![Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau display a banner on top of the Empire State Building in Manhattan, New York City, on July 1 [Reuters]](https://mmnews.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/couple-on-Empire-State-Building.webp)
Scale Empire State Building, get engaged and then arrested, all in a day’s work..!
Russian daredevils Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau climbed to the tip of the Empire State Building’s antenna, displaying a banner that reads “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” However, later they were arrested for an authorized stunt.
The footage, captured by a United States news helicopter on Wednesday, showed the pair, dressed in black, appearing to kiss atop the skyscraper’s iconic spire before unfurling the message approximately 443 meters (1,454 feet) above the ground.
Authorities have not explained how they accessed the restricted antenna, located far above the building’s public observation areas.
Police body camera footage later released showed an officer climbing a ladder to reach the couple. After asking how they were doing, he informed them they were not permitted to be there before escorting them down.
The pair, identified as Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, previously appeared in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which follows their passion for “rooftopping,” the practice of scaling tall urban buildings. Angela’s father, Russian circus artist Dmitriy Nikolau, told Reuters he already knew about the climb. The Empire State Building called it an unauthorized incident.
