The village of Konotop in Poland has unveiled the tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in Europe. The monument stands 55.6 meters high, surpassing the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Christ the King monument in Świebodzin, Poland. The new sculpture is only shorter than the 98-meter Virgin Mary in the Philippines, reports infohub.kz.
The grand opening ceremony featured a spectacular show: two helicopters circled above the statue, dropping rose petals on the guests, while a folk ensemble performed songs and dances for the crowd. The monument was funded by local millionaire businessman Roman Karkosik and his wife Grażyna, who live nearby.
The monument stands in a field in the village, which has a population of fewer than 150. The ceremony was attended by 82-year-old Lech Wałęsa, former president of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The statue was consecrated by local bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski. According to him, the huge figure with outstretched arms should remind people of God and distract them from the hustle and bustle. The unveiling was timed to coincide with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Earlier it was reported that in Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 210 of the 320 golden statues of the composer installed as part of an art installation dedicated to the 270th anniversary of his birth disappeared within a month. The installation was opened on July 15.