Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
13h ago

Poland Inaugurates Europe’s Tallest Statue of the Virgin Mary

Funded by Roman and Grażyna Karkosik, the 55.6‑metre votive monument is expected to reshape pilgrimage patterns in the Konotopie region.

KONOTOPIE, Poland (AP) - An enormous statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be Europe's tallest was inaugurated on Saturday in a small Polish village, financed by one of Poland's richest businesspeople. The monument towers 55.6 meters (182 feet) over Konotopie in central Poland, home to fewer than 150 people. Its height includes a crown-shaped 15-meter (49-foot) pedestal. It's taller - if less dramatically located - than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which measures some 38 meters (125 feet) including its pedestal. It also surpasses another recent large-scale religious monument in Poland, the Christ the King statue in the western town of Swiebodzin, which was unveiled in 2010 and - complete with the mound it stands on - rises some 52 meters (170 feet) above the ground. There is a taller statue of the Virgin Mary in the Philippines, which measures some 98 meters (322 feet). But the new one in Poland is believed to be the largest of its kind in Europe. Visitors look at the statue of the Virgin Mary during finishing works on the construction site in Konotopie village, next to Torun, central Poland on 22 July 2026. In a nondescript village in northern-central Poland, a statue of the Virgin Mary, towers above what residents hope is the traditionally Catholic country's newest pilgrimage destination. At 55 meters high, the concrete and steel beam figure in Konotopie is the tallest Marian statue in Europe, and second in the world. (Photo by Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • The statue was formally blessed by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski on Saturday, August 15, 2026, during a Mass that linked the new monument to the local Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows.
  • The full structure measures about 55.6 metres (182 feet), including a 15‑metre crown‑shaped pedestal that houses a viewing terrace, and was designed by sculptor Adam Jakub Matejkowski.
  • Patrons Roman and Grażyna Karkosik commissioned and privately funded the project as a votive offering after Roman Karkosik’s illness, according to statements reported by organizers and the diocese.
  • The inauguration featured public pageantry, including helicopter‑dropped roses and the presence of former president Lech Wałęsa, and local officials report visitors are already arriving.
  • Officials and residents expect the monument to boost pilgrimage and tourism in the tiny village of Konotopie and nearby Toruń, prompting plans for visitor management and local infrastructure adjustments.