| Rovaniemi Church Rovaniemen kirkko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Church (building) |
| Location | |
| Location | Rovaniemi, Finland |
| Geographic coordinates | 66°29′40.81″N 025°43′43.75″E / 66.4946694°N 25.7288194°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Bertel Liljequist |
| Style | Reconstruction |
| Completed | 1950 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 850 |
| Materials | Stone |
The Rovaniemi Church (Finnish: Rovaniemen kirkko) is a church located in the city center of Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland. The 850-seat church, designed by architect Bertel Liljequist, was completed in 1950.[1] The earlier church building, completed in 1817, was burnt down by the Nazis during the Lapland War on October 16, 1944.[2][3]
The specialties of the church include a Christian cross on the roof, which is lit with a red neon light (only visible at night). The choice of color once sparked widespread debate.[4] The color of the cross is red because of its symbolic meaning: "Bloody Cross on top of the Promissory Note."[5] During 2005, Rovaniemi Church was renovated. The most visible change was the renewal of the water cover made copper.[6]
The large altar fresco (14 meters high and 11 meters wide) was made by Professor Lennart Segerstråle in 1951. The work is called Elämän lähde ("The Source of Life").[7][8][9]
