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NYPD Pilot Has Blunt Response After Daredevils Climb Empire State Building: “Two Geniuses”
A marriage proposal at the top of the Empire State Building might sound like the kind of grand romantic gesture made for the movies. But when daredevil couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov climbed into a restricted area of the landmark’s spire, the moment quickly became part love story, part police response, and part classic New York comedy, thanks to one NYPD pilot’s dry radio remark: “Two geniuses.”
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A Romantic Stunt, A Sharp Radio Reply
The Empire State Building stunt drew attention for its scale, but the detail that made it especially memorable was the air traffic control audio. As Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov climbed the landmark’s spire, a LaGuardia air traffic controller asked an NYPD helicopter pilot what was happening near the tower. The pilot’s answer was blunt: “Two geniuses” had climbed to the top of the Empire State Building.
The exchange quickly summed up the split between spectacle and consequence. The pair, known for extreme urban climbing and featured in Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, had scaled the 1,454-foot landmark, waved a banner, and staged a proposal before being arrested.
What may have looked like a dramatic romantic gesture online was treated by authorities as a serious security and safety incident. The couple later appeared in court and faced charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.
The Arrest Was Captured On NYPD Bodycam
The stunt did not end as a private engagement moment. NYPD bodycam footage showed Emergency Service Unit officers reaching Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov near the Empire State Building’s antenna after the pair had climbed into a restricted area more than 1,000 feet above Manhattan. In the video, an officer can be heard saying, “I got eyes on ’em,” before warning Nikolau, “You can’t be up here!”
By then, the couple had already turned the climb into a staged public spectacle. They reportedly wore black clothing, unfurled a banner reading, “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” and Kuznetsov proposed after they reached a platform near the spire. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch later posted the bodycam footage online and praised the officers involved, calling it “a glimpse into the work of our Emergency Services Unit.”
According to the criminal complaint reported by the New York Post, the building’s broadcast antenna had to be powered down for roughly 30 minutes so officers could safely reach the pair. The couple were later charged with felony burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor counts tied to trespassing and alleged tampering.
The Couple Behind The Climb
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, who also goes by Ivan Beerkus, were not unknown thrill-seekers before the Empire State Building incident. The pair were the subjects of Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which followed their relationship and their high-risk practice of “rooftopping,” or climbing tall structures, often without authorization. Netflix described the film as built from more than 200 hours of footage shot across seven years and six countries.
That background matters because it places the Empire State Building climb within a broader pattern of carefully staged, highly visual stunts. In Skywalkers, the couple’s central challenge involved Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 skyscraper, including its 160-meter spire. Their public image has been built around the mix of romance, danger, and extreme height, which helps explain why the New York climb was presented not only as a stunt, but as an engagement moment.
Still, the familiarity of their brand did not soften the legal response. Prosecutors identified them by their formal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, while reports noted they are publicly known as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus. Authorities said their latest climb created a safety risk for the officers who had to follow them up the restricted antenna area, turning a social media-ready gesture into a criminal case.
A Romantic Gesture With Serious Consequences
The couple’s defense has framed the climb as a message of love, but officials focused on the risk created by reaching a restricted part of one of New York’s most heavily monitored landmarks. According to ABC7 New York, investigators believe Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov entered the Empire State Building the night before, hid inside, and later accessed the antenna area through a hatch on the 102nd floor. A criminal complaint cited by the outlet alleged that a lock on a 104th-floor security door had been broken, allowing access to the broadcast antenna more than 1,300 feet above ground.
That detail is central to why the case moved beyond a trespassing citation. The climb forced NYPD Emergency Service Unit officers to scale the structure themselves, creating a secondary danger for the responders tasked with bringing the pair down. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the bodycam footage from the response as “harrowing,” while officials argued that the stunt put police in an unnecessary high-risk position.
The Empire State Building later said there was “at no time” danger to tenants, visitors, or observation deck guests, but the legal issue was broader than public panic inside the building. Authorities were dealing with alleged unauthorized entry, damage to secured access points, and a forced emergency response at extreme height. The result was a set of charges that included burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and other offenses.
Love, Laughter, And A Very New York Reality Check
In the end, the Empire State Building stunt became memorable for more than the climb itself. It had the drama of a public proposal, the risk of a restricted skyline stunt, and the kind of dry official commentary that only made the story travel faster. The NYPD pilot’s “two geniuses” remark worked because it said what many people were probably thinking: love may make people bold, but it does not make a police response any less serious.
For anyone planning a grand romantic gesture, the safer lesson is simple: there are easier ways to make a proposal unforgettable than scaling one of the world’s most famous buildings. A rooftop dinner, a quiet walk, or even a slightly awkward speech can still do the job. The view may not be 1,400 feet above Manhattan, but the odds of ending the day engaged instead of arrested are much better.