A banner about love and peace unfurled atop the Empire State Building drew global attention after two climbers appeared to stage a marriage proposal on July 1. The pair were later self-identified online as Russian rooftoppers Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, s
The moment seemed made for a fairytale—until the height came into focus.
On a warm Wednesday afternoon in New York. two people climbed to the peak of the nearly 1. 500-foot-tall Empire State Building. From the spire. they clung and unfurled a banner that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” Video and photos from the scene. shared by outlets including ABC. showed a man sinking to one knee after the couple dismounted the spire and returned to the building’s base—an apparent marriage proposal playing out at the top of one of America’s most recognizable landmarks.
For millions watching worldwide, the question became the same: who are they?
The answer arrived not from police or officials, but from the couple themselves. Through social media, they identified as Russian rooftoppers Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, daredevil climbers who were the focus of the 2024 documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
Beerkus, 32, has built a following online by posting views from his (often illegal) climbs—scaling everything from skyscrapers and landmarks to cranes. He describes himself as a “rooftopper” and is known for pushing into some of the world’s most dangerous heights without ropes or other safety gear.
Nikolau, 33, is a Russian daredevil climber and former gymnast. The daughter of circus performers, she also gained notoriety by traveling around the world to scale dangerous heights without ropes or safety gear, posting images online of those ascents.
In “Skywalkers: A Love Story. ” the film’s central romance is also the story’s core risk: Beerkus and Nikolau met in the rooftopping scene. and their relationship grew out of the kind of trust that only comes when both people know how serious a fall can be. The documentary also depicts how Nikolau was the less experienced climber when they met—looking up to Beerkus and seeking to emulate his climbs.
Their bond, the documentary says, ultimately sparked during a 2016 trip to climb Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin, China. That thread—romance intertwined with high-stakes climbing—also runs through their later work. including a 2022 mission to climb Merdeka 118. a 2. 227-foot building in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.
Seen through the details of their story. the Empire State Building banner reads less like a random spectacle and more like a familiar language: love expressed at the highest edge. paired with a message that frames danger and devotion as inseparable. On July 1. with the city spread beneath them and the spire beneath their hands. Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau carried that same blend of risk and romance into international view.
Empire State Building Ivan Beerkus Angela Nikolau rooftopping marriage proposal Skywalkers: A Love Story New York City Russian climbers high-risk climbing
So wait they just… climbed up there like it’s nothing? That’s insane.
The banner quote is kinda sweet but also how is this legal?? I saw the video and I swear it looked staged like those movies. Also “no ropes”?? yeah that’s definitely a choice.
Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau… I feel like I’ve heard those names from that documentary. But if they’re Russian rooftop people then why are they even doing it on the Empire State? Like wouldn’t they pick something in Russia if it’s some trend.
I don’t get how they were allowed to do this. “When the power of love beats the love of power” sounds like a church sign but meanwhile they’re hanging off the spire without safety gear??? Somebody should’ve been stopping them. And the documentary thing… so they’re famous already so that’s why nobody cared? Idk, this whole fairytale thing feels like a setup for clicks.