Empire State Building climbers hit with reckless endangerment charges
The pair were released without bail after prosecutors said they broke into restricted areas and created a danger while climbing the building’s antenna.
- On Wednesday, July 1, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov scaled the Empire State Building's 1,454-foot antenna, unfurling a banner above Manhattan before authorities arrested them overnight and arraigned the pair on Thursday, July 2, on multiple felony charges.
- The 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story chronicled their climbing exploits since 2016, though Angela's father Dmitry Nikolau characterized the engagement stunt as a "performance" rather than spontaneous.
- Prosecutors charged Nikolau and Kuznetsov with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and other felonies following the unauthorized climb; both remain on supervised release pending trial.
- The Empire State Building's official account quipped, "Ladies: If he wanted to, he would—Just maybe on our 86th Floor Observation Deck," while climber Alex Honnold reacted to the stunt's audacity.
- An August 24 court date will determine the couple's fate as attorney Jason Krinsky told reporters the stunt was "a message of love," downplaying the severity of the security breach.
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The couple who climbed to the top of the New York landmark are familiar from social media.
Russian Daredevils Scale Empire State Building In Proposal Stunt
Russian rooftopping duo Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus stunned onlookers after scaling the Empire State Building’s antenna spire. They unfurled a giant banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”But the breathtaking stunt didn’t stop there. After climbing down to a lower platform, Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed. Nikolau accepted, and the pair celebrated with a kiss while suspended hundreds …
The questionable career highlight of stunt climber Angela Nikolau.
Who is the Russian couple arrested for proposal at Empire State Building? Everything you need to know
The pair, identified as 33-year-old Angela Nikolau and 32-year-old Ivan Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), were charged with felony burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, alongside misdemeanour offences and criminal trespass following the incident.
Globally famous, the Empire State Building, in New York, was placed as protagonist of an unusual and dangerous adventure on last Wednesday (1). A couple climbed the top of the building to make a protest and engagement, which ended up making them arrested right away. Watch video: Couple is trapped climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, in New York, to protest and make engagement 'Gigant Gentile': Sea elephant from a ton back in Tasmani…
How Empire State Building climbers pulled off death-defying stunt: ‘Security always has a blindspot’
CNN, NYPD, ATC.COM, WABC, WCBS By Ray Sanchez, John Miller, CNN New York (CNN) — Extreme climber Angelina Nikolau, in the trailer for the 2024 Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” said: “Love is like heights. The fear never goes away. You just get better at facing it.” On Wednesday, Nikolau, 33, who goes by
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