Daredevil climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus (PHOTO) Screenshot From Angela Nikolau/Instagram
NEW YORK – A high-altitude marriage proposal in the heart of New York City has ended in handcuffs for a famous pair of Russian urban explorers. Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov (internationally recognized as Ivan Beerkus) were taken into custody by local authorities immediately after climbing down from the spire of the iconic Empire State Building.
The couple, who have amassed millions of social media followers by free-climbing the world’s tallest skyscrapers without safety equipment, managed to scale the building’s maintenance structure and antenna, reaching an astonishing height of 1,454 feet above the streets of Manhattan. With rolling cameras capturing the moment, Kuznetsov presented his longtime girlfriend with an engagement ring.
A Message from the Spire and a Police Lockdown
In addition to the romantic gesture, the couple unfurled a large black banner referencing a famous quote by rock legend Jimi Hendrix: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The stunt immediately triggered an emergency response from New York authorities. The NYPD dispatched a helicopter to the scene and quickly evacuated all tourists from the building’s observation deck. Law enforcement officers successfully recovered the banner, and the viewing platform was reopened to the public later that afternoon.
Facing a Long List of Criminal Charges
As soon as Nikolau and Kuznetsov returned to the ground, they were greeted by waiting police officers. According to the NYPD, the couple is now facing a wave of serious legal charges, including:
- Burglary
- Reckless endangerment
- Criminal trespass and criminal tampering
- Criminal mischief and disorderly conduct
Security experts are still investigating how the duo managed to bypass the skyscraper’s strict, multi-layered security systems to access the metal scaffolding that services the broadcast antenna.
Despite the heavy security breach, a spokesperson for the Empire State Building reassured the public that tenants and visitors were never in any immediate danger. The official statement also added a subtle touch of irony: “It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
Nikolau and Beerkus gained widespread global fame following the release of their hit 2024 Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers: A Love Story”, which detailed their death-defying ascent of the Merdeka 118 in Malaysia—the second-tallest building in the world.
