Europe’s tallest Virgin Mary rises in rural Poland

On Saturday a 55.6‑metre (182‑ft) concrete figure was formally unveiled in the small village of Konotopie, near the Polish border with Belarus.

The monument—almost two double‑decker buses taller than Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer—was consecrated by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski during a ceremony that aligned with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Helicopters hovered above the towering statue, dropping rose petals as the crowd awaited the moment when the figure’s open arms would be blessed. Bishop Wętkowski urged the assembled that many today “look only to the earth” and called on believers to raise their gaze toward God and heaven.

At the inauguration stood former president Lech Wałęsa, who famously wore a Virgin Mary pin during the Solidarity movement and credit his faith for aiding Poland’s escape from communism.

While Poland remains overwhelmingly Catholic, younger generations in cities increasingly distance themselves from religious practice—a trend that adds context to the unveiling of a landmark meant to inspire renewed devotion.