The July 1 arrest of Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus came after the Russian duo — known from the 2024 Netflix $NFLX documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story" — reached the top of the Empire State Building's antenna, displayed a banner, and staged what onlookers interpreted as a marriage proposal.

According to CBS News, police records list the climbers as Angelina Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32 — though Kuznetsov uses the name Ivan Beerkus publicly — and the two ascended without harnesses or any other visible safety gear. They face charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct.

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Draped from the antenna — the structure through which nearly every New York local TV and radio station sends its broadcast signal — was a large black banner whose message read, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace," according to CNN. After descending slightly from the top, one of the two dropped to one knee in what appeared to be a marriage proposal, and Nikolau later posted images showing an engagement-style ring against a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

According to CNN, a pair of Emergency Service Unit officers made their way up through four separate ladders inside the antenna structure before guiding the climbers safely to the ground. In NYPD body camera video, an officer can be heard greeting the pair and stating they were not permitted in the area; a voice out of frame replied with what sounded like a declaration that the two had just gotten engaged, according to The Associated Press.

Law enforcement sources told CBS News the climbers are believed to have entered the restricted zone via a maintenance hatch on the building's 103rd floor — a level that, unlike the 102nd, is closed to visitors. According to USA Today, a building spokesperson said the intrusion had been resolved in coordination with the NYPD and that at no point were tenants, visitors, or observation deck guests at risk, calling the incident "unauthorized."

Speaking to CNN, former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe warned that building managers and city officials could not afford to let the stunt go unpunished, lest it inspire copycat attempts. "The danger here, the recklessness, is obvious and can't be overstated," McCabe said, according to CNN.

More on this story: Two climbers arrested after scaling Empire State Building antenna

Update, July 2, 2026: Nikolau and Kuznetsov also face a charge of possession of burglar's tools, which was not previously listed among the charges against them. (per BBC News)

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