Billionaire wants to build statue of Virgin Mary taller than Christ the Redeemer
Billionaire wants to build statue of Virgin Mary taller than Christ the Redeemer
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An iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil could soon be dwarfed by a new statue of Jesus’s mother. A Polish billionaire and his wife have announced plans to build a statue of the Virgin Mary in his home country, measuring a huge 180ft (55m) tall. In comparison, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is 98ft (30m) tall, and Christ the King in Swiebodzin, Poland, measures up at 108ft (33m). Roman Karkosik plans to build the huge statue of the Virgin Mary near the town of Kikola.
![[Picture shows a visualization of the planned Virgin Mary monument, undated. A 55-meter tall monument to the Virgin Mary will be built near Torun, Poland. (Newsflash/NX)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_238057451-5da8.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
While permission to build the statue was granted in October last year, work to demolish buildings at the construction site began earlier this month. Renata Golebiewska, the Mayor of Kikola, said: ‘In 2023, the Kikol City and Commune Office received an application for issuing development conditions for the construction of a viewing area with a statue of the Virgin Mary, along with a social and technical building and land development.
![[Aerial View of Rio De Janeiro and Christ the Redeemer; Shutterstock ID 181406489; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_126197417-c2f8.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘The building permit was issued in October 2024.’. It’s thought the statue of Mary is intended to be seen as a sign of gratitude to Kikola, where Karkosik reportedly lives with his wife, before hopefully becoming a tourist attraction. The structure will reportedly include a 50ft crown, with the statue itself measuring 131ft in height. New visualisations showing how the finished statue could look have recently been released, showing Mary with palms facing up and her head tilted slightly towards the ground.
A pedestal is set to offer a panoramic view of the statue and function as a viewing terrace. It’s hoped construction will be completed at some point in 2026, but an opening date has not yet been confirmed. Karkosik is thought to be one of the richest people in Poland, with Forbes valuing him at $1.8billion in 2007. He is the founder and majority shareholder of Boryszew, a leading Polish industrial group.
However the cost to build the Virgin Mary statue has not yet been confirmed. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Kate hugs ‘old friend’ during emotional Holocaust Memorial Day event. Arrow MORE: ‘I’d rather shake hands with an SS officer than a Holocaust denier’. Arrow MORE: Russia shows ‘willingness to cause mass casualties’ with airline parcels.
