Man Climbs 180-Meter Stalin-Era Skyscraper in Moscow, Police Launch Inquiry
Police are working to identify a person who climbed onto the star crowning the Stalin-era skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment in central Moscow, according to the Russian Interior Ministry's Moscow department.
"The person's identity, the time of the incident, and other circumstances are being established. An investigation is underway," the ministry's press service said.
The roofer posted a video on social media showing himself climbing onto the star at the top of the building. The footage shows the young man using a rope to reach the structure before sitting on one of the star's points at a height of nearly 180 meters (590 feet).
Similar Incident in New York
On July 1, New York police detained two people who climbed the spire of the Empire State Building in Manhattan. A man and a woman wearing masks scaled the skyscraper and displayed a banner reading, "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
The individuals were reportedly Russian roofers Ivan Birkus, whose real surname is Kuznetsov, and Angelina Nikolau.
One of Moscow's Seven Sisters
The Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building is one of Moscow's iconic Stalinist skyscrapers. Standing 176 meters (577 feet) tall with 32 floors, it is located at the confluence of the Moskva River and the Yauza River.
The building was constructed in two stages between 1938-1940 and 1948-1952. It was designed as a "city within a city," featuring its own cinema, shops and post office. Over the years, it has been home to a number of prominent cultural figures, including actress Faina Ranevskaya, ballerina Galina Ulanova and poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
