Russian daredevil couple arrested after climbing Empire State Building to fly peace banner
Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus, from Russia, reached the dizzying heights of 1,454 feet (443 metres) at the top of the world-famous building
A daredevil couple has climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s spire to proudly display a flag calling for world peace, in a dramatic display that resulted in their arrests.
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Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus, from Russia, reached the dizzying heights of 1,454 feet (443 metres) at the top of the world-famous building.
At around 12:30pm, the duo climbed down onto a slightly lower platform, where Beerkus could be seen proposing to Nikolau, before the couple hugged and kissed. The jaw-dropping feat was captured on video, showing the couple unfurling a black banner with a message which read: "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."
Nikolau, who is known for her Catwoman-style headgear, shared a photo of her ring on Instagram.
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The duo refer to their escapades as “rooftopping” and were the focus of a 2024 documentary called “Skywalkers: A Love Story”.
The streets around the building were later closed by the New York Police Department, which took the pair into custody “without incident”.
They are expected to bring unspecified charges against the pair. It is not clear how the couple reached the spire of the iconic building.
The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world for decades, before being overtaken in the 1960s.
It currently allows tourists to visit the observation deck on the 102nd floor, but no higher.
The incident on Wednesday was described by a spokesperson for the building as an "unauthorised incident", adding that the pair should have instead purchased the building's $1,000 "Happily Ever Empire Proposal Package", which allows you to rent out the observation deck.
According to Nikolau, extreme sports run in her family – her parents are both circus performers, and she was raised with a high regard for adrenaline-seeking stunts.
Her father, Russian circus artist Dmitriy Nikolau, was expecting the climb before it reached the news, and said: "I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution,"
When asked if he was worried about her following her arrest, he said: "Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself."