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Two Climbers Arrested After Scaling Empire State Building Spire and Unfurling Banner
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus reached the top of the 1,454-foot building on July 1. They displayed a peace message and completed a marriage proposal before descending and facing arrest.
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Two Russian nationals climbed the Empire State Building spire in New York on July 1, unfurled a banner reading “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” and completed a marriage proposal before police arrested them. Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, also known as Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, wore black clothing and masks during the ascent.
They remained on the spire for several minutes while filming the banner and the proposal, staying atop the 1,454-foot building for at least 10 minutes.
The New York Police Department deployed a helicopter and released bodycam footage showing an officer saying, “Hey I got eyes on them. ” Police charged both individuals with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct, possession of burglar’s tools, and violating local law.
Officers temporarily evacuated the observation deck; visitors returned later that afternoon.
An Empire State Building spokesman stated that neither visitors nor tenants had been placed at risk. Authorities removed the banner. Nikolau and Beerkus starred in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story” documenting their climb of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur.
They have performed similar unauthorized climbs in Tianjin, China, and Los Angeles. Nikolau posted Instagram photos of the ring and views from the spire. The pair gained access through a hatch on the 103rd floor used for water tower maintenance, law enforcement sources said.
