Empire State Building Climb: Russian Couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus Climbed to the Top, Proposed at 1,454 Feet, Unfurled a Banner — Then Got Arrested

At midday on July 1, 2026, two people dressed entirely in black climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building’s antenna — 1,454 feet above the streets of Manhattan — unfurled a banner reading “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” and then one of them got down on one knee and proposed. The streets below were shut down by the NYPD. News helicopters circled overhead. And the antenna had to be powered down for 30 minutes because its high-frequency radio signals were strong enough to harm the officers who needed to climb up and retrieve them.

The couple — Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), 32, both Russian nationals — are self-proclaimed “rooftoppers” who have spent years illegally climbing the world’s tallest buildings and posting the footage online. They are the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary called Skywalkers: A Love Story. Charged with felonies including reckless endangerment and burglary, they appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on July 2, kissed for cameras outside, told reporters “We love New York,” and headed for the subway holding hands. This is the full story.

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Empire State Building Climb 2026 — Key Facts at a Glance

Note: All details are based on reports from NBC News, ABC News, Al Jazeera, Time, Khaleej Times and official NYPD and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office statements published on July 1–2, 2026.

What Happened on July 1 — Minute by Minute

The Empire State Building climb began at midday on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Aerial footage showed that at midday, the couple, wearing black masks and clothes, held onto the skyscraper’s antenna — about 1,454 ft (443 m) from the ground — while unfurling a banner. From a news helicopter hovering nearby, the footage showed two tiny figures clinging to the needle at the very top of one of the world’s most recognised buildings.

Below, the NYPD shut down the surrounding streets. Emergency Services Unit officers prepared to climb up. But before they could reach the couple, authorities faced an unexpected complication. The antenna emits high-frequency radio signals powerful enough to harm the human body, and authorities had to power it down before members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit could approach the couple — a process that took roughly 30 minutes. Officers then climbed 1,250 feet to reach them.

At the top, Ivan got down on one knee. Angela said yes. They embraced and kissed. Angela posted ring photos on Instagram before coming down. Body camera footage posted by the NYPD shows what happened next. An officer from the Emergency Service Unit climbed a steep, caged-in ladder up toward the couple. “Hello, how you doing?” he says. “Can you just stay where you are?” He adds, “You can’t be up here.” Nikolau raised her arms and said “I’m OK” as officers took them both into custody.

Who Are Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus?

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are among the world’s most famous “rooftoppers” — people who illegally scale skyscrapers and urban structures for the thrill, the view, and increasingly for the viral content. They are self-proclaimed “rooftoppers” who climb and pose atop the highest buildings without safety nets or permission. Both are Russian nationals who currently list an address in East Orange, New Jersey.

Their story became widely known when Netflix released Skywalkers: A Love Story in 2024 — a documentary chronicling their romance, their shared obsession with height, and their climbs across China, Malaysia and Europe. The documentary featured them climbing the likes of the 1,955-ft (596 m) Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin, China, and Malaysia’s 2,227-ft (679 m) Merdeka 118 — two of the tallest buildings in Asia. The Empire State Building, at 1,454 feet to the antenna tip, was actually shorter than several of their previous climbs — but no previous location carried quite the same symbolic and media weight.

Angela Nikolau

Angela Nikolau, 33, is the more publicly prominent of the two — she has a large Instagram following and has posted climbing content for years. Her father, Dmitry Nikolau, is a Russian circus artist, and he told Reuters he had prior knowledge of his daughter’s Empire State Building plan. “Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself,” Dmitriy Nikolau said. “I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution.” He later claimed to ABC News that the couple were already married — though Kuznetsov told police in the criminal complaint that the stunt was meant to do “something special for his engagement,” suggesting the proposal was genuine and not staged.

Ivan Beerkus (Ivan Kuznetsov)

Ivan Beerkus, 32, also known as Ivan Kuznetsov, is Angela’s partner both in life and in climbing. Outside court on July 2, he was all smiles. Kuznetsov appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody. Photos Nikolau later posted on Instagram show her wearing a ring. The criminal complaint states that Kuznetsov told police the stunt was meant to do “something special for his engagement” — making this not just a viral stunt but an elaborate, if extraordinarily reckless, marriage proposal.

Fact 1 — The Charges: What They Face Legally

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office wasted no time filing serious charges. Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, were each charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief and an additional charge related to climbing the nearly 1,500-foot-tall building. Angela additionally faced a burglary charge — defined under New York law as unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime.

The reckless endangerment charge deserves particular attention. According to police, Nikolau and Kuznetsov “persisted in remaining on or near the broadcast antenna, from which they could not be easily extricated, and in doing so they had placed the officers in a highly dangerous situation.” The criminal complaint specifically noted that NYPD Emergency Services officers had to climb 1,250 feet to reach them — itself a dangerous operation — and that the 30-minute antenna shutdown disrupted New York City’s broadcast signals.

Fact 2 — The Antenna: Why It Made Everything More Dangerous

Most people think of the Empire State Building’s spire as a decorative architectural feature. It is not. The top of the Empire State Building is the transmission tower, sending radio and television signals to broadcast stations. The couple could be exposed to high levels of radio-frequency radiation and electrical energy. This is why the antenna powering-down process was not optional — officers could not safely approach the couple while the antenna was live.

The 30-minute delay while the antenna was shut down had real consequences for New York City — disrupting television and radio broadcasts across the metropolitan area. The criminal complaint cited this disruption as part of the basis for the criminal mischief charge. Notably, the Empire State Building’s antenna is used by multiple major broadcast networks for their New York transmission — making it critical urban infrastructure, not merely a rooftop landmark.

Fact 3 — In Court: Released, Smiling and Kissing for Cameras

Nikolau and Kuznetsov appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, July 2 — the day after their arrest. They arrived in the same black outfits they had worn during the climb. The couple pleaded not guilty. They were released from custody under supervision. A judge approved supervised release at a low level, and their next court appearance was set for August 24, 2026.

Outside the courthouse, the couple behaved as though they were exiting a fan convention rather than a felony arraignment. They held hands and smiled after they left court and barely spoke to reporters. Just before the couple entered a subway, they posed for cameras with a long kiss. “We love New York,” Kuznetsov said. Their attorney told ABC News that a plea negotiation could be “a possibility” and noted that deportation risk — both are Russian nationals — is a genuine concern in any resolution of the case.

Fact 4 — The Empire State Building’s Reaction

The Empire State Building’s official response struck a notably dry, almost amused tone. A spokesperson for the Empire State Building told the media that there was “at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests.” The building’s social media account also appeared to lean into the incident, posting that it offered “a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”

Separately, the building confirmed that how the couple bypassed security to reach the antenna is still under investigation — a significant security failure given that the antenna sits far above the publicly accessible observation decks on floors 86 and 102. The investigation into exactly how they gained access is ongoing, and the building is expected to review its access control systems following the breach.

Fact 5 — What Is Rooftopping? The Dangerous Subculture Explained

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus did not invent rooftopping — but they became its most famous ambassadors. Rooftopping is an urban sport that involves scaling city buildings. Practitioners typically target skyscrapers, bridges, cranes and construction sites — entering through fire escapes, ventilation shafts, maintenance access points or by talking their way past security — and document the experience through photography and video.

The appeal combines genuine physical risk, spectacular imagery, and the social media currency of viral content. In recent years, rooftopping has evolved from a niche urban exploration hobby into a competitive online content genre, with the most daring climbers building followings of millions across Instagram and YouTube. Nikolau and Beerkus have ascended buildings and construction sites in China and Europe, sometimes with legal repercussions — but the Netflix documentary made them global stars of the genre.

Other Famous Empire State Building Climbs — A History

For context, the Empire State Building’s skyline history goes back even further. Philippe Petit famously walked a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. In 2014, a teenager from New Jersey climbed to the spire of the Freedom Tower. New York’s skyline has always attracted people who see its heights as both a canvas and a challenge.

Empire State Building Climb 2026 — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who climbed the Empire State Building in July 2026?

Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), 32 — both Russian nationals currently living in East Orange, New Jersey. They are professional “rooftoppers” and the subjects of the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. They climbed the Empire State Building’s main antenna on July 1, 2026, where Ivan proposed to Angela at 1,454 feet above the ground.

How high did they climb?

The couple climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building’s antenna — 1,454 feet (443 metres) above the ground. This is the absolute highest point of the building, located well above the publicly accessible observation decks on floors 86 and 102. Notably, they have climbed even taller structures before — Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 stands at 2,227 feet.

What charges do they face?

Both face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, including first-degree reckless endangerment, burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, possession of burglar’s tools and disorderly conduct. They pleaded not guilty and were released on supervised release following their July 2 arraignment. Their next court date is August 24, 2026.

Did Ivan actually propose to Angela on top of the Empire State Building?

Yes. Prosecutors said in court that Kuznetsov told police the stunt was meant to “do something special for his engagement.” Atop the building, he appeared to get down on one knee and propose. Photos Nikolau later posted on Instagram show her wearing a ring. However, Angela’s father later claimed to ABC News that the couple were already married — adding a note of confusion to an already extraordinary story.

What did their banner say?

The couple unfurled a large black banner from the antenna that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The phrase references a quote widely attributed to Jimi Hendrix, though its exact origin is debated. The Empire State Building’s antenna also carries New York City’s major television and radio broadcasts — meaning the banner was unfurled from one of the city’s most critical communication infrastructure points.

Why did police have to wait 30 minutes before going up?

The Empire State Building’s antenna actively transmits high-frequency radio signals strong enough to cause physical harm to humans in close proximity. Authorities had to power the antenna down before members of the NYPD Emergency Services Unit could safely approach the couple — a process that took roughly 30 minutes. Officers then climbed 1,250 feet to reach them. The criminal complaint cited this forced shutdown and the dangerous climb it required as part of the basis for the reckless endangerment charge.

What is a Netflix documentary about them?

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are the subjects of Skywalkers: A Love Story — a 2024 Netflix documentary that chronicles their romance, their shared passion for rooftopping, and their climbs across Asia and Europe, including the 1,955-foot Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin, China, and Malaysia’s 2,227-foot Merdeka 118.

Can they be deported?

Their attorney told ABC News that deportation is a genuine concern. Both Nikolau and Kuznetsov are Russian nationals — confirmed by the attorney to currently be in the US legally. Felony convictions can trigger immigration consequences for non-citizen residents in the United States, making the outcome of the criminal case significant not just legally but in terms of their ability to remain in the country.

Conclusion — The Most Dramatic Marriage Proposal New York Has Ever Seen

Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus pulled off something genuinely extraordinary on July 1, 2026 — and genuinely reckless. They bypassed the security of one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, climbed to a point above the city that virtually no human being has stood at without authorisation, proposed marriage against a backdrop of the entire Manhattan skyline, and then came down to face felony charges while still smiling for cameras.

Whether the law ultimately views this as a romantic gesture that went too far or a dangerous criminal act that endangered police officers — or both — will be decided at Manhattan Criminal Court on August 24. What is already certain is that this Empire State Building climb joins the building’s long and improbable history of people who looked up at its antenna and decided the view from the top was worth whatever came after. “We love New York,” Ivan said outside the courthouse. Given that the city’s most famous building now hosts their engagement photos on Instagram, New York may just love them back — charges and all.

Stay tuned to Mirrorly.in for updates from the August 24 court hearing and all further developments in this story.

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