Kerimäki

Before leaving the Savonlinna region, we drove to Kerimäki to see the world’s largest wooden church. Built in 1847-49, it was designed to hold half the population of the parish including market and festival days at one time, some 3000 people when seated in the wooden pews. Standing room will accommodate another 2000 worshipers. (An old wives’ tale says that the architect used centimeters in his design, but the builders were thinking in inches. Wrong!) Still in use today during warmer months, it has a cathedral-like ambiance to add to the religious experience of the parishioners.

Parishioners helped build the church according to their income, an early version of a graduated income tax. Every male between the ages of 16 and 60 was required to participate in the construction.

Basically square in shape with a separate clock/bell tower, the church is entirely made of wood. Huge pillars painted to look like marble support the high ceiling along with laminated crossbeams. Four wood stoves used to provide heat, but today the congregation uses a smaller winter church when the weather gets too cold. Except for Christmas, of course. The church is well lit by the sunlight in summer. The only interior lighting is from a series of candlelit chandeliers holding at least 250 candles. Lighting those must be quite a project for the lamplighter.

The dome reaches a height of 37 meters, over 120 feet. The exterior measurements are 45 meters by 42 meters. 1670 meters of pews provide seating. The bell tower is now used as a gift shop to support the parish and some of the local artisans. Along with coffee and cakes, we saw a large variety of woolen knitted gloves and scarves along with some sauna hats. These are cone-shaped hats that help keep one cool in the sauna and warm outside on cold days. Cherie purchased some gloves as gifts, but we passed on the sauna hats.

From Kerimäki, we headed for another drive through forest and lake country to Jyvaskyla, our next stop.