Two individuals were taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after scaling New York City’s Empire State Building in what appears to have been an elaborate marriage proposal, authorities confirmed.
Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, both residents of East Orange, New Jersey, have been charged with a litany of offenses including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. The pair, originally from Russia, managed to reach the top of the building’s transmission tower before being apprehended by the New York Police Department.
The transmission tower atop the Empire State Building provides radio and television signals to local stations throughout the metropolitan area. The couple’s presence on the active tower created significant safety concerns, as exposure to radio waves during transmission poses serious health hazards. Building management made the decision to shut down the antenna during the incident.
This was not the first such stunt for Kuznetsov and Nikolau. The couple has built a following through their participation in what is known as “rooftopping,” the practice of climbing tall structures without ropes or safety equipment. They were previously featured in a documentary about their ascent of Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 Tower, which stands at 2,227 feet.
Nikolau documented the incident on social media as it unfolded. Photographs posted online show Kuznetsov proposing to Nikolau on one knee while perched atop the structure, with the New York City skyline stretching out behind them. Another image shows Nikolau displaying an engagement ring while overlooking the city.
The Empire State Building issued a statement emphasizing that no tenants, visitors, or observation deck guests were endangered during the unauthorized climb. The statement concluded with a pointed reminder that the building’s observation deck “does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
Video footage released by the NYPD shows the couple cooperating with authorities during their arrest. Witness Hector Alvarez observed them being escorted from the building’s loading dock in handcuffs. “Wearing all black, they came out. They didn’t say anything. They were not hurt,” Alvarez reported. “I’m guessing they knew they were going to get caught.”
Recent social media posts from Nikolau’s account reveal a pattern of similar activities. Just two days prior to the Empire State Building incident, she posted video from another Manhattan skyscraper. Earlier posts detail encounters with law enforcement in China, where the couple was reportedly detained for kissing atop a spire, as well as similar climbs in Miami and Malaysia. According to one post, the pair waited more than twenty hours without access to bathroom facilities, food, or water in order to evade security in Malaysia.
The incident raises questions about security protocols at major landmarks and the growing trend of social media-driven stunts at iconic locations. While the couple’s arrest was conducted without incident and building operations returned to normal, the serious nature of the charges reflects the potential dangers such unauthorized activities pose to both perpetrators and the public.
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