A church built in 1812 at the Lentiira village of Karelia region in Finland has a name as Kirveskansan kirkko
which means a “church of people with knives and axes”.
It is said that the church building as the prayers’ place was burnt down by invaded Soviet soldiers in 1940.
Though, after the war, a new church was built at near the center of village,
there is a memorial monument at the original spot.
This monument at a small village which I accidentally encountered while I was staying at Finland for a year,
was stuck at my mind even after I came back to my home in Japan.
It was the time I started visiting Shinto shrines to gaze objects called
“Himorogi”, or “Iwakura”, which gods exist within.
Since then, I have been researching this village of population 174 which shares its border with Russia.
For this time of world unstable, I am waiting to revisit this prayers' spot
with a hope that the border which amended in 70 years ago, will not be changed again.
