Sulkava church and memorials

The churches of Sulkava have always been located in the same area, in the centre of the village. The location of the church on the shores of Lake Saimaa is a natural place, considering that a significant part of the parishioners have come to the church by water. The oldest known church was built in 1653 and the next one was completed in 1753.

In the churchyard of Sulkava Church is a monument to past generations, with stones from each of the 37 villages of Sulkava. The churches built in 1653 and 1753 stood on the site of the monument. In the churchyard of the parish church there is a monument to the heroes of the liberation and civil wars and memorials to the fallen, as well as a monument to the Elfsborg regiment. The Elfsborg Regiment fought in the Gustav III Wars of 1788-1790.

Church in the middle of the village

The parish of Sulkava is the former Sääming Chapel in the Eastern Gulf. Sulkava became an independent parish in 1630. The oldest known church was built in 1653, and the church before the present one a hundred years later. It was already on the same site as the present third church, built in 1822. The location of the church, at the mouth of the Uitonvirta river in the bay of Lake Saimaa, was therefore the best possible location for the churchgoers arriving by boat on the waterways.

The church was designed by the Italian-born state architect Ch. Bass. However, the master builder Salonen probably carried out the building work relatively freely. In 1851, the church was already the subject of major alterations and repairs, which resulted in the present, larger form of the church. The belfry is older than the church. It was built in 1770 by Matti Petrell.

Image: municipality of Sulkava

Source: Savonlinnan seurakunta