its success with the spring showing of “The Great Moose Migration” that has enthralled millions of viewers annually since 2019.

Known for both the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, Kiruna and the surrounding area is a major draw year-round for visitors to Swedish Lapland. The region also features the Aurora Sky Station, the Icehotel and Kebnekaise, the Nordic country’s highest mountain.

British tourists Anita and Don Haymes had already trekked to Kiruna twice before this year's trip. When they heard about the church's move, they changed their itinerary to ensure they'd be here for it.

“It's an amazing feat that they are doing,” Anita Haymes said Sunday. “It'll be interesting to see it moving, unbelievable.”

Swedish spectator Johan Arveli traveled 10 hours to be part of Tuesday's crowd.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a couple of years," he said. "I didn’t know what to expect. I had to see it because it’s a weird thing and a big thing.”

But not everyone is thrilled about LKAB's extravaganza. Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, chairman of one of the Sami reindeer herding organizations 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 center 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 onto beams and wheeled east. Sixteen, including the church, remain.

At approximately 40 meters (131 feet) wide with a weight of 672 metric tons (741 tons), the church required extra effort. Engineers widened a major road from 9 meters to 24 meters (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 kilometers per hour (0.31 and 0.93 miles per hour).

Frida Albertsson, who moved to Kiruna six months ago, said she was initially “very nervous” for the church's move.

“I was worried that it was going to fall apart," she said Tuesday. "But it didn’t, so I’m very happy.”

Stefan Holmblad Johansson, LKAB's project manager for the move, would not say how much it has cost the mining company.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

On a specially designed trolley with 224 wheels, Kiruna Church is moved for relocation at a speed of half a kilometer per hour, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday Aug. 19, 2025. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

People gather outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, during its move along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, left, and Bishop Asa Nystrom bless the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, shortly before being moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

People gather outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, as it is being moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, left, and Bishop Asa Nystrom bless the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, shortly before being moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

People take photographs outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, as it is being moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

On a specially designed trolley with 224 wheels, Kiruna Church is being moved at a speed of half a kilometre per hour, in Kiruna, Sweden, Tuesday Aug. 19, 2025. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

Construction signs are placed outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation.(AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

Beams placed on an wheeled structure support the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation.(AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

Construction workers and media stand near the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation.(AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

People look at the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation.(AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenians will vote Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russian.

Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks, while high-ranking officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia’s path to that already taken by Ukraine.

Armenian investigators said they issued six arrest warrants for members of the opposition Strong Armenia party the day before the vote, accusing them of buying votes. The nation's Central Election Committee confirmed Saturday that the party could run after a member of another opposition party, Republic, appealed for Strong Armenia to be barred over corruption allegations.

Armenia’s Parliament, the National Assembly, must consist of at least 101 members who are elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4% of the vote to take a seat, while blocs made up of three or more parties must hit 8%.

Two political blocs and 17 parties are taking part in Sunday's election. Most pollsters and experts have predicted Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 following sweeping street protests, will come out ahead.

“I think Armenians expect, first of all, a peaceful, independent and prosperous Armenia from this election, as we have today,” said Hripsime Grigoryan, a Civil Contract member of the outgoing Parliament.

Pashinyan has spoken on several occasions about the need for a balanced foreign policy ensuring Armenia maintains good relations with the United States, Europe and Russia, as well as regional powers such as Turkey and Iran.

Despite this, Pashinyan has attracted far more enthusiasm in the West than in Moscow. He has been endorsed by several European leaders, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, of Armenia, a great friend and Leader, is making his Country strong, wealthy, and very secure,” Trump wrote on social media, urging Armenians to “Make (Armenia) Great Again.”

This has displeased the Kremlin. Speaking to journalists after Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Putin said if the Armenian people saw benefits in joining the European Union then “we will certainly have nothing to say against it.”

Yet he also reminded reporters, “We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine’s joining or attempting to join the EU.”

Unlike the Civil Contract party, most of Armenia’s opposition supports building stronger relations with Moscow.

The Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with Moscow. Party leader Samvel Karapetyan is on trial for allegedly advocating for the government's overthrow, which the Armenian-Russian billionaire has rejected as a politically motivated case. He has coordinated the party's campaign while under house arrest, aided by his nephew Narek Karapetyan.

Other potential contenders include former President Robert Kocharyan, who leads the Hayastan bloc and has accused Pashinyan of “seriously undermining” relations with Russia, and the Prosperous Armenia Party led by pro-Russian business owner Gagik Tsarukyan.

These parties also have strongly criticized Pashinyan for attempting to normalize relations with neighboring Azerbaijan. The Armenian leader and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialed a document on moving toward a peace deal at the White House alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in August.

The two countries were locked in a decades-long conflict over the fate of Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region during a rapid offensive in 2023.

“I want this government to change because the condition of our country is getting worse,” Sahakyan Elina, a supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party, told The Associated Press at a rally Thursday. “I don’t want to live with my enemies in unity.”

Russian officials have slapped new restrictions on Armenian produce in the run-up to the parliamentary vote, banning the import of Armenian flowers, certain types of cognac and wine, eggplants, potatoes, dried fruits, fish and more.

Russia says the bans are related to violations of agricultural import rules.

The European Commission on Thursday described the move as “nothing short of economic coercion.”

“By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponizing economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well,” the commission said in a statement.

Moscow also controls a significant portion of Armenia’s energy and infrastructure and supplies it with cheap gas, which is a point that Putin has been quick to drive home in his meetings with Pashinyan.

Putin also has stressed that Armenia cannot join the EU and remain within the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led customs bloc.

“Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible,” Putin said. “It’s simply impossible by definition.”

Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England. and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.

Supporters of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gather in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, June 5, 2026, for the party's final campaign rally ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

People walk along a street near a campaign advertisement for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Supporters of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party leading by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hold up heart signs while gathering in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, June 5, 2026, for the party's final campaign rally ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meet at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, Pool, File)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan poses for a selfie photo with a supporter as he walks on Northern Avenue in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, June 1, 2026, during public celebrations marking International Children's Day. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)