An audacious climb turned into a marriage proposal. The couple was soon arrested

By — Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press By — Robert Bumsted, Associated Press Robert Bumsted, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/an-audacious-climb-turned-into-a-marriage-proposal-the-couple-was-soon-arrested Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter An audacious climb turned into a marriage proposal. The couple was soon arrested Nation Jul 2, 2026 11:38 AM EDT NEW YORK (AP) — A daredevil couple scaled the Empire State Building's antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about "the power of love" and peace, apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest. The Russian climbers, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, were the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story" about their "rooftopping" exploits and budding romance. READ MORE: Statue of Liberty climber charged with trespassing Dressed in black and wearing masks but not tethers, the two balanced on a narrow ledge and appeared to kiss atop the New York skyscraper's antenna, news helicopter video showed. The banner, reading "when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace," waved from the structure, which rises 1,454 feet (443 meters) above midtown Manhattan. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. 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 got down on one knee. After the two kissed again and hugged, the other person took selfies with an outstretched left hand, as if examining a ring. Police Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending a ladder in the spindly structure to intercept them. Police body camera video showed an officer calling out a greeting and explaining, "Well, you can't be up here." An off-camera voice replied with what sounded like, "We are engaged." Angela Nikolau and Vanya "Ivan" Beerkus, the couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building spire, depart New York City Criminal Court after their arraignment, in the Manhattan on July 2, 2026. Photo by Bing Guan/ Reuters A few seconds later, officers reached a landing within the antenna and met the couple, who were coming down a ladder and calmly spoke with police, the video showed. Nikolau posted images of the escapade on her social media accounts, including a photo that modeled an engagement-style ring above a bird's-eye view of Manhattan. The two climbers — whom police identified by their formal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov — were awaiting arraignment on burglary, reckless endangerment and other charges. It wasn't immediately clear whether they had attorneys who could speak to the allegations. An assistant to Nikolau said early Thursda