On July 1st, two figures in black appeared at the very tip of the Empire State Building’s antenna — and the entire internet stopped scrolling.
Photo: Couretsy of Angela Nikolau
Who Are They?
Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, are Russian daredevils and self-described rooftoppers who have spent the past decade scaling the world’s tallest buildings without ropes, harnesses, or permission. Angela, a former gymnast and daughter of circus performers, brings extraordinary physical discipline to their climbs. On Instagram, she describes herself as a “neoartist exploring identity, fear & freedom.” Ivan carved out his own niche in the urban exploration community by treating steel frameworks and glass towers as his personal playground. Together, they have become the most recognized faces of rooftopping globally, with millions of followers across social media who tune in for their vertiginous, often illegal ascents.
Nikolau and Beerkus began climbing together in 2016, the same year they traveled to China to scale what was then the world’s tallest building under construction — complete with a crane at its summit — and where their romantic connection first sparked. Over the years, the buildings they’ve scaled include the 1,957-foot Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin, Merdeka 118 in Malaysia (the second-tallest building in the world at 2,227 feet), and the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris. Their Kuala Lumpur climb became the subject of Skywalkers: A Love Story, a Netflix documentary that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival — where Nikolau noted: “We’ve been arrested before.”
Earlier this year, they relocated from Moscow to New York.
What Happened
On Wednesday, Beerkus and Nikolau were spotted 1,454 feet in the air atop the Empire State Building’s spire. Dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing face masks, the pair unfurled a large banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The quote is attributed to 19th-century British politician William Gladstone, though widely misattributed to Jimi Hendrix.
After 30 minutes on the spire, Beerkus and Nikolau climbed down onto a perch, where Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikolau. She said yes. They then removed their masks, revealing their identities to the cameras circling them in news helicopters, and shared footage of the moment — including a photo of the ring — on Instagram, where the post quickly accumulated nearly a million likes.
Investigators later revealed that the couple had broken through a door to access the antenna. Officers could not go up to them during the stunt because they had to power down the antenna for safety reasons. Beerkus told detectives he had to “do something special for his engagement.”
Photo: Couretsy of Angela Nikolau
The Aftermath
Nikolau and Beerkus appeared in court on July 2nd wearing the same black outfits from their stunt. They face multiple felony charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, possession of burglar’s tools, and disorderly conduct. A Manhattan judge granted them supervised release. Their attorney argued the DA’s office had “overcharged” the case.
After the court appearance, the newly engaged pair barely spoke to reporters — but posed for cameras with a long kiss before descending into the subway at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station. “We love New York,” Beerkus said.
The Empire State Building responded with characteristic wit, its official account posting a tongue-in-cheek apology to Madison Square Garden for “stealing the spotlight this week” — a nod to the rumored Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding reportedly set for the arena that same weekend.
Their next court appearance is August 24th. As for Nikolau and Beerkus: they’re engaged, they’re free, and they’ve already posted the ring.
