With its grain fields, meadows and lake, the countryside around the tiny village of Konotopie in central Poland is idyllic. Now there is a monumental statue of the Virgin Mary towering above all this.
Home to just 120 residents and situated about 160 kilometers (99 miles) northwest of the capital, Warsaw, the previously little-known village of Konotopie has been in the headlines for weeks now as a result of the massive statue.
The snow-white structure, which is visible for miles around, is more than 55 meters (180 feet) tall. The statue itself is 40.6 meters high and stands on a 15-meter-high pedestal shaped like a crown that is intended to serve as a viewing platform.
The figure dwarfs Rio de Janeiro's famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, which reaches a total height of 38 meters including its base.
'Pile of concrete' or 'fantastic achievement?'
