Sodankylä

Sodankylä lies by the Kitinen River in the forests of central Lapland. Sámi communities used the surrounding rivers and fells long before a permanent church was first raised here. In 1688 King Charles XI provided funds for its construction, and the small timber church was completed the following year. Its log walls, low roof and wooden fittings give it the character of an old northern chapel.

The church served a wide but sparsely populated district of Kemi Lapland. In 1747 Sodankylä became an independent parish, encompassing the villages of Sodankylä, Sompio, Kemikylä and Kittilä. People travelled from distant river valleys and forests to gather at the church and market place, bringing together communities whose seasonal lives extended far beyond the church village.