Couple scale Empire State Building's spire, get engaged, then arrested
A couple with a history of unauthorised climbs scaled the Empire State Building's transmission tower without safety equipment on Wednesday, unfurled a banner, got engaged on the way down, and were arrested and charged on several counts.
- A couple climbed the Empire State Building's transmission spire before becoming engaged during their descent.
- Police arrested the pair and charged them with multiple offences after the unauthorised climb.
- Investigators are examining how the couple accessed the building's restricted transmission tower.
A man and a woman climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building's transmission spire in Manhattan, one of New York City's best-known landmarks and, for decades, one of the tallest buildings in the world, on Wednesday afternoon. They unfurled a banner and became engaged as they descended, before being arrested and charged by police.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) identified the pair as Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau (also reported as Angela Nikolau), 33, according to CBS News. Kuznetsov's own social media page identifies him as Ivan Beerkus.
The couple live in East Orange, New Jersey, a town near New York City, and have a history of conducting similar stunts, climbing tall buildings around the world without ropes or other safety equipmen. The pair are known for daredevil climbs internationally and were profiled in the 2024 documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," currently available on Netflix.
They face a series of charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar's tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. The two were walked out of an NYPD precinct in Midtown on Wednesday night.
The climb
The incident began at around noon on Wednesday, when the man and woman, both wearing masks, reached the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a large black banner with white lettering. They had no visible safety equipment and clung to the spire by their fingertips.
The banner read: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." The quote is often attributed to musician Jimi Hendrix. The phrase is a variation of a quote frequently attributed to Hendrix, but which was in fact spoken by 19th-century British politician William Gladstone.
Shortly after reaching the top and displaying the banner, one of the pair began to descend before returning to the summit. The couple posted to social media while at the top and later shared footage of their climb, including images of the proposal and the ring.
How they got in
Accounts of how the couple gained access to the tower differ between reports. Preliminary information from law enforcement sources indicated they entered through a hatch on the 103rd floor used for water tower maintenance. The 103rd floor is not open to the public, though the 102nd floor is, and how the pair moved between the two floors to reach the radio and television transmission tower for local stations remained unclear.
The NYPD believed the pair entered through a locked maintenance hatch on the 102nd-floor observation deck, and that they had likely been observing staff movements beforehand. How the door was opened was described as a major part of the investigation.
John Cleary, a former CBS News New York chief broadcast engineer, told CBS News that the hatch in question "is generally locked," adding: "And then, once you get inside, it's called the JJ level, and that's the level right before there's another hatch that you need a card to open. And I don't know how they got through that one, either."
Eyewitness accounts
Other visitors were on the building's observation deck as the climb began. Witness Julie Morris told CBS News: "They opened the gate and they went up to the top. So somebody said, are you allowed up the top? And he said, the security guard said, no, nobody's allowed up top. But because I'd seen them go up, I just assumed that they were allowed up there." Morris said the pair were not wearing masks when they began their climb.
Speaking to ABC News, Morris said: "Well, I was on the top, the very top, along come these two people. Opened the mesh. Assumed they worked there and nobody stopped them."
Tourist Martin Mulgrew, who was on the observation deck with his family, told CBS News: "Why would anyone want to propose on the top of a building?" Maeve Mulgrew added: "We're looking up, enjoying the view again, and they're waving down, just standing there, peering over. Then coming down to your arrest? They must've really been in love."
The observation deck was later cleared, and the stunt forced some visitors to evacuate. Witness Grant Staub told ABC News: "They're just keeping us inside, but they let us out for maybe two minutes. I got a few videos and pictures of the people up there, but then a few cops came out and immediately made us go inside."
The proposal
An NYPD helicopter responded to the scene, and at 12:35pm the pair began to descend from the top. Once they reached one of the lower platforms on the tower, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to propose.
Kuznetsov pulled out a ring, and after Nikolau said "Yes," she admired and wore the ring as she continued climbing down. The two then embraced, the woman removed her mask, and they kissed. A social media post appeared to depict the proposal and its aftermath from Nikolau's point of view.
Police response
CBS News New York's Lisa Rozner reported that the street below was closed off as the NYPD responded, including its elite Emergency Service Unit (ESU), a specialist tactical and rescue team. At least two ESU members were harnessed in and climbed up to meet the pair halfway up the spire. Both outlets reported the couple were taken into custody just before 1pm.
The NYPD released bodycam footage of officers making the arrest at the top of the building. NYPD personnel wore hard hats and other safety equipment as they reached the pair, and one of the ESU members involved had graduated the previous week, the NYPD said, according to CBS News. No injuries were reported.
The NYPD was reviewing surveillance footage from the building as part of its investigation, ABC News reported.
Jessica Kaplan, who works in the building, told CBS News: "Of course, security is amazing, but it's a big concern as someone who works here."
Empire State Building's response
An Empire State Building spokesperson said: "The unauthorized incident at the building has been resolved with the constructive and helpful coordination of the NYPD. There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests." The spokesperson added: "It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World's Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals."
Due to the possibility of exposure to radio waves, the building's antenna was shut down, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News New York.
John Cleary told CBS News: "These guys are a little crazy. Climbing up and down that tower, especially in this heat, is very strenuous. It's easy to make mistakes. It doesn't look like they're wearing any harnesses. There's a lot of RF, there's a lot of electrical energy up on that tower." He added: "There's potential for danger up there. It's something that we're trained to do. We go to classes for this ... it's not like you climb rocks. This is a live transmission tower. There's a lot of danger up there."
Daredevils have previously scaled the antenna and other parts of the Empire State Building, largely without authorisation. One exception came in 2023, when actor and musician Jared Leto was permitted to climb to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor to promote a tour.
