Two Russian urban climbers were arrested on Wednesday after scaling to the very top of the Empire State Building's antenna in New York City, where they unfurled a peace banner and staged a high-altitude marriage proposal before calmly descending into police custody. The pair were identified as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, well-known figures in the world of extreme rooftopping — a pursuit that involves illegally climbing skyscrapers and other tall structures.
Dressed in black and wearing masks, but apparently without safety tethers, the two balanced on a narrow ledge at the tip of the antenna, which rises 1,454 feet (443 metres) above midtown Manhattan, making it one of the tallest points in New York City. They unfurled a large black banner reading "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." After lingering at the summit, the pair climbed down to a slightly lower platform within the antenna structure, where one got down on one knee. The two then kissed and embraced, and one was photographed appearing to examine a ring on her outstretched hand. Nikolau later posted images of the apparent proposal — and what appeared to be an engagement ring — to her Instagram account.
New York Police Department officers from the Emergency Services Unit ascended a ladder inside the antenna to intercept the pair. Body-camera footage released by the NYPD captured an officer greeting the couple and noting simply, "You can't be up here." An off-camera voice responded: "We are engaged." The two were taken into custody without incident shortly after 1 p.m. Charges reported include burglary, criminal trespass, and reckless endangerment.
Nikolau and Beerkus are no strangers to audacious ascents. The couple previously climbed the roof of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — at 679 metres the second-tallest building in the world — and have documented dozens of similar climbs on skyscrapers and bridges around the globe. Nikolau is also featured in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. Questions remained unanswered about how the pair bypassed security at the 102-story Art Deco landmark, where visitors are routinely screened and prohibited from bringing large packages, costumes, or masks. Building management confirmed the episode was "unauthorized" but declined to address how the climbers reached the antenna.
The stunt drew crowds of onlookers on the pavements below and temporarily closed access to the building's observation platforms. "It's crazy — it's like being in the movies," said Jonathan Roman, a tourist from Glasgow, Scotland, who had arrived with his son for a visit. The Empire State Building has seen similar unauthorised climbs before; in 1994, French urban climber Alain Robert scaled the antenna before being arrested. The latest incident raises renewed questions about security at one of the world's most iconic and recognisable landmarks.