Europe’s Tallest Virgin Mary Statue Inaugurated in Poland
A 55.6-metre statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the tallest Marian monument in Europe, has been inaugurated in the small Polish village of Konotopie.
The monument was formally opened on August 15, 2026, the Catholic Feast of the Assumption, following more than a year of construction.
The structure rises 182 feet above the countryside in central Poland and includes a 15-metre crown-shaped pedestal with a viewing platform. The statue itself measures about 40.6 metres.
That makes the monument taller overall than Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, which stands about 38 metres including its pedestal, and Poland’s own Christ the King monument in Świebodzin. A significantly taller Virgin Mary monument exists in the Philippines, meaning the Polish statue is not the world’s largest.
The project was privately financed by Polish businessman Roman Karkosik and his wife, Grażyna Karkosik.
Karkosik built much of his wealth through manufacturing and investments on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and is regarded as one of Poland’s wealthiest business figures. The couple have described the monument as an expression of gratitude to God following a period of illness experienced by Karkosik.
Reports have estimated construction costs at around €23 million, although that figure has not been published as an audited project total by the family.
Konotopie has fewer than 150 residents, but local authorities hope the new landmark will transform the village into a destination for both religious pilgrimage and tourism.
The monument arrives at a time when Poland’s relationship with Catholicism is changing. The church remains influential, particularly in rural communities, while religious participation and institutional influence have declined among younger and more urban Poles.
