CHURCH OF THE LAST TESTAMENT

Russian new religious movement established by former traffic policeman Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop, who adopted the name Vissarion and proclaimed himself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, leading followers to create an isolated eco-community in the Siberian taiga before his arrest in 2020.

Torop began attracting followers in 1991 after claiming divine revelation and establishing himself as a spiritual teacher combining Christian theology with environmental activism, vegetarianism, and communal living principles. The movement's core teaching holds that humanity faces imminent ecological collapse requiring preparation through spiritual purification and sustainable agricultural practices.

The Church established the "City of the Sun" settlement in the Krasnoyarsk region, where approximately 4,000 followers from across the former Soviet Union relocated to live according to Vissarion's strict behavioral codes, including prohibition of meat, alcohol, tobacco, and money within the community. Members built wooden houses, practiced organic farming, and educated children according to the leader's theological interpretations.

Vissarion published extensive religious writings claiming to provide humanity's final spiritual instructions before an approaching cosmic transformation, positioning himself as the culmination of religious revelation begun by Moses and Jesus. The movement attracted international attention for its environmental focus and dramatic lifestyle changes among educated urban followers who abandoned careers to join the community.

Russian authorities arrested Vissarion and two deputies in September 2020 on charges of organizing an illegal religious association and causing psychological harm to followers. The investigation revealed allegations of financial exploitation and authoritarian control over members' personal lives, leading to the leader's ongoing criminal prosecution.