Memorial Agostinho Neto

Luanda's skyline is continuing to grow with new skyscrapers popping up. Yet perhaps its most unique feature remains the 120-meter-high and 18-hectare brutalist Memorial Agostinho Neto. It commemorates the most important leader in the fight for Angolan independence, who later became president.

Neto was a Portuguese-educated doctor and poet who founded the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in 1956. Fighting against Portuguese rulers with Soviet support, he won in 1975 and made himself president of the newly independent Marxist-Leninist country. His presidency was marked by an ongoing civil war with opponents of his rule and political repression after a coup attempt. In 1979, Neto unexpectedly died at the age of 57 from hepatitis.

Although Angola would later abandon communism, the MPLA continues to rule the country to this day and still holds Neto in high regard. As such, they committed to building a giant mausoleum for him. However, it remained unfinished for many years, earning the mocking nickname “Sputnik” from locals. It was finally completed in 2012 with North Korean assistance.

In addition to Neto’s tomb, the memorial contains a museum of his life, a library, and a cultural center with exhibitions, shows, and workshops. In front of the memorial is a park facing the ocean, in which lies a much smaller memorial to Neto with his statue.