Russian couple arrested after climbing Empire State Building antenna and getting engaged

New York, United States. A Russian couple climbed the antenna of the Empire State Building without ropes or safety equipment, got engaged at the top, and were arrested after descending, according to the New York Police Department.

Climb and arrest

The couple, identified on social media as Ivan Berkus, 32, and Angela Nikolau, 33, reached a point about 443 metres above the ground on Wednesday. Their climb drew television helicopters and onlookers using binoculars.

They unfurled a banner that read, “When the power of love conquers the love of power, the world knows peace,” before Berkus proposed to Nikolau above the streets of Manhattan.

The NYPD charged the pair with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglary tools, criminal trespass, unlawful entry and disorderly conduct.

Background of the pair

Berkus and Nikolau are known as “rooftoppers” who climb skyscrapers, cranes and monuments without ropes or safety gear. They have built an online following by posting images of their largely illegal climbs.

Their relationship and their 2022 climb of Malaysia’s 678-metre Merdeka 118 tower were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”

The pair were previously arrested in Paris after police caught them climbing the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde, and they spent a night in custody. In the documentary, Berkus said: “We are just artists filming the city from above. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Previous Empire State Building climbs

Others have climbed the Empire State Building’s antenna and other sections in the past, mostly illegally.

In 2023, Jared Leto became the first person to legally climb the building. With permission, he reached the base of the antenna from the 86th floor as part of promoting his band’s 2024 world tour.