Couple arrested for illegal climb to top of Empire State Building put on VERY amorous display at latest court appearance while wearing utterly shameless jewelry
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
A Russian couple who illegally scaled New York's Empire State Building shared a lingering kiss outside a Manhattan courthouse at a hearing over the stunt, appearing hand in hand before the judge in matching handcuff-shaped bracelets. Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, well-known for climbing high-rise buildings, have not entered a plea over the 1 July climb, saying online that they would "respect the process and accept the consequences" of their actions; they are next due in court on 29 September.
The pair scaled the landmark's spire on 1 July, during which Beerkus proposed to Nikolau roughly 1,400 feet above the ground and the couple unfurled a banner reading "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace," a line often misattributed to Jimi Hendrix. They were arrested by the NYPD after descending and face charges including reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, burglary, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, criminal tampering and possession of burglar's tools. The stunt, which cleared the building's observation deck and closed the surrounding street, follows the couple's earlier appearance in the 2024 Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story."
- Russian daredevil couple appeared in court over illegal Empire State Building climb
- Ivan Beerkus proposed to Angela Nikolau atop the spire on 1 July
- Both face multiple charges; next hearing set for 29 September
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Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, a Russian couple known for climbing tall buildings and other structures without permission, scaled the spire of New York's Empire State Building on 1 July. During the climb Beerkus proposed to Nikolau roughly 1,400 feet up, and the pair displayed a banner with a message about love and power before descending, at which point they were arrested.
The couple face several criminal charges in connection with the climb, including trespass, burglary and reckless endangerment, and are due to return to a Manhattan court on 29 September. They have not yet entered a plea, though they have said publicly that they intend to accept whatever consequences follow.
Nikolau and Beerkus are already known online for a series of similar unauthorised climbs on skyscrapers and landmarks around the world, and were the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary about their exploits. Their case has drawn continued public and media attention partly because of their existing profile as extreme stunt performers, and partly because of their public displays of affection at subsequent court hearings.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Sympathetic observers would argue this is fundamentally a story of romance and daring performance art rather than serious criminality: nobody was hurt, the pair are experienced professional climbers with a documented public career built on consensual, self-directed risk, and their proposal and banner suggest a genuine artistic and romantic statement rather than malice. From this view, their affectionate, lighthearted courtroom demeanour simply reflects that they have already said they will accept the consequences and see no need to perform manufactured remorse they do not feel. Treating the case primarily as a matter for fines or community sanctions, rather than a raft of serious charges, would respect that this was self-endangering expression rather than an act aimed at harming others.
The case against
Critics would counter that the charges exist precisely because the climb imposed real costs and risks on the public: police had to clear the observation deck and close surrounding streets, diverting emergency resources that might have been needed elsewhere, and a fall from 1,400 feet could have endangered pedestrians and first responders, not just the climbers themselves. From this perspective, an active criminal case is a serious matter, and using it as a stage for handcuff-themed jewellery and courthouse kissing risks trivialising both the risk they created and the authority of the process meant to hold them accountable. Repeated similar climbs by the same pair, they might add, suggest a pattern that ordinary penalties have so far failed to deter, making visible respect for the proceedings all the more important.