A Russian daredevil couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s towering spire in New York City on Wednesday to unfurl a large banner urging world peace in what appeared to be an elaborate marriage proposal that ended in their arrests.
Dressed in sleeveless black outfits and documenting their time in the sky on social media, Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus hung onto the landmark skyscraper’s antenna spire near the glowing red light at its tip some 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan.
They held a black banner with a message in all-capital white letters that flapped in the wind that said: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
A DIZZYING PROPOSAL
A little after 12:30 p.m., the pair could be seen on aerial video feeds slowly climbing down to a slightly lower platform in the antenna structure, where they paused. Beerkus then appeared to propose to Nikolau, getting down on one knee, before the couple embraced and kissed.
Nikolau, wearing her trademark Catwoman-style headgear, could then be seen admiring her hand and taking photographs of her ring to share on Instagram. The couple and their adventures in what has become known as “rooftopping” were the subject of a 2024 Netflix documentary called “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
The New York Police Department closed down streets around the building and later said they had taken the couple into custody “without incident.”
The couple, identified by police as Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, were charged with several offenses, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
The spokesperson said he did not know whether the couple were still in custody.
It was not clear how they gained access to the antenna.
New York landmarks including the Empire State Building have heightened security since the World Trade Center attacks in 2001. The climb came as the heatwave-gripped city is already in high spirits, bracing for the expected wedding of musician Taylor Swift and National Football League star Travis Kelce, and crowds for the July 4 celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.