Two people broke into the Empire State Building, cut two padlocks, and climbed higher than tourists are ever allowed to go. Then one of them got down on one knee.
How they got in
Angelina "Angela" Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, both of East Orange, New Jersey, entered the Empire State Building as ordinary visitors the day before the stunt. According to a law enforcement source, they hid inside after closing. They got past a gate secured with cable locks, then cut two more locks on the 104th floor to reach the building's upper structure.
None of that happened by accident. It took planning to get past a public tourist attraction's security for an entire night without being found.
1,450 feet up
From the 104th floor they climbed onto the antenna near the top of the tower, roughly 1,450 feet above the street. They unfurled a banner that read: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."
Then Kuznetsov dropped to one knee. Nikolau removed her mask. They kissed. Video and images from the scene show the whole sequence, banner, proposal, kiss, all above one of the busiest tourist blocks in Manhattan.
Not their first climb
Prosecutors told the court the pair are social media influencers who specialize in extreme risk-taking: breaking into restricted areas of commercial buildings, hanging from rooftops, free-climbing skyscrapers. They're the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary, "Skywalkers: A Love Story," which the streaming service describes as following "daredevil influencers" who "risk their romance, freedom, and lives to climb a mega-skyscraper."
This wasn't a one-off stunt for attention. It was the same act they've built a career on, done at one of the most recognizable addresses in the country.
The bill
NYPD arrested both climbers and later released bodycam footage of the arrest. They were arraigned on a full slate of charges: burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar's tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. Both were released under court supervision.
The message versus the method
Strip away the proposal and the stunt looks like a lot of unauthorized public art. Pick the most visible surface in the city. Get past security. Put the message where nobody can miss it. Deal with the charges after. Graffiti writers bomb trains for the same reason activists take over billboards. The Empire State Building's antenna is just a bigger canvas with a felony attached to it.
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