Empire State Building climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov face deportation fears after rooftopping stunt

A Russian daredevil couple is facing felony charges that could result in jail time and deportation, according to their attorney, four months after they ascended the Empire State Building's antenna for what appeared to be a sky-high marriage proposal.

Russian daredevil couple face jail time after Empire State climb

There is no deportation order in place. However, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, sometimes known online as Ivan Beerkus, claim their future in the United States is suddenly in jeopardy due to a plea-deal disagreement that is taking place in Manhattan Criminal Court.

A banner, a ring and a very public arrest

On July 1, the pair, dressed in black and masked, climbed the building's antenna and unfurled a banner reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." Cameras caught them lingering at the top before climbing down to a lower platform, where one appeared to get down on one knee. An off-camera voice was heard saying they were engaged.

Police closed the streets around the building, and officers met the couple on a landing inside the antenna as they came down a ladder. Body camera footage showed an officer telling them they could not be up there, and the couple did not appear to be wearing safety harnesses. They were taken into custody without incident.

The pair are best known for "rooftopping," photographing and filming themselves atop the world's tallest structures. Their story was told in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which followed their climb of Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka 118 tower. Building management called the stunt unauthorised and said it never endangered anyone inside.

Felony charges and a plea-deal fight

The couple face three felony counts: burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. A criminal complaint from the Manhattan district attorney alleges that a lock on the security door to the building's 104th floor, which leads to the broadcast antenna, was broken. Kuznetsov has said they did not damage any property.

What deportation could mean

The couple live in the United States on talent visas, and defense attorney Noam Biale says a felony conviction could cost them the right to stay. He argues that a misdemeanour resolution would have shielded them from what he called "catastrophic immigration consequences."

He also warned that going back to Russia would carry serious risks. In his telling, Kuznetsov would almost certainly be sent to fight in the war in Ukraine, while Nikolau could be jailed over her artistic work. Those scenarios are the defense's concerns about a hypothetical outcome, and no immigration proceeding or removal order has been reported.

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