Climbers arrested after proposal atop Empire State Building stunt

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov were arrested after climbing the Empire State Building’s spire to about 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, then turning the stunt into a proposal that ended with an embrace and an engagement. Police identified the pair as Nikolau, 33, and Kuznetsov, 32, who also goes by Ivan Beerkus and Vanya Beerkus. There were no reported injuries.

The climb unfolded on Wednesday, July 1, and lasted nearly an hour atop one of New York’s most recognizable towers on West 34th Street. The pair were first spotted around noon in the restricted antenna area, and officers from the New York Police Department Emergency Service Unit climbed up to meet them. Police said the climbers appear to have entered through a locked maintenance hatch or door and may have been watching staff movements before reaching the spire.

Before officers could safely approach, the NYPD powered down the antenna. The couple unfurled a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” then descended to a lower platform where Beerkus proposed and Nikolau accepted. The two later posed with the ring before officers took them into custody. The NYPD also released body-camera footage as investigators reviewed surveillance video to determine how the pair accessed the restricted area.

Prosecutors charged them with felony burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor counts including criminal tampering, trespass, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar’s tools. They were arraigned on Thursday, July 2, in New York City Criminal Court and released on supervised release. A judge ordered them back to court on August 24.

The episode exposed the vulnerability of a building that has long symbolized New York’s skyline. The Empire State Building rises 1,250 feet to the roof and 1,454 feet including its antenna, with 103 floors and 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd-floor observatory. That height and visibility have made the landmark a permanent target for climbers, but the latest breach put the building’s perimeter security under fresh scrutiny after a stunt that mixed viral spectacle with a serious trespass case.

Nikolau and Kuznetsov are Moscow-based daredevils whose careers have been built on scaling tall buildings around the world with little or no safety equipment. They are also featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which follows their rooftop climbing exploits and the attention that comes with them.