A Russian couple known for daredevil rooftop stunts climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s towering spire in New York City on Wednesday, unfurling 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 above the city on social media, Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus held onto the landmark skyscraper’s antenna spire near the glowing red light at its tip, about 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the sidewalks of Midtown Manhattan.
Empire State Building climber unfurls peace banner, then proposes at top of spire
They held a black banner with a message in all-capital white letters that flapped in the wind: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
A little after 12:30 p.m., the pair could be seen in aerial video 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 photos of her ring to share on Instagram.
The couple and their adventures in what has become known as “rooftopping” were the subject of the 2024 documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
The New York Police Department closed streets around the building and later said the couple had been taken into custody “without incident.” Police said charges were expected, though they did not immediately specify what they would be.
It was not clear how the pair managed to reach the spire. New York landmarks, including the Empire State Building, have had heightened security since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The climb came as the heatwave-gripped city was already in high spirits, preparing for July 4 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and bracing for crowds expected around the reported wedding of musician Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce.
The Art Deco tower, for decades the tallest building in the world before it was surpassed in the 1960s, sells tickets to tourists who want to visit its enclosed observation deck on the 102nd floor. Visitors are not allowed to climb higher onto the 200-foot (61-meter) antenna spire above it.
An Empire State Building spokesperson described Wednesday’s climb as an “unauthorized incident” and suggested the couple should have instead chosen the building’s $1,000 “Happily Ever Empire Proposal Package” to rent out the observation deck.
Nikolau’s acrobatics run in the family. Her father, Russian circus artist Dmitriy Nikolau, was aware of his daughter’s climb when reached by a reporter.
“I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution,” he said.
Asked whether he was worried after her arrest, he said: “Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself.”