'Dead Mountain' Ending Interview: Co-Creators Dig Into Dyatlov Pass

Dead Mountain The Dyatlov Pass Incident Pereval Dyatlova Oleg Kostin Pyotr Fyodorov Topic
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When you have reached the ending of “Dead Mountain,” you will have an answer about what the Russian series contends happened during the Dyatlov Pass Incident. In an exclusive interview with Eclectic Pop, the co-creators of the miniseries, Valeriy Federovich, Pavel Kostomarov, and Evgeniy Nikishov, discussed the making of the TV show and how it answers the mystery at the center of it. Check out the video below:


You will want to hear from the co-creators as they take listeners in-depth into the experience of making “Dead Mountain.” There is so much to get gleaned from this conversation, and I want to again thank Valeriy Federovich, Pavel Kostomarov, and Evgeniy Nikishov for their time and intriguing insights.

“Dead Mountain” (“Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident”) tells a fictionalized account of the investigation into what occurred on the mountain. Hence, providing a sense of closure to the sixty-plus-year question of what happened to the hikers. The mystery that has captured the imagination of countless people worldwide finally presents a strongly reasoned answer.

Currently streaming on Topic in its entirety, “Dead Mountain” is a great viewing option if you are looking for something to binge-watch over the holidays. Think about it. You will get a chance to learn about one of the world’s most mysterious events through eight cinema-level episodes.

Follow KGB agent and haunted WWII veteran Oleg Kostin (Pyotr Fyodorov, “The Duelist”) as he works to solve the mystery surrounding the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Kostin weighs every theory from aliens to a government conspiracy by sifting through the evidence and by relying on what Katya (Mariya Lugovaya, “Better Than Us”), a skilled medical examiner, has to say about it.

The Ending, Explained

The final two episodes of the standout series wrap up the story of “Dead Mountain.” In the penultimate episode, Oleg Kostin finally comes to grips with his past when he goes to the mountain. He ultimately clears the indigenous family of any involvement with the hikers’ fate and has a moment of reckoning thanks to the grandfather.

On the mountain, Kostin finally comes to terms with Katya’s husband and his best friend -- Vitya -- sacrificing himself to save him. In flashbacks, “Dead Mountain” gives up its secrets, sharing that Kostin’s best friend -- Vitya -- threw himself on a grenade thrown by children in Germany to save his life. Hence, the survivor’s guilt that haunts Kostin, who viewers learn, shot around the children in grief without striking them.

Finally forgiving himself and accepting Vitya’s choice, “Dead Mountain” gives Kostin a new lease on life, and when he returns his findings, he reunites with Katya. At first, there is turmoil. Katya’s son has learned about Kostin’s connection to his father and questions why Kostin did not tell them. Finally, Kostin reveals his guilt, and Katya consoles him. They kiss, and a happy ending appears to be in sight for them.

The Dyatlov Pass Incident Ending, Explained

“Dead Mountain” settles upon the theory of an avalanche from a snow slab as causing the incident. A 2021 inquiry led by physicists and engineers Alexander Puzrin and Johan Gaume supported this hypothesis. The team’s new model demonstrated that a snow slab avalanche is consistent with the evidence found at the Dyatlov Pass as published in Communications Earth & Environment.

“Dead Mountain” dramatizes the snow slab/avalanche theory, and the results are highly persuasive. In the Russian-language series, the Dyatlov hikers are asleep in their tent when a sudden shelf of snow falls on them. Some of the hikers are injured while those who are unharmed attempt to help them by making it back to their cache.

Disoriented and heading in the wrong direction, their courageous mission to save their team is doomed. The ending is a devastating watch as each member loses their fight against the elements. It also illuminates the loss of these bright souls and minds; so sweet, so kind, and gone way too soon. “Dead Mountain” nails the gravity of this case by remembering the people in it.

Final Thoughts

I headed into watching this TV series with tremendous skepticism about the premise of an avalanche killing the Dyatlov hikers. That said, by the end of “Dead Mountain,” it changed my mind. But, as I said in the YouTube video above, sometimes seeing is believing, and this dramatic reenactment moved the needle with that.

As tragic as the inevitable ending was the hikers, I am glad that the script for “Dead Mountain” provided some happiness for the fictional characters. Kostin finding forgiveness in himself and then getting a chance to move on with Katya was simply perfect. To watch it all happen for yourself, you can check out “Dead Mountain” on Topic.

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