Empire State Building security scrutinized after climbers’ proposal stunt
A Russian couple known for scaling skyscrapers around the world climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday, unfurled a banner and staged a marriage proposal partway down before being taken into custody — an episode that has building management and security experts confronting questions about how the pair breached one of the city’s most heavily guarded landmarks.
Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32 — who also goes by Ivan Beerkus — reached the top of the building’s transmission tower, which rises 1,454 feet above Manhattan, shortly before noon and displayed a banner reading “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” After roughly 30 minutes, the pair began climbing down through the antenna’s latticework and stopped on a lower platform, where Mr. Kuznetsov got down on one knee and proposed. Ms. Nikolau accepted, and the two continued their descent before officers with the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit met them partway and escorted them into custody, according to WABC-TV, which reported the pair were later hit with numerous charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, possession of burglar’s tools and disorderly conduct.
The pair are the self-described “rooftoppers” behind the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which chronicles their unauthorized climbs of skyscrapers across the globe. They live in East Orange, N.J., though both are originally from Russia, according to CBS News New York.
Exactly how the couple got past security to reach the antenna, which sits well above the areas open to the public, remains under investigation. The NYPD believes the duo entered through a locked maintenance hatch on the 102nd-floor observation deck, and investigators are reviewing surveillance footage to determine how the hatch was opened. A tourist visiting the observation deck at the time told the station she watched the pair walk through unchallenged.
“I didn’t see if it was locked, I just seen them open the door and hurry up,” said the visitor, who was in town from South Wales. “Along came these two people there and they opened the mesh door and went inside, so I assumed that they worked there so nobody stopped them.”
A former NYPD sergeant who now works in corporate security told the station the breach raises serious concerns. “It’s quite a disturbing breach,” said Greg Sanfilippo, now with Doyle Security Services. “This is every corporate real estate security team’s worst nightmare, getting access to the roof or ledges of their building.” He added that the couple likely conducted surveillance on the building beforehand rather than stumbling onto the hatch by chance.
Building management, in a statement, sought to downplay any danger to the public.
“The unauthorized incident at the building has been resolved with the constructive and helpful coordination of the NYPD,” a spokesperson said. “There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests. It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck … does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
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The Associated Press reported that Empire State Building visitors are ordinarily screened and warned against bringing large packages, sports equipment, costumes or masks — restrictions the couple appears to have circumvented.
Ms. Nikolau and Mr. Kuznetsov were held overnight while the Manhattan district attorney’s office finalized a criminal complaint, then appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday wearing the same black outfits they had on during the climb. A judge granted them supervised release, with their next court date set for Aug. 24. Their attorney has said prosecutors overcharged the case; the district attorney’s office has not commented further.
The stunt is not the first time daredevils have targeted the 102-story Art Deco tower. Musician Jared Leto was permitted to climb to the base of the antenna in 2023 to promote a concert tour, but most such ascents, including a 1994 climb by French urban climber Alain Robert, have been unauthorized.
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