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Love is in the air.
On Wednesday, a man and woman dressed in black managed to illegally scale the Empire State Building, appearing to get engaged in the process. The couple has revealed themselves as Russian rooftoppers
Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, the stars of Netflix’s 2024 documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
The death-defying duo, who are known for climbing skyscrapers without ropes or harnesses, attracted news helicopters and 911 calls when they were spotted 1,454 feet above the ground, holding onto the antenna of the iconic building in Midtown Manhattan.
Beerkus and Nikolau were on top of the Empire State Building for about half an hour, waving a giant flag that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The couple also appeared to get engaged, as Beerkus got on one knee and placed a ring on Nikolau’s finger. The two posted photos to Instagram showing off the proposal.
The happy couple is currently in police custody, according to NBC New York.
It’s unclear how, exactly, Beerkus and Nikolau were able to scale the 102-story building, but if “Skywalkers” is any indication, the duo probably spent months training for the stunt. Documenting their climb of Malaysia’s 2,227-feet-tall Merdeka Tower — the second-tallest structure in the world — Beerkus and Nikolau filmed themselves spending roughly 30 hours inside the building, camping out and hiding from construction workers. After pulling off the climb, Beerkus and Nikolau escaped Malaysia before they could face legal repercussions.
In an interview with Variety in 2024, Beerkus and Nikolau said they had just moved to New York and were in search of new adventures, teasing that there were buildings they haven’t “conquered” but “we can’t tell you what they are.”
