Poland is set to consecrate Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in the small village of Konotopie in central Poland.
The 55.6-meter (approximately 182-foot) monument, funded by Polish industrialist Roman Karkosik and his wife Grażyna, will be blessed by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The statue itself stands about 40.8 meters tall atop a 15-meter crown-shaped pedestal that includes a viewing terrace. Construction began in early 2025 and has drawn visitors even before the official ceremony, according to local officials.
Height and Design Details
The full structure measures 55.6 meters, making it taller than Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, which reaches about 38 meters including its pedestal. It also exceeds Poland’s Christ the King statue in Świebodzin, which stands 52.5 meters including its mound.
Designed by sculptor Adam Jakub Matejkowski, the white concrete figure features open arms. The pedestal doubles as an observation deck overlooking nearby fields, lakes, and forests. Estimates place the project cost at around 23 million euros (approximately $26.5 million), or roughly 100 million zlotys, though exact figures have not been publicly confirmed by the funders.
Location and Local Context
Konotopie is a village of about 120 residents in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, roughly 160 kilometers northwest of Warsaw and near the city of Toruń. The site sits adjacent to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, a 19th-century pilgrimage destination known for a small wooden statue of Mary associated with reported healings.
Village leader Mieczysław Grębicki told Euronews that visitors have already been arriving daily. Local officials expect the monument to boost tourism and pilgrimage traffic in the rural area.
Why This Site and This Statue
Karkosik, founder of the industrial group Boryszew, lives on an estate about a mile from the site and can see the statue from his property. He previously funded reconstruction and expansion of the nearby sanctuary in 2011. In comments to the Financial Times, Karkosik said the project was built “out of gratitude to Mary.”
The location was selected specifically for its connection to the existing sanctuary. Father Marek Mrówczyński, a local priest, described the area to the Financial Times as “the heartland of Poland, a place where our country’s heart is really beating.”
Comparisons to Other Large Religious Statues
While the Konotopie statue will be Europe’s tallest depiction of the Virgin Mary, it is not the world’s tallest. That distinction belongs to the Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace in Batangas City, Philippines, which stands 98.15 meters (322 feet) including its base.
Other comparable monuments include the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil (approximately 38 meters total) and Poland’s own Christ the King in Świebodzin (52.5 meters with mound). The new Polish statue ranks among the largest freestanding religious figures in Europe.
Consecration Ceremony
The formal blessing is scheduled for August 15, 2026, coinciding with the Catholic Feast of the Assumption. Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski will lead the ceremony following roughly 18 months of construction. Organizers anticipate large crowds of pilgrims and tourists for the event.
The site is expected to open more fully to the public afterward, with infrastructure such as parking and pathways prepared to handle increased visitors.
Provided by Dallas Express
