The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary
- Assigned persons:
- 0
- Address:
- Konotopie, gmina Kikół, powiat lipnowski, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie, 87-620, Polska
- Political territory:
- null
- Coordinates:
- 52.896645049781,19.119649305967
English translation:
The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady) in Europe is located in Poland.
It is approximately 55.6 metres tall (the figure itself about 40.6 m + a 15-metre-high pedestal in the shape of a crown).
The statue was funded by the 75-year-old Polish billionaire Roman Karkosik and his wife as an expression of gratitude to Mary. Construction began in 2025 and cost around 26 million dollars.
It was officially consecrated and opened to the public on 15 August 2026 (the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary).
The statue stands in the small village of Konotopie (Polish: Konotopie), near the town of Kikół, approximately 50 km from Toruń and about 160 km from Warsaw, right next to the historic Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows and beside National Road No. 10. The village is very small (around 120 inhabitants), but it is now becoming a notable destination for pilgrims and tourists.
The Virgin Mary statue in Konotopie, Poland, is significantly taller than the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. The Polish monument reaches a total height of 55.6 metres (the figure approximately 40.6 m and a 15-metre crown-shaped pedestal), while the Rio Christ stands 38.5 metres tall including its pedestal (30 m figure + 8 m pedestal).
Thus, the Konotopie statue is about 17 metres taller. In terms of materials, both are made of reinforced concrete, but the Rio statue has an outer cladding of soapstone (steatite), whereas the Konotopie statue is made of concrete and steel. The Rio monument was unveiled in 1931 and has become one of the world’s most recognisable Christian symbols and an icon of Brazil, standing on Corcovado mountain in the middle of the city.
The Konotopie statue was only consecrated on 15 August 2026 and stands in a small rural village next to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, so it still needs time to gain similar recognition, which is beyond doubt. Funding also differs: the Rio statue was built through a broad public and private donation campaign, while the Konotopie monument was fully financed by the Polish billionaire Roman Karkosik and his wife as a personal act of gratitude to the Virgin Mary.
Overall, the Konotopie statue is more modern and taller.
