Empire State Building banner unfurl video: Who are Russian daredevil couple who proposed on top of the iconic tower?
The Netflix-featured climber couple were arrested after scaling the antenna of the famous building with a banner and a proposal ring
A Russian couple, identified as Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, known for their daredevil skyscraper climbs and featured in a Netflix documentary, were arrested after unfurling a banner with the message "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace" from the top of the Empire State Building. The pair free-climbed the broadcast antenna and spire, spending time on the ledge where a proposal reportedly took place before descending and facing multiple charges from the NYPD, including burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, while their method of ascent remains unclear.
A Russian couple, identified as Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, known for their daredevil skyscraper climbs and featured in a Netflix documentary, were arrested after unfurling a banner with the message "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace" from the top of the Empire State Building. The pair free-climbed the broadcast antenna and spire, spending time on the ledge where a proposal reportedly took place before descending and facing multiple charges from the NYPD, including burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, while their method of ascent remains unclear.
A Russian couple, identified as Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, known for their daredevil skyscraper climbs and featured in a Netflix documentary, were arrested after unfurling a banner with the message "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace" from the top of the Empire State Building. The pair free-climbed the broadcast antenna and spire, spending time on the ledge where a proposal reportedly took place before descending and facing multiple charges from the NYPD, including burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, while their method of ascent remains unclear.
"When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace"
These were the words that featured on a banner that a Russian couple unfurled on top of the Empire State Building on Wednesday afternoon local time.
Dressed in black and wearing masks but no tethers, the two balanced on a narrow ledge and appeared to kiss atop the New York skyscraper’s antenna, news helicopter video showed. They free-climbed the metal structure that services the spire of the iconic building, the broadcast antenna, and the red anti-collision beacon atop the building.
After lingering for a time, the two collected the banner and began to climb down, picking their way along the latticework of metal to a wider ledge, where one seemed to set up a piece of photography equipment and decided to propose. After the two kissed again and hugged, the other person took selfies with an outstretched left hand, as if examining a ring.
Meet Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau
The daredevil duo then came down to face multiple charges.
The couple have been identified as Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, who were featured in a 2024 Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story." The film showcased the couple's climb of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, the world's second-tallest building at 2,227 feet.
The Russian couple are experts known for climbing dangerous heights — particularly skyscrapers. They post their spine-chilling exploits from across the world on their social media handles.
They spent a decent amount of time on top of the Empire State Building before coming down and being arrested by the New York Police Department. The banner they unfurled has also been recovered. As per the NYPD, they face multiple charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, violation of a local law, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar's tools.
US media reports said that the top of the building's spire is 1,454 feet above the ground. Its observation deck was temporarily closed in the light of the incident and was reportedly reopened later in the afternoon.
At the time of compiling this report, the modus operandi of the couple remains a mystery.