reckless endangerment charges

A famous daredevil couple featured in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story were arrested in New York City after climbing the antenna of the iconic Empire State Building in what appeared to be a high-risk marriage proposal.

Russian rooftop climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus scaled the skyscraper’s antenna on Wednesday, performing the dangerous stunt hundreds of feet above Manhattan before being taken into custody by authorities.

Witnesses and aerial footage showed the pair dressed in black and wearing masks as they stood on narrow sections of the antenna without visible safety equipment. During the climb, they unfurled a banner bearing the message, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

The climbers appeared to kiss while perched atop the structure, which rises approximately 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan. After displaying the banner, they descended to a lower platform where one appeared to kneel in a proposal gesture before the couple embraced and posed for photographs.

Police Emergency Services Unit officers soon began climbing the antenna to intercept them. Body camera footage reportedly showed officers calmly approaching the pair and informing them that they were not permitted to be in the restricted area.

According to police, one of the climbers responded by announcing that they had become engaged.

Authorities later identified the pair by their legal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov. They were arrested on charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, and other related offenses. Officials have not yet released additional details regarding the legal proceedings.

Following the incident, Nikolau shared images from the stunt on social media, including photographs showing an engagement-style ring against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

The couple gained international attention through the documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which chronicles their relationship and their practice of “rooftopping,” a subculture involving unauthorized climbs of skyscrapers, towers, and other high-rise structures for photographs and videos.

Building management for the Empire State Building described the climb as unauthorized and emphasized that no occupants or visitors inside the building were harmed during the incident. However, officials have not explained how the pair managed to access the antenna area, which is normally restricted and located far above public observation decks.

Visitors to the building reported seeing the climbers move into off-limits sections before beginning their ascent. The spectacle quickly attracted attention from tourists and pedestrians below, many of whom watched in disbelief as the climbers carried out the dangerous stunt.

The Empire State Building has been the site of several unauthorized climbing incidents over the years, though most have resulted in arrests. One notable exception occurred in 2023 when Jared Leto received permission to climb part of the building’s upper structure as part of a promotional event.

The latest incident has reignited discussions about skyscraper security and the risks associated with extreme urban climbing, particularly as social media continues to fuel interest in high-altitude stunts around the world.