News
General
13 views
High-rise proposal: Couple scales Empire State Building to unfurl peace banner
Jul 03, 2026
đź“Ť Philadelphia, PA, USA
A dramatic marriage proposal atop New York’s iconic Empire State Building ended with both climbers in police custody after they allegedly scaled the skyscraper’s 200-foot spire, unfurled a peace banner, and triggered multiple criminal charges.
Two thrill-seekers were arrested after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, where they displayed a banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” before the man appeared to propose to his partner.
The pair, identified by the New York Police Department as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, also known as Ivan Beerkus, were taken into custody after safely descending from the building. Authorities charged them with felony burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and several misdemeanor offenses, including criminal trespass and possession of burglar’s tools.
Police believe the couple reached the building’s 200-foot spire through a maintenance hatch on the restricted 103rd floor, though investigators are still determining exactly how they accessed the secured area. The climb placed them atop the 1,250-foot landmark, making the stunt one of the highest unauthorized ascents in New York City.
Fortunately, neither climber nor members of the public were injured during the incident. Officials confirmed there was never any danger to visitors, tenants, or guests at the Empire State Building’s observation decks.
The Empire State Building later stated that the situation was resolved through close coordination with the NYPD, while humorously reminding couples that its official observation deck already offers one of the world's most popular locations for marriage proposals—without breaking the law.
Body-camera footage released by police showed officers calmly communicating with the couple as they remained on the structure before descending. Nikolau told officers that both she and Kuznetsov speak Russian and confirmed they were unharmed.
The stunt quickly spread across social media after Nikolau shared breathtaking images and videos from the summit, including the proposal itself. The incident has reignited debate over skyscraper security and the growing popularity of extreme urban climbing among social media influencers seeking viral attention.
Two thrill-seekers were arrested after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, where they displayed a banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” before the man appeared to propose to his partner.
The pair, identified by the New York Police Department as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, also known as Ivan Beerkus, were taken into custody after safely descending from the building. Authorities charged them with felony burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and several misdemeanor offenses, including criminal trespass and possession of burglar’s tools.
Police believe the couple reached the building’s 200-foot spire through a maintenance hatch on the restricted 103rd floor, though investigators are still determining exactly how they accessed the secured area. The climb placed them atop the 1,250-foot landmark, making the stunt one of the highest unauthorized ascents in New York City.
Fortunately, neither climber nor members of the public were injured during the incident. Officials confirmed there was never any danger to visitors, tenants, or guests at the Empire State Building’s observation decks.
The Empire State Building later stated that the situation was resolved through close coordination with the NYPD, while humorously reminding couples that its official observation deck already offers one of the world's most popular locations for marriage proposals—without breaking the law.
Body-camera footage released by police showed officers calmly communicating with the couple as they remained on the structure before descending. Nikolau told officers that both she and Kuznetsov speak Russian and confirmed they were unharmed.
The stunt quickly spread across social media after Nikolau shared breathtaking images and videos from the summit, including the proposal itself. The incident has reignited debate over skyscraper security and the growing popularity of extreme urban climbing among social media influencers seeking viral attention.
Tags
news
Comments (0)
Login to post comments
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts about this post.