Couple who climbed Empire State Building starred in documentary about their global stunts
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- The couple in NYPD custody for allegedly climbing the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan has been identified as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, who starred in the Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story" in 2024 about their global rooftop climbs.
The film showcased the couple's climb of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, the world's second tallest building at 2,227 feet.
Nikolau and Kuznetsov, who goes by the stage name Ivan Beerkus, were described by Netflix at the time as being based in Moscow.
Over the last year, Nikolau has posted multiple times on social media with photos and videos appearing to show the couple atop structures in California, including the Hollywood Sign.
Los Angeles County court filings do not list any criminal cases against either of them.
In a Facebook post earlier this year, Nikolau wrote that she and Beerkus had moved to New York.
"We're learning how to make friends again, how to find ourselves in a new city, how to communicate in a language that still feels foreign sometimes," she wrote.
Nikolau and Beerkus, who have gained an online following for their death-defying skyscraper climbs around the world, stayed on top of the iconic New York City skyscraper for several minutes on Wednesday, as cameras rolled on the action before coming down on the spire.
Beerkus then appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend before they were taken into custody.
The black banner they carried appeared to read, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."
Their banner is a take on a quote frequently attributed to guitarist Jimi Hendrix, but actually spoken by 19th-century British politician William Gladstone.
The banner has been recovered, police said.
The top of the building's spire is 1,454 feet above the ground.
It was not immediately clear how the couple got into position to free climb the metal structure that services the spire, broadcast antenna and red anti-collision beacon atop the building.
However, the NYPD is reviewing surveillance from the Empire State Building. The two appeared to access the spire from a 102nd floor hatch used for maintenance, possibly by breaking a lock. They likely had been observing staff movements.
A spokesperson for the Empire State Building said in a statement that there was at no time danger to the building's tenants or visitors.
"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," the spokesman said in a statement.
The observation deck was reopened later in the afternoon on Wednesday.
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