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“When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” These were the words written on the large black flag that Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov unfurled at the top of the Empire State Building, 443 metres above Manhattan, capturing the full attention of the online community within 24 hours. As much as I believe in the same ideals as this adventurous couple, I have to admit that I would not exactly climb the antenna of one of the world’s most famous buildings to send that message to the world.
The Russian couple, known for their extreme skyscraper climbs and the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, were arrested after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, unfurling a banner with a message of peace and, as seen in the footage, staging a proposal at one of the world’s most famous locations.
The internet, of course, immediately exploded with reposts, AI recreations and comments ranging from concerned to “if he wanted to, he would”. Symbolically dubbed the Empire State lovers, the photos that spread across social media introduced us to a mysterious girl in a look that reminded many of Catwoman and a man we now know as probably the only person in the world to propose to his girlfriend on a metal structure 443 metres above the city.
Angela Nikolau, who describes herself as a rooftopper and visual artist, and Ivan Kuznetsov, also known as Ivan Beerkus, are not new to this world. They have been together since 2016, and their relationship has been built around shared climbs, travels and footage captured from heights that make many people dizzy after a single glance. Their social media profiles are filled with photos taken from the edges of buildings, skyscraper rooftops and structures among the clouds.
Angela and Ivan have also appeared in campaigns for brands such as Diesel, while their story has made it to the big screen as well. Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story follows them through the world of rooftopping, the informal and often illegal practice of climbing tall urban structures, as well as through their relationship, which developed alongside increasingly risky ascents. The film also features their climb of Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, the world’s second-tallest building, for which, according to earlier reports, they prepared for months and spent hours hiding inside the building before the final ascent. For Nikolau and Beerkus, climbing the Empire State Building, however unbelievable it may sound, is in fact a continuation of their previous climbs.
The romantic gesture quickly became a police matter. Nikolau and Kuznetsov were arrested and then brought before a court in New York. Both pleaded not guilty and were released without bail, under supervision, while awaiting their next hearing, scheduled for 24 August. A court filing states that police had to wait around half an hour for the antenna to be switched off before members of a special unit could even approach the couple. Authorities claim that the climb created danger not only for the two of them, but also for the officers who had to intervene at such a great height. The Empire State Building’s management called the incident unauthorised but said that visitors and tenants of the building were not at risk. Their statement also included a witty reminder that the Empire State Building already offers official proposal packages, without having to climb the antenna.
This is not the first time we have heard about someone dramatically climbing to the top of the Empire State Building. The building has previously been scaled by other climbers, both legally and illegally. French climber Alain Robert, known as the “French Spiderman”, climbed it back in 1994, while Jared Leto completed a legal climb in 2023 to promote his band Thirty Seconds to Mars’s world tour. A year later, photographer Isaac Wright was arrested for taking photographs at the top of the tower.
In Angela and Ivan’s case, their lawyer Jason Krinsky said that once the prosecution provides the evidence, he will discuss the next steps with his clients. As he left the courthouse, Kuznetsov briefly said, “We believe in love”, while Nikolau told journalists that police had taken their ring. This is not their first encounter with police over climbing, so it is hardly surprising that the public’s response to them is divided: some see them as urban acrobats and a couple who turned love into an extreme performance, while others consider them irresponsible influencers who package danger into a romantic frame. In any case, through memes, comments and new marketing campaigns, the internet has already delivered its verdict: this is a proposal many will wish for, but no reasonable person should attempt to recreate.
Available on Netflix: Skywalkers: A Love Story | Official Trailer | Netflix
Source: Vogue Magazine