- Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus were arrested after proposing atop the Empire State
- They face felony charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief
- The Empire State Building stated there was no danger to tenants or visitors during the incident
Russian rooftoppers and social media personalities Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus recently made global news after they were arrested following a daring proposal at the Empire State Building.
The videos circulating on the Internet show the couple climbing to the top of the building's antenna, dressed in all-black ensembles. Ivan popped the question to Angela right after they unfurled a banner that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."
The pair has now been arrested for their marriage proposal atop the Empire State Building. They face felony charges of burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanour and criminal trespass.
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."
Who Are Angela Nikolau And Ivan Beerkus?
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are Russian daredevil climbers known for scaling iconic buildings worldwide without ropes or other safety gear. Born into a circus family, Angela trained in rhythmic gymnastics before turning to skyscrapers. She went viral early for photos from Moscow rooftops.
Angela first met Ivan in 2016 and began scaling structures with him. Their first documented climb together was China's Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin in 2016, reported USA Today. The couple also successfully scaled Malaysia's Merdeka 118, the world's second-tallest building, in 2022.
Individually, Ivan has also climbed the Eiffel Tower, Shanghai Tower and Shun Hing Square in Shenzhen.
Angela was featured in the Danish documentary On the Edge of Freedom and the Slovak documentary Who is Next?. The couple also starred in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. They got engaged atop the Empire State Building on July 1.
When not climbing, Ivan makes music while Angela paints and she comes from a dance and acrobatics background.