Krasnoyarsk Region, Siberia – In the forested vastness of southern Siberia, security forces descended on the “City of the Sun” in September 2020, ending the decades-long reign of a self-declared messiah. This week, nearly five years on, justice caught up with him.
Sergei Torop – better known as Vissarion, the so-called “Jesus of Siberia” – was sentenced on Monday to 12 years in a high-security penal colony for the exploitation and abuse of his followers. Two of his senior acolytes, Vladimir Vedernikov and Vadim Redkin, received similar sentences of 11 and 12 years respectively.
Once a traffic officer, Torop rose to spiritual prominence in the early 1990s, claiming to be a reborn Christ. He led the Church of the Last Testament from a remote settlement in the Krasnoyarsk region, attracting around 10,000 followers worldwide and drawing pilgrims to his cult commune – known as Abode of Dawn or Sun City – where his teachings embraced reincarnation, strict veganism, and detachment from money.
Yet beneath the surface of pastoral sermons and hillside prayers, prosecutors revealed a far more sinister operation. Over nearly three decades, Torop allegedly manipulated his followers psychologically, exploiting them for labour and money. Sixteen individuals were formally recognised as victims of “moral harm,” with six suffering lasting health issues. The court awarded damages of 45 million rubles (around £417,000) to the victims.
“There were absurd cases where children and adults died due to lack of medical treatment,” testified Elena Melnikova, one of at least eight former followers who gave evidence. Torop’s teachings condemned modern medicine, asserting that physical illness stemmed from spiritual impurity. “The flesh must heal itself,” he preached, denouncing hospitals and doctors.
Such anti-scientific commandments were just part of a rigid belief system enforced at Sun City. Followers were told to abstain from meat, alcohol, swearing, and even the use of money. They donated their livelihoods and, in some cases, their life savings to the commune. “They begged in the streets,” said Alexander Staroveroc, a press secretary for the group.
Despite the convictions, Torop denies all wrongdoing. His lawyers have not confirmed whether appeals will be filed.
Born in 1961 in the Soviet city of Krasnodar, Torop’s early years were marked by blue-collar labour and army service. Redundancy from his policing role in 1989 led him to claim a spiritual awakening. By 1991 – on the eve of the Soviet collapse – he had declared himself Vissarion, the returned Christ, and founded his church.
Blending Russian Orthodoxy, Buddhist elements, and doomsday prophecy, he taught that the end of the world was imminent – but salvation could be earned through obedience to his “divine laws.” Devotees adopted a custom calendar, replacing Christmas with feast days marking his birthday and his first sermon.
Many described experiencing a magnetic presence. “He radiates incredible love,” one follower, Hermann, told The Guardian in 2002. “It was like an electric shock, like bells ringing.” Others were more unequivocal. “Definitely the Son of God,” said Denis, an Australian convert.
But the messianic claims ultimately collapsed under the weight of evidence. As Torop, now 64, begins his sentence, the isolated settlement of Sun City continues – now without its spiritual figurehead. He will not be eligible for release until age 76.
