Couple Faces Charges After Scaling Iconic Skyscraper
Two Russian "rooftoppers," Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, were arraigned in New York on Thursday on charges including reckless endangerment, burglary, and criminal mischief after allegedly scaling the Empire State Building on Wednesday. The pair, who staged an apparent marriage proposal at the building's spire, spent the night in separate cells near the New York City criminal court in lower Manhattan.
The Stunt and Arrest
Nikolau, 33, and Kuznetsov, 32 (also known as Ivan Beerkus), were arrested on Wednesday after reaching the 1,454-foot summit of the Empire State Building. Dressed in all black, they unfurled a black flag reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace," and kissed. The New York Police Department monitored the stunt with a drone and helicopter, and members of the elite emergency service unit arrested them.
The pair are Russian nationals with an address in New Jersey, according to records. They are prominent figures in the underground activity of "rooftopping," where urban outlaws scale tall buildings for photos, videos, or political statements. Kuznetsov's Instagram account has over 500,000 followers, while Nikolau's has 1.8 million.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
They were scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday facing charges of burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct, and possession of burglar's tools. Investigators are probing how they accessed the final stages of the landmark, which opened in 1931 as the world's tallest building.
Official Response
In a statement, the owners of the Empire State Building emphasized that the observation deck offers a safer, more orthodox way for marriage proposals. "It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals," the statement said.
