Russian couple arrested after daring Empire State marriage proposal stunt
What's the story
A couple was arrested after they pulled off a daring marriage proposal stunt on top of the Empire State Building in New York City. The pair, identified as Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau, scaled the building's spire at 1,454 feet without any safety equipment. They unfurled a banner with the message "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace" before Kuznetsov proposed to Nikolau. They were atop the 1,454ft building for nearly 10 minutes.
Legal repercussions
The couple were charged with several offenses
It was unclear how the couple obtained access to the antenna, which is placed well above the 102-story building's publicly accessible areas. The couple, who lives in East Orange, New Jersey, was charged with several offenses, including burglary and reckless endangerment. They are known on social media for "rooftopping," an urban sport of climbing buildings without safety gear. The stunt drew the attention of nearly 40 officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) and went viral on social media.
Twitter Post
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BREAKING: Two masked protesters have climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building in NYC to raise a banner that reads:
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) July 1, 2026
"When the power of love beats the love of power. The world knows peace."
I'm sure Trump will call them "Antifa" and try to send them to prison for… pic.twitter.com/5Fmd0yLQHX
Official statement
Empire State Building reacts
An Empire State Building spokesperson called the incident an "unauthorized incident," suggesting that the couple could have opted for the building's $1,000 "Happily Ever Empire Proposal Package" instead. Police body camera footage, released later, showed an officer sent to retrieve the daredevils. "How are you doing?" the officer asked the couple as he ascended a ladder. While the couple's response could not be heard over the wind, the officer could be heard saying, "Well, you can't be up here."
Cops
Couple had appeared in Netflix documentary
The couple had appeared in a 2024 Netflix documentary titled Skywalkers: A Love Story, which documented their passion for rooftopping. The description of the documentary describes the couple as "daredevil influencers" who "risk their romance freedom and lives to climb a mega-skyscraper." They have conducted similar stunts in other cities, including Tianjin, China, and Los Angeles.