First posted on Instagram
Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, known as Ivan Beerkus, climbed to the top of the Empire State Building's broadcast antenna on July 1, 2026, unfurled a black banner reading "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace," and got engaged 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan before police took them into custody.
The pair bought observation-deck tickets the night before and hid inside the building overnight, emerging from a hatch on the 102nd floor around 5 a.m. and climbing to the antenna. Prosecutors said a lock on a security door to the 104th floor was broken, causing about $2,000 in damage.
The observation deck was briefly cleared, streets below were closed and a police helicopter circled overhead. Because the antenna emits high-frequency radio signals powerful enough to harm the human body, it was powered down, and officers from the New York Police Department's Emergency Services Unit waited about 30 minutes before ascending to intercept the pair on their way down. No one was hurt. The building said the incident was unauthorized and that at no time were tenants, visitors or observation-deck guests in danger.
On a lower ledge during the descent, Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed, and Nikolau accepted. She later posted a photo of an engagement-style ring above the Manhattan skyline. Prosecutors said at the couple's arraignment that Beerkus told police he climbed the antenna because he wanted to "do something special" for the engagement; leaving court, he told reporters, "We believe in love."
The pair were charged with eight counts each: felony burglary, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct, violating a local law and possession of burglar's tools. They were arraigned on July 2, 2026, in Manhattan Criminal Court and granted supervised release. Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, argued that the District Attorney's office had overcharged the case. They appeared in court again on August 24, 2026, and by late August prosecutors were reported to be in plea discussions with the couple.
Nikolau and Kuznetsov live in East Orange, New Jersey, and are the stars of the 2024 Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," which premiered at Sundance in January 2024 and arrived on Netflix on July 19, 2024. Their earlier climbs include Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, at 2,227 feet the world's second-tallest building, and Goldin Finance 117 in China.