A Russian couple of climbers scales the Empire State Building in New York on Wednesday and unfurls a large banner calling for world peace, in what sources describe as an apparent marriage proposal or “love” stunt. Reuters reports that the couple climbs to the top of the building’s spire, where they display the banner before being arrested. ABC Australia identifies the performers as Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus, presenting the stunt as a show of love tied to a marriage proposal. Al Jazeera similarly reports that two Russian climbers carry out the death-defying climb as part of a marriage-proposal effort, and are arrested afterward.
Across the reports, the key elements are consistent: the pair are Russian, they scale the 102-storey, 443-metre Empire State Building, they unfurl a banner with a peace message, and they are taken into custody following the climb. The accounts focus on the stunt’s circumstances and the apparent personal or romantic theme, while not providing additional details about charges or the outcome of legal proceedings.
