Russian rooftop duo arrested after scaling Empire State Building for staged proposal
Two Russian nationals known for rooftop stunts were detained in New York on multiple charges after climbing the Empire State Building and displaying a peace banner.
Two Russian "rooftoppers" were taken into custody in New York City on Thursday after climbing to the spire of the Empire State Building and unfurling a peace banner. The pair, Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, dressed in black, kissed and displayed a flag that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."
They appeared before a lower Manhattan criminal court at 9 a.m. EST and were charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar's tools. Both hold Russian citizenship and share an address in New Jersey. They are prominent figures in the underground activity of "rooftopping," where participants scale tall structures to capture images or make statements. Kuznetsov's Instagram account, @beerkus, has over half a million followers, while Nikolau's account lists about 1.8 million.
The climb, which took place around midday, was monitored by a police drone and helicopter, and the suspects were apprehended by the department's elite emergency service unit. Investigators are still determining how they accessed the building's upper levels.
"We prefer couples in love and seeking to become engaged to follow a more orthodox route," the owners of the Empire State Building said in a statement.