A Russian daredevil couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building's towering spire in New York City 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 443 metres above the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan on Wednesday.

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 little after 12.30pm, 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 offences, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

An Empire State Building spokesperson suggested the couple should have instead opted for the building's US$1,000 "Happily Ever Empire Proposal Package" to rent out the observation deck.

Nikolau's acrobatics run in the family, and her father, the Russian circus artiste Dmitriy Nikolau, was aware of his daughter's climb when answering a call from 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 if he was worried about her following her arrest, he said: "Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself." (Reuters)



Edited by Edmond Fong