Climbing Couple Arrested after Proposal Atop Empire State Building

After scaling the needle of the Empire State building, a climbing couple seemingly shared a romantic moment with a marriage proposal and then unfurled a banner calling for peace before being arrested by officials.

The daredevil pair, identified by cops as Angela Nikolau, 33 and Ivan “Beerkus” Kuznetsov, 32, took to social media to release photos of their astounding stunt which included a marriage proposal.

They spent the night in jail and face face four criminal charges but were freed in their own recognizance on July 2.

According to videos captured by eyewitnesses, the two romantic climbers scaled the Empire State Building, which rises to just over 1,450 feet, and spent time on the building’s antenna before NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit officers arrived at the scene. NYPD confirmed to Straus News that the incident occurred at 12 p.m., July 1 and the pair were taken into custody at Midtown South with no reported injuries.

The pair are Russian natives, currently residing in East Orange, NJ, and the charges the duo now face includes reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, burglary and BASE jumping.

In photos posted by Nikolau, the two can be seen unfurling a banner which reads: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” The two also shared photos of an engagement ring with Beerkus down on one knee, seemingly proposing on top of the needle.

The DA’s office said the pair had broken through a security door on the 104th floor of the building to access the needle, causing damage estimated at $2,000. Beerkus had reportedly wanted to “do something special for his engagement,” prosecutors said.

This is not the pair’s first climbing stunt. On social media, the romantic duo are known for their daring climbs up some of the world’s most famous structures, including Merdeka 118 in Malaysia, which rises to 2,227 feet and is the second tallest building in the world. The two were featured by Netflix in their own film in 2024 entitled “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”

After the couple posted their stunt, New Yorkers and fans took to social media to respond, with most users celebrating the couple’s apparent engagement and calling the proposal ‘legendary.’

“We knew it!! It could only be you two ❤️,” wrote a poster identified as @_inmylibrary_. Not everyone was enthused, however. Another poster, @mark.losco, commented, “Hope the internet points are worth sitting in a cell.”

Another poster, on the social media platform X, compared the pair to the infamous Bonnie and Clyde.

“I love the empire state couple they tickle the same part of the cultural psyche that loves bonnie and clyde - deep down inside we all want the kind of love that makes us ungovernable by the world and crazy together, nobody actually wants checklists, therapy, or “compatibility,” @hisraeljt wrote.

Users also commented on the message displayed on the banner, in its reference to a quote widely attributed to the legendary 60s era guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

“Jimi Hendrix’s peace words at the top of the Empire State Building. Rest in peace, prophet of music...” @KBuyukyuksel wrote on X.

In a conference after court July 2, Jason Krinsky, the couple’s lawyer, said the stunt posed ‘no risk of danger’ to any other person in the building. While Krinsky said he would not provide a defense until full assessment of the case, Krinsky said he believes the DA’s office overcharged the couple. In Krinsky’s assessment, the stunt was a “message of love” and peace.

The Empire State Building responded to the couple’s stunt, by posting about a safe spot for a proposal on the 86th floor without a dangerous climb up the needle. “The Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”

The couple is not due back in court until August 24.