Lara Croft seeks the lost city of Kitezh in Rise of the Tomb Raider. The game places the legendary city beneath the ice of Siberia and connects it to the Divine Source, an artifact said to grant immortality.
Kitezh is inspired by a legendary Russian city associated with Lake Svetloyar. In the game, Lara follows clues left by earlier explorers while competing with Trinity, a secret organization seeking the Divine Source for its own purposes. The search forms the archaeological and historical core of the story.
Kitezh is often confused with Yamatai, the island setting of the 2013 reboot, or Paititi, the hidden city featured in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Atlantis belongs to the mythology of earlier Tomb Raider stories, especially the original game’s final setting.
The Siberian setting also introduces cold-weather survival mechanics, wide wilderness areas, optional challenge tombs, and climbing routes. These systems make the search for Kitezh both a narrative mystery and an extended exploration campaign.