A couple has been arrested after scaling the antenna of New York City’s iconic Empire State Building, where they staged a dramatic marriage proposal and unfurled a banner more than 1,400 feet above the ground.
Keep reading to know how the internet reacted to their act.
The Russian daredevils Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, who rose to international fame through Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, climbed the 1,454-foot antenna on Wednesday, July 1, documenting the entire stunt on Instagram. After reaching the summit, the couple revealed a large banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
The breathtaking climb soon turned into a romantic milestone when Kuznetsov dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikolau at the top of the skyscraper. She accepted, and the pair celebrated with hugs and kisses before she later showed off her diamond engagement ring on Instagram.
Earlier, Nikolau had shared a link encouraging followers to watch the climb unfold live. According to reports, the pair remained atop the antenna for roughly 30 minutes before safely making their way back down. Upon reaching the building, they were taken into custody by the New York Police Department and are expected to face charges for trespassing and unauthorized climbing.
Authorities say the stunt involved bypassing recently installed security measures designed to prevent dangerous access to the building’s upper maintenance areas. A source told the New York Post that the couple did not purchase tickets to the observation deck. Instead, they allegedly breached a secured mesh gate separating the public 102nd floor from the restricted 103rd-floor maintenance level before continuing onto the antenna.
The additional barriers had reportedly been installed to discourage thrill-seekers from attempting risky selfies and unauthorized climbs. An Empire State Building spokesperson later confirmed that the incident was resolved through coordination with the NYPD and stressed that at no point were visitors or tenants placed in danger.
“There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building observation deck guests,” the spokesperson said.
The Empire State Building features observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors, while the 103rd floor and antenna are reserved exclusively for maintenance personnel.
Although the dramatic proposal attracted widespread attention online, many social media users were less impressed by the couple’s methods than by the spectacle itself. Numerous commenters criticized the stunt as reckless, with several describing the peace message as “cringe.”
A person made a joke about the event, saying, “I guess we are now taking proposals to new heights.”
“Meaningless platitudes … the world does not work like that,” one person wrote. While others thought their intentions were not just a proposal, one person posted, “They’re the subjects of a Netflix series, this was the promotion.”
While another added, “i’m not moved a bit. they were in fact sure that they were gonna go viral and they did it out of attention seeking which is pretty cringe when you think about that, going up on the highest point of Empire State with drones flying around you and act like you didn’t know.”
Others questioned whether risking their lives and triggering a major emergency response was an appropriate way to deliver a symbolic message.
The incident also disrupted visitors hoping to tour the famous skyscraper. Jonathan Roman, a tourist visiting New York from Glasgow, Scotland, told the Associated Press that he and his 15-year-old son arrived with tickets to visit the observation deck, only to find the building temporarily closed because of the ongoing police response.
Despite the inconvenience, Roman admitted the unexpected event was memorable.
“It’s crazy—it’s like being in the movies,” he said, adding that witnessing the unfolding drama was “probably more exciting than going up.”
Nikolau and Kuznetsov are no strangers to dangerous urban climbing. The couple built a massive online following by scaling some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, cranes, and unfinished buildings without safety equipment, eventually becoming the subjects of Netflix’s Skywalkers: A Love Story, which chronicled both their relationship and their passion for extreme rooftop adventures.
The Empire State Building has experienced similar security breaches in the past, with several climbers attempting to access restricted sections of the landmark over the years. However, officials say additional barriers and security measures have been introduced specifically to reduce the risk of unauthorized climbs like this one.
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