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Dubai stunt, Netflix show: 5 things to know about couple who climbed Empire State
The Russian daredevils were arrested after they hung onto the landmark skyscraper's antenna spire
- PUBLISHED: Thu 2 Jul 2026, 9:07 PM
When Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus climbed the spire of the Empire State Building in New York City on July 1, the dramatic ascent was more than a marriage proposal—it was the latest in a long line of daring stunts that have taken the couple to some of the world's tallest buildings.
The daredevil couple, who dress in sleeveless black outfits and document their time in the sky on social media, were arrested after they hung onto the landmark skyscraper's antenna spire near the glowing red light at its tip some 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan.
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From previous famous high climbs by the couple to a Netflix show that tells the story of their romance and collaboration to perform these feats, here are things you probably did not know about Nikolau and Beerkus:
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1. Dubai stunt
Angela, 33 years old, previously climbed AHS Tower, the high-rise building located on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai in 2022. To document the climb, she wrote "The combination of luxury surroundings and gymnastic art on a tilted platform can create something unique, literally!"
"I was lucky enough to be able to come to this roof for the second time and make this photo to commemorate the success!," she added in a comment on her photo, where she is seen performing acrobatics on a panel with the rest of Dubai stretching far below her, appearing small in the distance. Take a look:
2. Netflix documentary
In 2024, Netflix released a documentary that recounts the tale of the romance between the two Russian rooftoppers who became famous in 2015 for climbing incredibly tall buildings and construction sites and posting pictures from the top to Instagram.
“Skywalkers. A love story” follows the couple across years of climbing, their fame growing with each new feat. There’s plenty of death-defying footage from buildings all over the world. But the film is mostly about their romance and learning to trust each other.
3. Struggle with poverty, hunger
In on of her many posts on Instagram, Nikolau shared a glimpse of a dark phase she went through when she was just 12 years old in Russia. After her parents' divorce, her mother suffered from deep depression and could not find work. The little money she could get from selling watches ran out and the family fell into the clutches of poverty.
"At first we ate what was left in the fridge. Then whatever had been forgotten on the back of shelves. At some point all that was left was cornstarch and cloves... The next two weeks, we ate nothing," she recalls.
It was only then that she knew humans throw up bile when they're extremely hungry. "We sat there and threw up bile. That was the first time I learned that was even a thing — that your body can do that, bring up bile when there’s absolutely nothing left inside," she said.
Looking back on this experience now, Angela says that this hardship is what made her become the daredevil she is today. "It hurts to write this. My stomach literally aches as I type. But this is my story. And if you want to know what I’m made of — there’s your answer," she shared.
4. It runs in the family
Nikolau is a trained Russian gymnast whose Instagram photos often showed her striking a dancer’s pose. Her acrobatics run in the family, and her father, the Russian circus artist Dmitriy Nikolau, was aware of his daughter's most recent climb in New York.
Asked about her daughter's feat at the Empire State Building, he said: "I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution,". And on whether he was worried about her following her arrest, he said: "Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself."
5. Previous climbs
Before their recent climb of the Empire State Building, Nikolau and Beerkus had built a global reputation by scaling some of the world's tallest and most iconic skyscrapers without safety equipment. Their most famous climbs include:
Merdeka 118, Malaysia: In 2022, the pair climbed the 679-metre tower, the world's second-tallest building. The feat became the centrepiece of their Netflix documentary and remains their best-known climb.
Goldin Finance 117, China: In 2016, they climbed the unfinished 597-metre skyscraper and its construction crane, a stunt that first brought them widespread international attention.
Skyscrapers in Russia: Nikolau first gained recognition through her rooftop photography on Moscow's historic high-rises, including the city's famous Stalinist skyscrapers.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.