From the top of the world to a New York City prison.
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A couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building this week were charged Thursday with criminal charges in connection with the addition to the New York City skyscraper.
Angelina Nikolaou, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, were each charged Wednesday with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief and additional charges related to climbing a nearly 1,500-foot building Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
After climbing the building wearing black costumes and masks, the couple hung a flag on the antenna that read, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
Both men pleaded not guilty. Their cases are non-bailable, so they remain on supervised release rather than being detained while awaiting trial.
Journalists swarmed the couple as they left the courthouse in downtown Manhattan holding hands on Thursday morning. In response to a series of questions, Kuznetsov said: “I’ll answer them later. I’m not ready right now. I just need to relax.”
The couple spent the night in jail. Kuznetsov said the cell was cold, but “the people there were kind.” When asked about the national attention their stunt received, he simply replied, “It’s amazing.” The two kissed for the photographers before entering the subway.
Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, said by phone that wind speeds at the time were “very low” and that his clients posed no danger to the public. He also referred to a statement from the Empire State Building that said “there is no time jeopardy for tenants, visitors, and guests of the Empire State Building Observation Deck.”
Krinsky said the couple will return to their home in New Jersey. Nicolau told reporters she moved there last week after previously living in New York City, including Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
A security guard at the Empire State Building alerted police around 11:15 a.m. about a “possible security breach of the antenna at the top” of the building, according to the complaint. To reach the antenna, you will have to pass through several restricted areas. That includes “the 103rd floor. This area is only accessible to individuals who have a keycard that allows access to that area through a secure door located on the 102nd floor.”
Police found the lock on the 104th floor security door leading to the broadcast antenna had been broken, causing an estimated $2,000 in damage, the complaint states. The antenna also emits high-frequency radio signals strong enough to cause harm to humans, and authorities said they had to turn off the antenna before NYPD Emergency Services Unit personnel could approach the couple, a process that took about 30 minutes. Officers then climbed 1,250 feet to reach them.
According to police, Nikolaou and Kuznetsov “continued to remain on or near the broadcast antenna from which they could not easily escape, and in doing so placed the officers in an extremely dangerous situation,” the complaint states.
Krinsky declined to say whether he expected the couple to be arrested. Prosecutors said in court that Mr Kuznetsov told police the stunt was “to do something special for the engagement.” On the roof of the building, he got down on one knee and appeared to be proposing. A photo that Nicolau later posted on Instagram shows her wearing the ring. She told reporters on Thursday that police had since seized it.
The couple from Russia, named Angela Nikolaou and Ivan Bielkas, were the subject of Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. Together they have around 2 million followers on Instagram. They are scheduled to appear in court again on August 24th.
