Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are Russian rooftoppers and social media personalities known for scaling some of the world’s tallest buildings without ropes or safety equipment. The couple gained worldwide attention after being arrested following a daring marriage proposal on top of the Empire State Building’s antenna.
Videos showed the pair, dressed in black, climbing the structure before unveiling a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” Ivan then proposed to Angela at the summit.
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They now face felony charges of burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanour criminal trespass charges.
An Empire State Building spokesperson said, “The unauthorised incident at the building has been resolved with the constructive and helpful coordination of the New York Police Department. There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests.”
Angela, who comes from a circus family and trained in rhythmic gymnastics, met Ivan in 2016. Together, they have climbed Goldin Finance 117 and Merdeka 118. The couple also appeared in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story and officially got engaged on July 1.
