A daring Empire State Building proposal has landed a Russian couple in police custody after they illegally scaled the New York landmark on July 1, 2026. The stunt, which combined an act of protest with a marriage proposal, ended with a felony charge and a sharply worded statement from the building’s management.
Vanya Beerkus, 32, and Angela Nikolau, 33, are no strangers to high-altitude thrills. The pair gained international attention through their extreme “rooftopping” pursuits, a niche subculture built around scaling tall structures without permission, often for the adrenaline and the dramatic photography that follows. They were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which chronicled their unauthorized climbs of skyscrapers around the world and turned them into recognizable figures within the extreme sports community.
Wearing matching sleeveless black outfits, the couple climbed roughly 1,450 feet up the Empire State Building’s spire, reaching the antenna structure near the very top of the tower. The climb itself would have taken considerable planning, given the building’s security measures and the physical demands of scaling such a narrow, exposed structure without safety equipment.
Once near the summit, they unfurled a large banner carrying a message about peace, reading that when love’s power outweighs the pursuit of power, the world finds harmony. The banner display appeared to be a deliberate statement, blending activism with the personal milestone that would follow moments later.
The Empire State Building Proposal Moment
Shortly after displaying the banner, around 12:30 PM, aerial footage showed the pair descending slightly to a lower platform on the antenna. Beerkus then got down on one knee and proposed to Nikolau, who accepted without hesitation. Video captured her admiring the new ring while wearing her recognizable “Catwoman-style” headgear, a signature look from her previous climbs.
Nikolau documented much of the climb and proposal across her social media accounts, sharing the moment with her large online following almost as it happened. The footage quickly circulated widely, drawing both admiration for the spectacle and criticism over the legal and safety risks involved.
The unauthorized climb triggered an immediate emergency response from city authorities. The New York Police Department shut down surrounding streets as a safety measure, redirecting pedestrian and vehicle traffic away from the area while officers assessed the situation atop one of the city’s most recognizable buildings.
Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit were dispatched to retrieve the couple, physically climbing the antenna structure themselves in a operation that required significant caution given the height and exposure involved. Body camera footage later released by the department showed officers carefully making their way up the narrow structure before escorting Beerkus and Nikolau safely back down to ground level.
Police confirmed that the couple was taken into custody without incident following the descent. According to official police documents, Nikolau has been charged with felony burglary, a charge defined under New York law as unlawfully entering a structure with intent to commit a crime. Authorities have not yet finalized what specific charges Beerkus will face, though matching or related charges are expected in the coming days.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for the Empire State Building issued a statement describing the climb as an unauthorized incident. The statement also included a pointed observation, noting that the couple could have arranged a legal romantic moment atop the building by booking its official proposal package, priced at 1,000 dollars, which allows couples to reserve the observation deck for such occasions rather than risking arrest.
Conclusion
The episode has reignited debate over the risks and legal consequences tied to rooftopping, a subculture that has drawn both fascination and criticism for years. While Beerkus and Nikolau’s climb generated widespread online attention and a memorable engagement story, it has also placed them squarely in the New York legal system, with felony charges now hanging over what was meant to be a celebratory moment.
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