Sergei Torop, a former traffic officer who proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court in Novosibirsk, Russia. He was found guilty of harming the physical and psychological health of his followers through manipulation and abuse.
Torop, known to his followers as Vissarion, founded the cult-like religious group Church of the Last Testament in 1991, claiming he had received a divine revelation. Over the years, he attracted thousands of followers to remote settlements in the Siberian wilderness, most notably a commune known as “The Abode of Dawn” or “Sun City.”
Followers were expected to live by strict rules, including abstaining from meat, alcohol, smoking, swearing, and the use of money. Devotees regularly prayed in Vissarion’s honour, often while gazing up at his home situated on a hill overlooking the community.
According to Russian prosecutors, Torop and two of his closest associates—Vadim Redkin and Vladimir Vedyornikov—ran a religious organisation that violated the civil rights of its members and inflicted bodily harm. The group is said to have operated from 1991 until its dissolution in 2020.
Authorities claim Torop used psychological manipulation to control his followers, exploiting them for free labour and financial gain. The Russian state news agency RIA reports that the trio caused “moral harm” to 16 people, serious physical harm to six, and moderate harm to one other individual.
Redkin and Vedyornikov were sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison respectively. All three men denied any wrongdoing. It remains unclear whether they plan to appeal.
The court also awarded damages of 45 million rubles to the victims and prosecution.
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