Imatra to demolish indoor air problem church

Imatra will demolish the Imatrankoski church this summer due to persistent indoor air quality issues, Yle reports. The building has been closed since 2020.

Though commonly known as a church, the structure is officially classified as a parish hall under church law, allowing the congregation to demolish it without requiring permission from the Church Council. Such buildings were often constructed after the wars and later referred to as churches, despite not being formally designated as such.

The 1954 building, designed by architect Aleksis Lindqvist, has served as a place for baptisms, memorial services, clubs, and musical events. It also functioned as a heritage church for the Jääski congregation, whose original church was lost to the Soviet Union after the Continuation War. Items from Jääski, including an altarpiece, have since been relocated to Tainionkoski church in Imatra.

Imatra parish financial director Pasi Tiimo noted the demolition will save the congregation €30,000–40,000 annually. The work is scheduled to begin in the coming days and aims to finish before the school year starts to minimise traffic disruption.

According to Tapio Laaksonen, group manager at the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency, a small number of post-war church-used buildings have been demolished in Finland over the past decade, primarily due to poor condition or lack of need. However, there has been no widespread demolition trend.