Poland unveils Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary towering 182ft over tiny village

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 03:59 EDT, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 04:31 EDT, 18 August 2026 Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary has been unveiled in a tiny Polish village.The 182ft statue, inaugurated on Saturday, towers over Konotopie in central Poland, home to fewer than 150 residents.In a ceremony consecrated by a bishop, helicopters scattered miniature red roses over the huge crowd, priests in white robes celebrated Mass and the popular Mazowsze folk ensemble sang and danced to traditional Polish music. The £20 million monument took around 18 months to build and is taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which stands at 125ft including its pedestal. It is also taller than the Christ the King statue in the western Polish town of Swiebodzin, which was unveiled in 2010 and rises to about 170ft above the ground.But the highest Virgin Mary statue is in the Philippines, which measures 322ft.Lech Walesa, a former Polish president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of the Polish anti-communist resistance, had a front row seat during the inauguration.'This is the end of my path,' the 82-year-old Walesa said, suggesting that the causes he has long championed, including democracy and Catholic faith, are now completed. A quaint Polish village has unveiled Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary The 182ft statue was inaugurated on Saturday and towered over Konotopie in central Poland , the home of fewer than 150 residents The £20 million monument took around 18 months to build and is taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , which stands at 125 feet including its pedestal'I started with the Virgin Mary and I end with the Virgin Mary,' he added.The vast majority of Poles identify as Catholic, and the church played a significant role in public life after the fall of communism in 1989, benefiting from the prestige it earned through its support for the anti-communist opposition.The influence of religion in public life has gradually declined in recent years, particularly among younger people and in urban areas. However, the Catholic church remains influential, especially in rural communities and among older generations.'I cannot help but notice the weakening of the institution of the church, a withdrawal of specific social categories from Catholicism, and this hurts me,' Bishop Wieslaw Mering, a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who attended the ceremony, said.'The history of Christianity has ups and downs but this place is a reminder that Mary won't give up on Poland,' the bishop said.The statue was commissioned by local millionaires Roman and Grazyna Karkosik. The couple live in a small palace a few kilometers from Konotopie. The vast majority of Poles identify as Catholic, and the church played a significant role in public life after the fall of communism in 1989, benefiting from the prestige it earned through its support for the anti-communist opposition Local authorities hope the monument will become both a major pilgrimage site and a tourist destinationRoman Karkosik, an entrepreneur whose ventures included plastic-bottle manufacturing in the 1990s, amassed a fortune through investments on the Warsaw Stock Exchange to become one of Poland's wealthiest individuals.The couple have said the monument is an expression of their gratitude to God.'The statue will be for all people,' Ms Karkosik said. 'Each of us coming to see it will think more deeply about their own lives, not only about God.'Local authorities hope the monument will become both a major pilgrimage site and a tourist destination. The statue features a viewing platform built inside its pedestal.