The daredevil couple known for their death-defying climbs is in police custody after scaling New York’s most famous skyscraper to get engaged.
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, the Russian rooftoppers featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, were arrested on Wednesday, July 1, after they climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building’s 1,454-foot antenna. The pair, dressed in black, carried a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” before Beerkus got down on one knee and proposed.
Who Are Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus?
Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, are professional rooftoppers. This means they illegally climb the world’s tallest structures without ropes or safety gear.
Nikolau grew up in a family of circus performers. She practiced rhythmic gymnastics for nine years before shifting to photography and climbing. Beerkus is a photographer and content creator who found peace in extreme heights. They first climbed together in 2016 on a skyscraper in China, and their relationship grew from there.
The couple gained global fame for their 2022 climb of Merdeka 118 in Malaysia, the world’s second-tallest building. This stunt became the focus of their Netflix documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and arrived on the streaming service in July 2024.
The Empire State Building Stunt
On the afternoon of July 1, the couple managed to breach security and climb onto the building’s antenna. They were spotted on the spire, approximately 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, carrying their banner. The banner’s message is often linked to Jimi Hendrix but actually comes from 19th-century British politician William Gladstone.
After about 30 minutes at the top, they climbed down to a lower platform where Beerkus proposed. Nikolau, wearing a cat mask, showed off her engagement ring on Instagram shortly after. The NYPD arrested them without incident. Charges are currently pending.
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Background on the Couple’s Dangerous Lifestyle
The couple’s lifestyle is called “rooftopping.” It involves trespassing on private property and risking serious injury or death. In the Netflix documentary, Beerkus shared that climbing was an escape from his difficult home life.
“The higher I went, the easier it was to breathe,” he said. “This extreme life, this expanded state of mind, it’s essential for me.”
Nikolau describes her climbs as art.
“Our climbs aren’t about spectacle — they’re a ritual. A performance where fear becomes part of the art,” Nikolau wrote on Instagram.
The duo has been arrested before. They previously spent a night in jail for climbing the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris.
Building and Expert Reactions
An Empire State Building spokesperson said that there was never any danger to visitors or tenants. However, they made a subtle point about safer proposal options.
“There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests,” the spokesperson said. “It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck… does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem strongly criticized the act.
“This is performative. I’m all for love, I’m all for romance. This is egregious for about 10,000 different reasons and these people will end up in jail,” Kayyem said.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe also warned that the building cannot become a target for these stunts.
“The last thing that people who are responsible for the Empire State Building want is to turn this place into a target for that sort of activity, because ultimately it will end in some sort of tragedy,” McCabe said.
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