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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobylhas many strange and horrific missions that will turn everything on its head with even stranger and more horrific Anomalies. The large Poppy Field is just one of many instances where even the lack of enemies can make for a strange and unsettling experience.
Making your way through the Poppy Fields to find the Root Cellar isn’t an easy task, and when asking for help costs a pretty penny, you almost have no choice but to go at it alone, which can take quite some time, leading to frustration and confusion. But, once you know where to go, the beauty of this area can be enjoyed without the slowly building rage!
Updated July 11, 2025 by Seth Parmer:We have updated this guide to include what you receive when selling the Religious Icon to Pomor and which choice is ultimately the ‘best’ one. There’s lots of outcomes you’re able to choose in this mission, some more unofficial than others, but ultimately the choice is up to you depending on how ruthless you want to get in the wasteland!
How To Start The Poppy Field In Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
Uponarriving at Zalissyafor the first time,head into the inn,where you can sleep and access your storage, and find aman named Mityay sitting by himself in the cornerof the room.Speak with himto have himmention a family heirloomthat’s very important to him, allowing you totell himto"Get to the point."
From here,he will talk about the Religious Icon,which islocated in a Root Cellar beneath the Poppy Fieldsand isdangerous to traverse.When pressed on the reason why, he will say it’s almost as ifpeople become extremely fatiguedonce inside the Poppy Fields and will ultimately pass out and die.
Receiving this lovely bit of information will have you spring into action and say,“I’ll find your Icon,“beginningThe Poppy Field mission,where you must make your way to the Poppy Fields, find the Root Cellar, and return the Religious Icon to Mityay.
Before making your way to the Poppy Field, ensure you have lots of Energy Drinks on hand, as you will need them to replenish your Stamina/Energy since these fields sap your energy instantly, making you pass out after a prolonged period. Drinking an Energy Drink can stave off these effects. Energy Drinks can be purchased from several vendors in Zalissya and can also be found in houses inside the Poppy Fields.
Make Your Way To The Poppy Field
ThePoppy Fieldis located to thewest of Zalissya,sobegin making your way over to itbyfollowing the blue icon on your compass(ensure you’re tracking this mission via your Journal). It willtake a bit to reach it,but you will instantly recognize it when youstumble upon a sprawling field covered in bright red Poppies.
As soon as youreach the Poppy Field, look to the right to find a houseandmake your way over to it before exploring the fields,as you will get lost and will likely die if you begin wandering around aimlessly. For now, just enter the lone house andspeak with Pomoronce inside.
Staying inside the Poppy Field too long will eventually have you black out, resetting your position to where you first entered. If this happens too many times, you will instantly die, no matter how full your health currently is. Drinking Energy Drinks can prevent this, but wandering around too much will lessen their effectiveness.
Talk To Pomor
Once you’re inside the house,walk into the room on the rightto findPomor.Begin speaking with him tolearn that he lives here and has apparently stumbled upon the Root Cellaryou’re looking for.He will offer its exact locationfor either2,000 Creditsor inexchange for you doing a jobfor him.
Despite the Root Cellar being challenging to findinitially, we decided toturn both of his offers down and find it ourselves,which you should consider doing since you can learn its exact location in the section below. After making your decision, Pomor will wish you luck and send you on your way to roam the Poppy Fields.
Where To Find The Root Cellar In Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
There aretwo houses located inside the Poppy Field,withone of them being located directly across from Pomor’shouse. So, as soon as youexit the front door, sprint straight ahead,occasionallydowning an Energy Drinkuntil you reach the inside.Once inside, loot the Energy Drinkson the ground andmove to the opposite endof the house.
You willsee another house directly acrossfrom here, but youdon’t want to enter it.Instead,chug another Energy Drinkandrun to the right of the house.Continue running to the right of both houseswhile remaining between themtofind the entrance of the Root Cellerin the groundof the Poppy Field.
It’spretty far away from the houses,as seen in the images above, and issurrounded by Poppies,making it challenging to spot. However, if youposition yourself between the two houses in the center of the Poppy Field,you shouldrun directly into the entranceif you stay aligned!
Grab The Religious Icon From The Root Cellar
Drop down into the Root Cellarand make your way inside to find theReligious Iconleaning against a shelf.Pick up the Iconto complete this section of the mission, which will allow you todo one of two thingswith it:Bring it back to Mityayorsell it to Pomor.
What Should You Do With The Religious Icon In Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
As mentioned above, you caneither sell the Religious Icon to Pomor as an optional choicefor The Poppy Field missionor return it to Mityay.This willimpact the rewards you receivewhen completing the mission, which may sway you into betraying Mityay.
Ultimately, yourchoices will have consequences,so take a moment tothink through your choice,as it may result in a result you would rather not want. You can learn more about both choices in the sections below!
Selling The Religious Icon To Pomor
Choosing tosell the Religious Icon to Pomorwill have him give you theUnknown Soldier’s AR416,a pretty good Assault Rifle that will bevery solid earlyin your journey. However, theweapon’s Durability is quite low,meaning it willneed a repair,which cancost a pretty penny.So keep that in mind.
Next, you will have tohead back to Zalissya and speak with Mityay.Eithertell him you sold his Religious Icon to Pomoror lie and say you couldn’t find itand that it’s still in the Poppy Field.Telling him you soldit willmake him rightfully angry with you,essentially making him hate you.Lying and saying that it’s in the Poppy Fieldwill make him gosearch for it himself, ultimately resulting in his death.
you may also sell the Religious Icon to Pomor and then kill Pomor, taking the Religious Icon back to Mityay to get his reward for it, as well as the Unknown Soldier’s AR416. As far as we know, Pomor doesn’t offer any more quests later in the game, so this could be a valid strategy if you want to maximize your rewards for this quest.
Returning The Religious Icon To Mityay
Begin your long hike back to Zalissyaandenter the barto findMityayawaiting your return.Speak with him and hand the Religious Icon overto him tocomplete The Poppy Fieldside quest, receiving a hefty1,000 Creditsfor your time and effort, which can go a long way for weapon upgrades via Lens!
This is likely still the morally correct choice-if you care about that in Stalker- and you willactually get to see the Religious Icon placed on his family’s grave,which is a nice detail. Overall, thiswon’t impact too much of the game’s story or anything substantiallike that, so you may sell it if you want.
