DUBAI // A Russian model who performed a daredevil photo shoot by precariously hanging from one of the emirate’s most eye-catching skyscrapers has responded to news she is facing a lawsuit from the building’s developer.
On Friday the Cayan Group said it would file “immediate legal action” against Viktoria Odintcova and the production team who helped her orchestrate a dangerous stunt from the roof of Cayan Tower, a 73-storey residential building in Dubai Marina famous for its dazzling spiral design.
In an email to The National sent early on Sunday morning, Ms Odintcova said while she didn't plan on repeating the stunt, she should be compensated for her actions in exposing the tower's weak security.
“We deserve a reward for disclosing weaknesses in the security of that building,” said Ms Odintcova, writing in Russian. “We were at the rooftop of that building without any evil intentions, however someone else could have come out there to commit suicide or an act of terrorism.”
On Sunday Dubai Police Maj Gen Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, an assistant to the chief of police in Dubai, said that Odintcova “had been summoned to sign an undertaking not to repeat any dangerous moves that could endanger her life in Dubai”.
“What the young Russian woman had done represents a danger to her life,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.
Ms Odintcova said she left Dubai last month and is now back home in Moscow.
“I don’t know when I will again travel to Dubai,” she said. “But it’s my favourite city; of course, I’ll be back if it would be possible.”
She apologised “for the inconvenience in connection with my act”.
“I didn’t want to hurt the reputation of the city. I hope we can resolve this misunderstanding,” she said. “I can sign the papers if the police send them to me in the mail. Of course I’m not going to repeat this something dangerous again in Dubai.”
In a video widely shared on social media, after it was posted on YouTube by a company called Mavrin Studios in January, Ms Odintcova is shown practising for the risky performance. The video proceeds to show the team entering the Cayan Tower and climbing the staircase to reach the roof, where the 22-year-old model dangles from the edge of the building supported only by the hand grip of an assistant.
Ms Odintsova said the building was chosen “randomly”. After entering the tower and heading to the elevators, “no one asked us any questions, nobody checked our IDs or other documents”, she said. “We went up to the roof, spent 40 minutes there. There were no security guards throughout the time we spent on the roof. Then, we went out.”
The Cayan Group said it “strongly condemned” the “stunt,” which was performed without any restraints, or safety precautions.
“We are in the process of reviewing our security procedures to understand and rectify where the lapse occurred and how to prevent such in the future,” said Gizel Daher, the company’s director of marketing and communications. “An immediate legal action is running against this condemned incident and the sentence will cover the involved breachers at all levels.”
As of Sunday, the video had been viewed more than 2,317,500 times on YouTube and received more than 528,000 likes on Ms Odintcova’s Instagram account. However Ms Odintcova insisted she didn’t shoot the video to increase her online popularity, but rather to face and overcome her fears.
“Photos and videos were at the second place, the first one was devoted to the examination of bravery and a fight with the self-fears,” she said, noting she has also jumped from a bridge in Sochi and swam with sharks.
The young exhibitionist also offered social commentary, arguing our modern world is making us overweight and uneducated. People “are not learning science or reading books, they do not exercise or playing sport, for that reason it is impossible to test bravery or courage.”
“Where is the understanding, that only you - and nobody else - are in charge of your life, of your actions and of their consequences?”
Ms Odintcova said Cayan Tower was not damaged during the filming of the video, “and of course we didn’t want to do much of harm of the Cayan Tower reputation”.
The model advised others not to repeat her stuntwoman antics.
“We do not intend to repeat this action and do not advise anyone to repeat it in anyway,” she said. “It is a ‘life-and-death’ job, thus these kind of tricks cannot be performed without professionals.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
* This story has been updated since it was first published.
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20specs
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Quick%20facts
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
