Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus scaled the antenna of the Empire State Building on July 1, reaching 1,454 feet above street level without safety equipment. The couple unfurled a pro-peace banner at the top of the spire before Beerkus proposed to Nikolau, who said yes, moments before New York police took them both into custody.
A message carried to 1,454 feet
The banner the pair unfurled from the top of the Empire State Building read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The phrase, widely attributed to 19th-century British politician William Gladstone, drew immediate attention from news helicopters circling the building as the stunt unfolded just after noon.
🚨BREAKING: Two people climbed the Empire State Building and hung a banner from the antenna: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
Some call it brave. Others call it reckless. pic.twitter.com/Q7Samc0pat
— Armando Pantoja (@_TallGuyTycoon) July 1, 2026
Nikolau and Beerkus, both in black clothing and face coverings, spent time at the top of the spire before beginning their descent. As Beerkus made his way down to a narrow platform below the antenna, he got down on one knee and produced a ring, which Nikolau accepted and wore as she climbed down.
“Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself,” said Dmitriy Nikolau, Angela’s father, who told Reuters he had prior knowledge of the climb.
The couple later removed their masks and shared footage of the proposal and the engagement ring across social media, encouraging followers to watch the Empire State Building’s live webcam. Their stunt drew comparisons to the kind of high-visibility advocacy that organizations such as those featured in the International Children’s Peace Prize pursue through more formal channels.
Empire State Building climb leads to arrest
New York police officers met the pair as they descended and placed them into custody. Charges filed against the couple included burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, trespass and disorderly conduct. Investigators believe they entered the restricted area through a locked maintenance hatch on the 102nd-floor observation deck, having likely monitored staff movements beforehand.
A spokesperson for the Empire State Building said there was “at no time” any danger to tenants or visitors. The building’s observation deck, the spokesperson added, already offers a more practical setting for marriage proposals.
Nikolau and Beerkus are known for a decade of rooftop climbs across China, Malaysia, and the UAE, and were the subjects of the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. Their climb has since reignited debate around rooftopping as a form of public expression, a conversation that intersects with broader questions about how peace advocacy reaches global audiences beyond institutional frameworks.