Couple’s High-Altitude Proposal and Arrest at Empire State Building

A couple daringly climbed the antenna of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, displaying a banner about love and peace as part of a unique marriage proposal. The pair was soon arrested. Russian climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, known for their ‘rooftopping’ exploits, were featured in the Netflix documentary, ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story,’ released in 2024.

Decked out in black and wearing masks yet untethered, they balanced on a ledge at the skyscraper’s pinnacle, sharing a kiss. A banner they unfurled read, ‘when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.’ It fluttered from the antenna, which stands 1,454 feet above Manhattan. After a while, the duo took down the banner and began to descend. One of them set up a piece of equipment on a wider ledge and knelt.

They shared another kiss, hugged, and captured selfies, focusing on an apparent engagement ring. Officers from the Police Emergency Services Unit began to climb a ladder within the antenna’s structure to stop the climbers. An officer, captured on body camera footage, greeted them with, ‘Well, you can’t be up here.’ An off-camera voice responded with, ‘We are engaged.’

Angela Nikolau and Vanya ‘Ivan’ Beerkus were seen departing from the New York City Criminal Court post-arraignment on July 2, 2026, reported Bing Guan of Reuters. Shortly after, officers intercepted the couple coming down a ladder and calmly interacting with them. Nikolau shared photos of the adventure on her social media, including one showing a ring above Manhattan.

The climbers, identified by police as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, await arraignment on charges of burglary, reckless endangerment, and others. Their legal representation is unclear. An assistant to Nikolau stated the couple was unavailable for comments.

‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ chronicles their unauthorized climbs of tall structures, even sneaking in disguised as construction workers. It remains unclear how they accessed the Empire State’s antenna, far above public access areas. Building management labeled the incident as unauthorized, asserting no endangerment of people inside. They did not disclose details on the climbers’ access to the antenna or security interactions.

Empire State Building guests undergo screenings and avoid bringing large items or wearing masks. Tourist Julie Morris reported seeing them enter a restricted area past mesh gates, assuming they were employees. Onlookers witnessed the daring act from nearby sidewalks.

‘It’s like being in the movies,’ expressed Glasgow tourist Jonathan Roman. He and his son were ticketed for the observation deck but found it inaccessible due to the antenna incident. Roman remarked that witnessing the spectacle was more memorable than another visit to the platform.

The Empire State Building has seen similar unauthorized climbs. Jared Leto, actor and musician, was permitted to climb from the 86th floor to the antenna’s base in 2023 for tour promotion.