Russian Daredevil Couple Face Criminal Charges After Scaling The Empire State Building

Two Russian daredevils who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building carrying a protest banner before staging a surprise marriage proposal are now facing a long list of criminal charges.

Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, were arrested after carrying out the high-profile stunt on Wednesday afternoon at one of New York City's best-known landmarks. Their climb drew the attention of tourists, emergency services, and people on the streets below, while a helicopter captured the dramatic proposal as the pair descended from the spire.

The couple, who are well known for climbing skyscrapers and appeared in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, were taken into custody by the New York City Police Department before being transported to Manhattan Criminal Court. Authorities have accused them of a series of offences linked to the climb, which briefly brought activity around the Empire State Building to a halt.

Couple Hit With Multiple Criminal Charges

Nikolau and Beerkus were charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, violation of a local law, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct and possession of burglar's tools, according to ABC News.

The pair were escorted from a New York Police Department precinct in Midtown on Wednesday evening before being taken to Manhattan Criminal Court for arraignment.

Beerkus was seen leaving the building in handcuffs, wearing black clothing as two police officers escorted him to a white van. He maintained a serious expression throughout the walk.

Nikolau followed behind, also dressed in black and accompanied by two officers. Unlike her partner, she appeared to smile as she was led to the same vehicle. She was later seen sitting inside the van with what appeared to be a grin on her face.

The couple had climbed the Empire State Building's 1,454-foot spire earlier that day. During the stunt, they displayed a banner carrying the message, 'When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.'

The wording appeared to be a modified version of a quote from British politician William Gladstone, although it is often wrongly credited to musician Jimi Hendrix.

Police responded to the scene and took the pair into custody at around 1 pm after they had come back down from the structure.

Dramatic Proposal On The Spire

After displaying the banner at around midday, Nikolau and Beerkus began climbing down shortly after 12.30 pm before reaching a lower platform where the stunt took another unexpected turn.

Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikolau while they remained high above the city. A helicopter circling the building recorded the moment as Nikolau appeared to accept the proposal. The couple embraced before removing their face coverings and sharing a kiss.

Earlier in the day, Nikolau had posted a video of herself on top of the Empire State Building. She later shared a series of photographs from the climb, including images of the proposal and her new diamond engagement ring.

The couple has built a following through videos and photographs showing them climbing tall buildings and carrying out dangerous feats. Nikolau is frequently seen wearing a black cat-style face covering during her climbs, while Beerkus often appears alongside her.

Their latest stunt also caused disruption around the landmark. The Empire State Building's observation deck was cleared as tourists and visitors watched events unfold from below.

Witness Julie Morris told CBS: 'We were right at the top. I could see two people open the gates, the mesh gates, and they went up to the top.

'I just assumed they were allowed up there.' As police dealt with the incident, streets surrounding the building were taped off and closed while officers secured the area below the climbers.