In Russia, there is a mysterious plateau that formed long before the age of dinosaurs. Few people have had the chance to visit, and in the most inaccessible areas, no human has ever set foot. 252 million years ago, before the existence of dinosaurs, a massive supervolcano erupted, causing the extinction of numerous species. However, the basaltic lava created a plateau with flat mountain tops and deep gorges. Today, it is known as Putorana and spans an area of 250,000 square kilometers—about the size of three Austrias. The plateau was discovered in 1844, but thorough exploration only began in Soviet times. To this day, it remains poorly studied due to its remoteness and harsh climate. Putorana is often compared to a lost world: a place far removed from civilization where people are rare. The terrain consists of canyons and mountains without peaks—scientists have found similar mountains on Mars. Putorana is home to around 22,000 lakes, covering a tenth of the plateau’s surface. Nowhere else on Earth has so many long and deep lakes. The most impressive lake in scale is Lake Lama, often referred to as the Baikal of the Taimyr Peninsula. It serves as a gateway to Putorana: following the Norilsk River, which flows into the lake, one can reach the edges of the mountains. The lake’s water is so clear that objects can be seen even at a depth of 80 meters—surpassing Lake Baikal in this regard. Lake Vivi, designated as the geographic center of Russia in 1992, is also located here, marking a point equidistant from all borders. Scientists are still unsure of its depth, which may be either 80 meters or as much as 200 meters. The highest waterfall in Russia is also found here. Snow and rain cascade down the layers of the plateau like a staircase, making Putorana home to more waterfalls than any other part of Russia. These range from delicate, threadlike streams to giants such as the Kandinsky waterfall, where water plunges from a height of 108 meters. Since 2010, Putorana has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a territory with unique Arctic ecosystems, even serving as a migration corridor for wild reindeer. Each year, hundreds of thousands of animals cross the plateau. Putorana is also one of the world’s richest deposits of pure iron and copper-nickel ores. However, mining is prohibited—only scientific activities are allowed within the reserve.