The very same week I again travelled to another city to catch an abandonment, this time on my own. I had read news about a former chapel in the very center of the city of Lahti. It was used by the church until the mid-90’s when it became a daycare center. Abandoned in 2015 due to bad condition, it was considered beyond repair. It was sold to a company, which wanted to demolish it and replace it with a block of flats.
And here it is. The church, which owned it, was a subgroup of a Lutheran revival movement. They strictly disapproved drinking, drugs, popular music, movies, theatre, make up, piercings and sexual minorities. Not a place for me, really.
The building was located on a small hill. And this is where the congregation walked up to the building for their church services.
Getting external photos was difficult because of the buildings location on top of the hill.
The building was very beautiful and everybody would have much wanted to have it preserved. It was originally built to be used only during the warm season and for short periods of time at once. When it was converted to a daycare center, it suffered irreversible damage.
Despite its values, it was so rotten, that even the museum approved its demolition.
As you can see, the location was very central, the marketplace was only some hundreds of metres away. There were lots of people outside on this bright, beautiful winter day, and I soon noticed, that I wouldn’t be able to approach the building without being seen.
I also noticed, that the concrete walls surrounding the lot were beautifully decorated. I chose to do another walkaround. The sign says Doghill.
This one is called the Squirrel’s Nest.
And the main entrance is guarded by an owl.
Hedgehog valley.
Tinier fauna.
Apple Hill.
And finally a circus tent. I still couldn’t find a safe way in, so I called my friend. He took me sightseeing around town and booked the sauna in his home. And so we cooked dinner, drank beer and had a lovely evening, which this church wouldn’t have approved because of the beer.
Growing up, my father made a rather unconventional decision to send me to an all-boys boarding school, where attending church was a non-negotiable part of our routine. Honestly, the whole setting often felt like I’d been plucked straight out of reality and dropped into a Harry Potter movie. The grand halls, the strict rules, the almost mystical atmosphere – it was surreal in every sense of the word. I hated it.
Fast forward to adulthood, and you’ll find that I’ve steered clear of churches. My experiences back then left a lasting impression, making me question a lot about organized religion, especially the one practiced at that school. The truth is, the doctrines and values preached in that church clash significantly with my personal beliefs and lifestyle choices.
While I don’t indulge in alcohol, I’m definitely a fan of pop music, occasional cannabis use, movies, and theater. These forms of entertainment and relaxation bring color to my life, something that the church I knew seemed to vehemently oppose, even here in the US. I am also part of a very small sexual minority group (assigned hermaphrodite at birth, and identify as a lesbian female), and it feels like the church’s teachings don’t just overlook, but outright contradict, the very essence of who I am.
On a lighter note, amidst all these conflicting feelings and memories, there is one thing that brings a smile to my face—the frog. I think that the frog is absolutely adorable. It’s a small, maybe trivial thing, but it reminds me that even in places or situations where we feel out of place, there can be moments, experiences, or things that bring us joy and enrich ones life.
Thank you once again for sharing.
I believe, that religion and churches really have a different role in the society in the US than in Finland. We do have two state churches (lutheran and orthodox), but Finns are in general not a very religious group of people. The majority belong to the church out of habit and they attend services during Christmas time (sometimes during Easter). They take confirmation classes, marry in churches and their memorial services are held in them after they’ve passed.
The state church is not nearly as strict as this subgroup. In fact these strict Christian subgroups form a very small minority inside the church of Finland. Compared to churches abroad, our state church is actually pretty liberal. Of course there is an ongoing battle between the conservatives and liberals inside the church and it sometimes gets pretty ugly. Seeing where you come from, I can very well understand, why you don’t share the values and appreciate the teachings of the church. In your position, I couldn’t do that either.
Although I am not a religious person and have never in my life been a church member (this is veryr rare in my generation, but not any more in the younger ones), I started going to church on Christmas eve, when I quit spending Christmases with my family. I find the grand halls and organ music beautiful and I like the atmosphere there. I don’t care so much for the teachings, but for me this has become an important ritual. Especially when living next to one of the most beautiful churches in the country.