The small church in Vuokki is idyllically situated on a peninsula in the huge 30 km long Lake Vuokkijärvi. ‘It's our village church, which was built in 1954 on the initiative of the people of Vuokki,’ explains 66-year-old Kirsti Pyhälvoto-Keranen at a large table in the parish room directly adjacent to the chruch. ‘We call it the border church because it is only about 15 kilometres from the border with Russia.’ When the church was built, around 500 people lived in the village; today there are around 200 including many rural villages. At the village Ala-Vuokki, where the church is situated, live about 23 people around the year, but there are about 50 summer cottages.
The church was built by the village people and given to parish of Suomussalmi free in 1954. It became too expensive for the church to maintain the building, and in 2020 it was announced that the church was to be sold. However, the people of Vuokki did not accept this. They therefore established the Vuokki Border Church Association in 2020 to look after the church themselves and bring the building back to life. ‘We got the building for free, but since then we are obliged to look after it ourselves’, says Kirsti. ‘At the moment, the association has 137 members who pay their membership fee,’ adds 74-year-old Ilmari Schepel. ‘We also have members who no longer live here, but at least support the church of their childhood financially.’
The association generates additional income, for example, by renting out the rooms for family celebrations such as birthdays or weddings, as well as through its own events, such as concerts. ‘We offer food and drinks, coffee and cake for sale at such events,’ says Kirsti. The church has a small flat that was previously used by a parish nurse. ‘Now we rent it out as a guest flat.’ The association also runs a small shop with local products and photo calendars featuring motifs from around the church.
‘Financially, we are making ends meet,’ summarises Ilmari. ‘But this only works because we have so many volunteers who contribute their various talents and expertise.’ He estimates the hard core of volunteers to be around ten people. They renovate, make coffee, prepare the flat for guests, look for artists or organise meetings for people in the village. Kirsti emphasizes that the church is open to all people and faiths.
For Kirsti herself, maintaining the church as a meeting place for the people of Vuokki is the main reason for her commitment. It is important to know that the village with its 200 inhabitants covers an area around 30 kilometres in diameter. People rarely meet their neighbours by chance but need places to actively shape village life. "The church project has had a positive impact on the community in Vuokki. There really is a sense of community here."
A church service is also held once a month in the border church. ‘One of the active members of the association is a retired pastor,’ explains Ilmari. During the summer months, the church is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. People can simply walk in and linger for a moment. "None of us has to be present, the door is simply open. We know from the entries in the guest book that this is well received," says Kirsti.
In Finland, this example of community involvement in the preservation of churches is still an exception. It is usually private individuals who buy the churches and then look for a new use for them.
Most of the people who are involved in the association are retired. They are all still fit and able to contribute. But what about in a few years' time? ‘We don't have an answer to that,’ says Ilmar. ‘It's good for us and we'll carry on for as long as we can.’ After all, there is a young family with children in Vuokki. ‘There could be more, but it's hard for young families to find a house,’ says Kirsti. Many houses are empty all year round and are only used for a maximum of two weeks in the summer. But people don't want to sell them because of tradition. ‘It's not so bad for families in Vuokki, because we still have a shop and an active village life,’ adds Ilmari. There is some hope for the church and the village meeting place: ‘There are always people who move back from South-Finland into this area after their active working lives, because of the beautiful nature and good facilities. They are then younger than us and can continue our work.’
