Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, a daredevil couple who were featured in the Netflix documentary “Skywalkers”, returned to the news headlines for pulling off a climbing stunt at the Empire State Building in New York City on Wednesday.
As the surprise and unannounced climb unfolded on a hot New York City afternoon, bystanders and pedestrians stopped and looked on confused. The NYPD was called to the scene immediately, and officers tried to talk to them, without realizing what was unfolding.
The duo then reached the top of the building, unfurled a banner, which read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” They also shared some kisses.
Nikolau, 33, and Beerkus, 32, then slowly started climbing down the building. But the stunt was yet to be over. As they found a platform to stand on after climbing down a few meters, Beerkus proposed to Nikolau with an engagement ring. Nikolau said “Yes,” and came down with Beerkus wearing the engagement ring.
ABC7’s Eyewitness News reported that around 1pm EDT they were taken into custody by NYPD officers just as they landed on the ground.
Here’s the video:
Who Are Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus?
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are Russian skyscraper climbers who have scaled multiple iconic buildings worldwide. Angela Nikolau was born into a family of circus artists, pursued rhythmic gymnastics as a child before begining climbing skyscrapers. She instantly went viral on social media for her unusual photos from the rooftops of skyscrapers in Moscow.
Her first documented joint climb with Ivan Beerkus, also a Russian rooftop climber, came in 2016. They scaled China’s Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin, the highest construction in the world. Beerkus has climbed the Eiffel Tower, the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, and Shun Hing Square in Shenzhen, among other buildings.
It is unclear when they started dating. While Nikolau was featured in the Danish documentary On the Edge of Freedom and the Slovak documentary Who is Next.
The Netflix documentary ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ documented their relationship, forged through a shared love for scaling skyscrapers. They, of course, got engaged atop the Empire State Building on July 1.
