Dressed in all black and defying New York law, urban climbers Angela Nicolau and Evan Bierkus took their viral “rooftopping” romance to the absolute pinnacle of Manhattan — and ended up in police custody.
Angela Nicolaou and Evan Bierkus star in 2024 Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers” (Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
Published July 1, 2026 02:19 pm
“This film contains extremely dangerous and illegal activities. Do not try to copy.”
This is the opening of the 2024 Netflix documentary, Skywalkers: A Love StoryWhich follows the ups and downs of a Russian adventurous couple who rose to fame in 2022 by climbing Malaysia’s 2,227-foot-tall building Merdeka 118, which they called “the last super skyscraper on the planet.”
Now, four years later, Angela Nicolaou and Evan Bierkus are in police custody in New York. On July 1, 33-year-old Nicolau and 32-year-old Bierkus climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and remained at the top for several minutes. They flew a black and white banner that appeared to reference a Jimi Hendrix quote: “When the power of love defeats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
In the pictures, the couple is seen wearing black and face masks. Posted On Instagram—Birks is on one knee, one hand over her heart. It appears that Nicolau has an engagement ring on her hand, with a sea of skyscrapers below.
Police closed the streets between 5th Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan after the incident, the agency said in a statement. statement. The Empire State Building stands 1,454 feet tall from the base to the top of its antenna. according to New York lawIt is illegal to climb or attempt to climb on the exterior of any structure taller than 50 feet unless the owner has given permission for construction or maintenance.
Police have not said why the two were arrested.
In the Netflix documentary, Nicolaou portrays herself as a revolutionary adventurer who brings women into a male-dominated field. The former gymnast turned mountaineer – and daughter of circus performers – she gained notoriety on social media for climbing the world’s tallest buildings without ropes or safety gear.
“Limitations exist only in our minds,” Nicolau says in the film.
To access their exploits, they describe picking locks, using staff elevators – which they say often lack security cameras – and wearing construction apparel to fit in. If it’s an apartment building? Dress like the locals, they say.
“We are not barbarians,” Nicolau says in the film.
“Though technically, we are criminals,” Bierkus responded.
Nicolau and Bierkus are “Rooftoppers”, a class of death-defying athletes who climb tall, often off-limits structures such as skyscrapers, construction cranes and bridges. Rooftopping, sometimes called roofing, is an extreme form of urban climbing in which participants leave their climbing and safety gear behind.
The duo say the rule they have adopted is to never stay at the top of a building for more than 15 minutes – this gives officers enough time to reach the scene. In Paris, the two spent the night in jail after illegally climbing Notre Dame Cathedral.
But the two were instantly spotted during their July stunt atop an iconic skyscraper in one of the world’s largest cities. ABC 7 News in New York informed That at least two highly trained New York Police Department Emergency Services Unit officers responded to the scene, prepared themselves, and climbed halfway to the summit to meet Nicolau and Bierkus. The two were reportedly detained just before 1 pm local time.
The NYPD is reportedly reviewing surveillance from the Empire State Building, which suggests the pair possibly gained access to the summit through a 102nd floor maintenance hatch by breaking a lock.
“They were possibly monitoring the employees’ movements,” ABC 7 News reported.
In a statement shared with ABC 7 News, the Empire State Building wrote, “There was no threat at any time to tenants, visitors and guests of the Empire State Building Observation Deck. It must be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the world’s most famous building in the heart of New York City, offers a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
In a post shared on Facebook, the Empire State Building explained that the tourist destination welcomes marriage proposals — legally, atop the observation deck.
Outside We contacted the couple for comment and will update this story if we receive one.
