Koria church 12.10.15

On Saturday, 9th October something horrible happened My Emmie, who is almost 14 years old and almost deaf, disappeared as we went walking. We searched and searched, three days we spend in the woods, but couldn't find her. I was already sure I would see her never again. Then, on Monday I got a phone call from the local animal shelter: a young couple had found my little princess wandering on the higway towards home and they had picked her up and brought to the police station and now I could fetch her home! This was one of the luckiest moment in my life. God had heard my prayers and Emmie had also had alert guardian angels. I shoot this photo on my way home from the shelter, so endless felicitous to have all my four dogs at the steps - this little church sits in the near and as you can see, also a church can look ugly modest.

This evangelic brick church of Koria was build in 1951 by the architect Y. Vaskinen. It's altarpiece is actually the old one from the Elimäki church and it pictures Messiah in Gethsemane, painted by E. W. Ekman in 1871. It hangs in Koria church since 1978. In the church there is room for 400 people.

Pälkäne St Michel church ruins 27.9.2015

I had a training camp with my dogs and I drove past these church ruins and decided to photograph it on my way home. The funniest thing is, that I had already forgotten, that the first church I photographed with my dogs wasn't Mikkeli cathedral after all, but these church ruins. It was back in 2010 after an obedience competition. Unfortunately I can't find this photo anymore. 

The church was architected and built probably between 1495 and 1505. The reformation from catholic to evangelic church impacted some changes in the church - all the saint sculptures were removed and the church got pews and a pulpit. Equally to the Iitti church also Pälkäne church was robbed and damaged by Russian troops during the Great Russian Wrath between 1714 - 1721. Foundation of the church started to sink around 1740 and because there was a new church built in Pälkäne 1839, this old church was abandoned. In 1890 the roof collapsed in a storm. You can see the wooden saint sculptures of Saint Olaf II of Norway and Lawrence of Rome now in National Museum in Helsinki. 

In one of the bricks in the doorframe there is a
dog pawprint

Here you can see how it looks inside the church

Vallentuna church, Sweden 18.9.2015

Today I'm proud to present my first church abroad! I participated the Nordic championships for working dogs in Vallentuna, Sweden, with my dog Mervi. For the opening ceremony we gathered around this old and beautiful evangelic granite church. That's why my dogs are wearing their Finland costumes. I had very little time to shoot my photos - I didn't for example take their leash off and I'm aware that with a little more time I could have had so much better photos. I'm also sorry and disappointed that I saw some extremely beautiful small churches worth to photograph, but had absolutely no time for more photos. 

The original church was built already in 1190 and enlarged in 15th century. Vallentuna church was hit by lightning and a fire damaged it badly in 1856. 

The piece of paper tells visitors are welcome

Nastola church 14.9.2015

I have my Italian class in Lahti city every Monday and Friday and today my dogs Mervi and Terttu wanted to come with me, so I decided to shoot a church photo in Nastola, which is a small locality next to my home village Iitti. 

This evangelical wooden church is built in 1802 - 1804 by a church architect Mats Akergren. The bell tower is however older, from 1760 and it was moved to it's actual place in 1804. The church had a complete renovation in 2001, but as you can see, it really would need a new, fresh coat of paint again. The altar painting portrays crucified Jesus, the painter is unknown.

Iitti church 16.8.2015

Today's church is my home church. This Sunday morning I participated a regular service of worship. Afterwords I took my dogs for a little walk to wait that all church visitors had left so I could take my photos.

This little wooden church with a dutch style roof was built in 1693 and is therefore one of only 15 wooden churches from this period left in whole country. This church is the second one in Iitti and it had withstood some difficult times. Oral traditions tell, during the Great Northern War Russians used it as horse stable and it was in such bad shape that it was almost pulled down, but luckily some mansion owners felt sense of duty and donated for the church. The altar painting by Felix Frang is from 1917 and it portrays crucifixion of Jesus.

Elimäki church 27.7.2015

I was driving to my parents and wanted to shoot at least one dogs and chuchs -photo and so I made a little detour and stopped at this church in the village where my grandfather comes from. Unfortunately there were a no dogs -sign (maybe because the church is surrounded by a cemetary) and some elderly ladies standing in front of the church so I couldn't take my pictures. However, when I decide something, it is difficult to scrap the idea, so I made a new detour on my way home. It was already almost eleven o'clock and therefore getting dark, but luckily I managed to shoot some photos.

Elimäki church was built in 1638 and is one of the oldest wooden churches in Finland. This baroque style cross church has cultural historically very valuable three-pieces-altar painting from the former church. I couldn't find any information to the painter, but it was donated by Casper Wrede, who brouht it as plundering from the thirty years's war.

Kymi church 27.7.2015

I visited my parents in Kotka and my mother and I went shopping. I decided to stop at this church. The family of my mother comes from this region, so we have had many ceremonies - for example weddings and funerals - there. 

This present church of Kymi is the second oldest building still in use in whole Kotka. It was inaugurated in midsummer 1851. The neoclassical empire style church was built of wood and stone following C. L. Engel's design. The altar painting is called Jesus in Gethsemane was painted by Berndt Godenhjelm in 1865. The previous wooden church of Kymi burned in 1837 and as the following church was not even completely finished in 1843 it was destroyed by arson. My mother knew it was the sacristan who burned the church for a reason, but why, that didn't she remember and unfortunately I also found nothing about it in internet.