The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in Europe was officially unveiled and consecrated in the small Polish village of Konotopie, near Toruń. The huge monument reaches 55.6 meters in height and is already becoming a new religious and tourist attraction in Poland.
The ceremony took place on August 15 - the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - and attracted hundreds of pilgrims and visitors. Among the guests was former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa.
It is taller than Christ the Redeemer in Rio
The total height of the monument is 55.6 meters. The figure of the Virgin Mary itself is about 40.6 meters, and below it is a 15-meter pedestal shaped like a crown.
Thus, the Polish statue surpasses in total height the famous Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, which together with the pedestal reaches about 38 meters. It is also taller than the Polish monument "Christ the King" in Świebodzin, which with the embankment below it reaches approximately 52 meters.
However, the statue in Konotopie is not the tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world. That record belongs to the Mother of All Asia monument in the Philippines, which reaches about 98 meters.
Millionaires financed the project
The project was financed by Polish entrepreneurs Roman and Grazyna Karkoszyk. Roman Karkoszyk is one of Poland's most prominent investors, having made his fortune through industrial companies and investments on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The family says the statue was built as an expression of gratitude to God and the Virgin Mary. Grazyna Karkoszyk told the AP that the monument is intended "for all people" and that visitors should have the opportunity to think more deeply about their lives and faith.
According to data cited by the German agency DPA, the value of the project is estimated at around 23 million euros, although the investors have not officially announced a final price.
The presence of Lech Walesa, one of the key figures in the fall of the communist regime in Poland, attracted special attention.
The 82-year-old former leader of “Solidarity“ said that the Virgin Mary had been symbolically present throughout his entire social and political journey. During the struggle against the communist regime, Wałęsa often carried an image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and has repeatedly emphasized the role of his Catholic faith.
During the opening, helicopters scattered small red roses over the crowd, a mass was celebrated, and the famous folklore ensemble “Mazowiec“ performed traditional Polish songs and dances.
Village with less than 150 inhabitants awaits pilgrims
The contrast between the size of the monument and the location is striking. Konotopie is a village in central Poland with fewer than 150 inhabitants.
Local authorities hope the giant statue will attract pilgrims and tourists from Poland and abroad. A panoramic platform has also been built into the pedestal, from which visitors will be able to observe the surrounding area.
Vatican News points out that during the consecration, Bishop Krzysztof Wentzkowski emphasized that the idea of the monument is not just to impress with its size, but to direct people to prayer and faith.
The project also has critics
The giant monument has not been unanimously accepted in Poland. Some critics question the scale and cost of the project.
The Dominican priest Pawel Gużyński, for example, sharply criticized the construction and compared it to an excessively demonstrative form of religiosity.
Despite the controversy, the statue is already one of the most impressive religious monuments in Europe. With its height of 55.6 meters, it changes the silhouette of the small Konotopie and will probably turn the village into a new point of pilgrimage tourism in Poland.