A daredevil and his girlfriend are facing charges after scaling the Empire State Building to make a marriage proposal. The couple, known as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, climbed the building’s antenna to unfurl a banner proclaiming love and peace, prosecutors revealed at their arraignment. The couple is charged with felony reckless endangerment, burglary, and other offenses.
Beerkus, responding to a journalist’s question about their actions, said, “We believe in love.” The couple featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” known for their “rooftopping” adventures and romance, created a spectacle and a risk by climbing the famed structure on Wednesday.
At the peak, 1,454 feet above Manhattan, the climbers displayed a banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” as captured by news helicopter footage. Afterward, the couple removed the banner and moved to a lower ledge, where a marriage proposal took place. Nikolau shared images of the escapade on social media, including a photo showing a ring over a view of Manhattan.
According to the complaint, police waited for the antenna to be powered down before officers ascended to intercept the couple, reaching 1,250 feet above the ground. The court document gives their formal names as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov. “Skywalkers: A Love Story” follows Beerkus, 32, and Nikolau, 33, as they climb tall structures often without authorization, sometimes disguising as construction workers to gain access.
Police discovered a broken lock on a security door on the Empire State Building’s 104th floor, which is off-limits and leads to the antenna. The building’s highest public floor is the 102nd, requiring a key card for access beyond that level.
The management of the Empire State Building labeled the climb as unauthorized and did not specify any interactions the couple had with security personnel. Visitors undergo screening and are advised against bringing large items such as packages, sports equipment, costumes, or masks.
Beerkus and Nikolau were released without bail under New York laws limiting when bail can be set. Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, noted that once evidence is provided by prosecutors, they will evaluate and decide their next steps. Krinsky remarked on the proposal, saying, “What a way to propose — something you can only dream of. You’ve got to give him some credit for that.”
Others have also scaled the Empire State Building, typically without authorization. In 2023, actor and musician Jared Leto received permission to climb to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor as part of a tour promotion.
Leave a Reply