Not in her wildest dreams did Anastasiia Girfanova imagine her first trip to Dubai would lead her to love. But after finding the man of her dreams in the city, she also received a once-in-a-lifetime proposal from Dmitry Maslennikov on the rooftop of Dubai International Airport.
Last week, Maslennikov won the opportunity to stage the memorable proposal, facilitated by Dubai Airports. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, he and Girfanova scaled the roof of Concourse B at DXB, the busiest international airport in the world, and professed their love 39.5 metres high against the striking backdrop of Dubai's skyline.
This is the first time Dubai Airports has put together such a proposal, and it released the video of the engagement on Wednesday to mark Valentine's Day.
Speaking to The National, Girfanova, 37, says she believes one incident might have led to her serendipitous meeting with Maslennikov, 41, in Dubai and their whirlwind romance.
“I was at a friend's wedding in early December last year and I caught the bridal bouquet,” she says, referring to the age-old tradition where a bride tosses her bouquet into a group of single women, and whoever catches the bouquet is supposedly next to walk down the aisle.
A few weeks later, Girfanova, a Russian fitness instructor and actress, was invited by one of her clients to join her on a trip to Dubai for New Year's Eve and she said yes on a whim.
“We spent a long time deciding where to celebrate the New Year and couldn't make up our minds. Then, on December 31, from the balcony of her house, we saw a restaurant and decided to go there,” she recalls. “That's how fate led me to Dima.”
At that restaurant in Barsha Heights, Maslennikov, a software developer, had booked a table and was looking forward to enjoying the evening by himself and watching people celebrate.
“Two hours before midnight, the people at the table next to me got up and left,” he recalls. “Then a group of women came and sat down, and one of them was Anastasiia.
“She was beautiful. She lit up the whole place. She was also very friendly, talking to other guests, laughing and making sure everyone was having a good time. You could say she was the life of the party.”
A few minutes later, Girfanova asked Maslennikov to join her and her friends at their table.
“She spoke to me in her broken English,” Maslennikov laughs. “But when she found out I was Russian, too, we really hit it off.”
The pair have not left each other's sights since that night.
“She had a return ticket on January 20, but she decided to stay,” Maslennikov beams.
It was Maslennikov who applied for the Dubai Airports competition. He says he was overjoyed when he heard his application had been chosen.
Due to security requirements at DXB and all the paperwork required, it was impossible to keep the impending proposal a secret from Girfanova.
“We just had to let her know, so we went and shopped for the ring together as well as the clothes we were going to wear that day,” Maslennikov explains. “We had to wear sportswear as there was a bit of climbing to do and it was quite chilly up there.”
The actual proposal took place on February 9 at 10am and lasted about two hours.
“We had to wear harnesses as safety was the priority and also make sure the video team captured the shot correctly,” Maslennikov says.
For Girfanova, everything went by in a blur.
“All I remember was thinking was I shouldn't drop the ring,” she says with a laugh. “But there were lots of tears afterwards. Happy tears.
“I am grateful to fate and thankful to Dubai Airports for noticing our story and giving us such a moment that we will remember for a lifetime.”
Following the incredible proposal, the couple says they're looking to top it with an equally eye-popping wedding celebration.
“We're looking at many options ... maybe even set a Guinness World Record. Let's see,” says Maslennikov.
Besides the breathtaking proposal, the couple also won a staycation at a decorated suite in DXB Hotel.
Michelle Lee, the vice president of brand and communications at Dubai Airports, said she and her team came up with the idea for a “true Dubai-style” proposal while brainstorming ways to turn the DXB concourse into “a stage for extraordinary stories”.
“We believe in creating magical moments, connecting people and crafting smiles, and this year, we wanted to celebrate the season of love in true Dubai-style – bold, breathtaking and unforgettable,” she says. “There aren’t many locations as awe-inspiring as the roof of the world’s best and largest airport, a rooftop proposal with aeroplanes taking off all around, and Burj Khalifa as the backdrop.
“Witnessing the sheer joy on the couple’s faces was truly priceless.”
