Salla Church

The present Salla Church was built between 1948 and 1950. The church was designed by the architects Eero Eerikäinen and Osmo Sipari. The Danish Lutheran congregations helped to build it. The surface area of the main hall of the church building, located at the centre of Salla, is 630 m², it seats 600 people, and the height of the steeple is 35 m.

Many beautiful details can be found inside the church. The pulpit was donated by Weber, a Danish carpenter, the organ on the balcony was designed by the artist Juhani Pohjanmies and manufactured by the Kangasala Organ Factory in 1949. The glass etchings on the interior doors of the church are by the artist Yrjö Rosola. The bronze altar relief was designed by the sculptor Aimo Tukiainen. There is also a granite sculpture in the church yard ‘Hauta etulinjassa’ (Grave at the Frontline), designed by Tukianen in 1953, with the names of the 315 fallen soldiers from Salla engraved in the pedestal. The parish hall next to the church, completed in 1980, was designed by the architect Matti Leiber. In front of the hall is a statue commemorating the evacuees ‘Lyhyt lepohetki’ (A Moment’s Rest), designed by the artist professor Ensio Seppänen in 1986.

Service is held in the church on Sundays at 11:00. In addition, concert and music events are arranged in the church.

In summer the church and the summer cafe in the Old Hall of the church are open Mon-Fri from 11 am to 5 pm until July 30, 2023.

To visit the church at other times, please enquire at the Salla Museum of War and Reconstruction.