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Vissarion -

In a small village in the Siberian wilderness, a religious community lived in apparent harmony. Their leader was a man who called himself Vissarion. Many referred to him as “the teacher.”

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The Church of the Last Testament -

Vissarion founded the Church of the Last Testament shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. He claims to be the second coming of Jesus.

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A drastic career change -

He experienced his calling in 1990, shortly after losing his job as a traffic cop. At the time he was called Sergey Torop. He claims to have had a revelation that he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

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The Last Testament -

Vissarion bases his religion on 18 volumes he calls ‘The Last Testament,’ which he wrote himself. Christianity seems to be the main inspiration, with some Buddhist and environmentalist ideas thrown in.

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The new Christmas -

Although there are many similarities between Vissarion’s religion and the Russian Orthodox religion, there are a few key differences. For example, Christmas is not celebrated. Instead, there is a big feast on January 14, which is Vissarion’s birthday.

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A significant following -

In the decades since its inception, Vissarian has managed to amass more than 8,000 followers for the Church of the Last Testament. Four thousand of them now live in a small settlement they built themselves, 100 miles (160 km) away from the nearest inhabited town.

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The mission of the Vissarionites -

In the 1990s, Vissarion gathered a small group of followers and brought them to Siberia to create their commune from nothing. His followers are called Vissarionites.

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A harsh utopia -

Those early Vissarionites spent the bitter Siberian winters living in tents while they slowly built their utopia. Vissarion says that Siberia is the best place to develop the ideal character.

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A natural existence -

The harsh environment is a challenge, but it’s also a beautiful place where they are free to live in a completely natural way. Vissarionites tend to be vegan, grow their own produce, and live without technology in close-knit communities.

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The Abode of Dawn -

The settlement now consists of dozens of small villages connected by dirt roads. Vissarion lives separately from the rest of the community. His home is in a small village at the top of a mountain where he stays with around 50 of his closest followers. He calls it the Abode of Dawn.

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What's the draw? -

Those who are dedicated to Vissarion seem to find comfort and peace in his self-assurance. They say that he has an answer to all of life’s questions, whether it be about their personal problems or the meaning of life.

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All the answers -

Visitors to the commune have described meetings where Vissarion sits with his followers and answers their questions. They might ask about marital disputes, the end of the world, or which kind of laundry detergent they should use. Whatever the question, he has an answer and delivers it calmly and with total confidence.

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Immorality and vice -

Vissarion guides his followers to let go of the sins of modern life, which include smoking, drinking, and swearing, and tells them to embrace a simple, minimalist existence. Exchange of money is prohibited in their community, unless followers wish to donate their finances directly to Vissarion and the church.

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Vissarion's prediction -

Apocalypticism is another of the foundations of the Church of the Last Testament. Vissarion teaches that a great flood will destroy civilization, and only he and his followers will survive. They will then have to repopulate the Earth.

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Education for the members -

In the schools, the genders are separated. The young girls are taught how to be disciplined and live in peace with each other. They learn that men are the creators and the masters, and how they must behave around them. Boys are taught “masculine professions” and learn practical skills like construction.

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An all-encompassing belief system -

Vissarion dictated guidelines to his followers that stretched far beyond their religious beliefs and values. In the early days, he declared that they were only allowed to eat food that they had grown themselves. Members struggled to feed themselves and their families.

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Illness and medicine -

Vissarion also has an extreme anti-medicine doctrine. He believes that illness is a punishment for failing to keep the body in harmony with nature, and that spiritual healing was the only solution to physical ailments. “Know thyself. From now on, the flesh must heal itself.”

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Suspicion of criminal activity -

In 2019, the church was reportedly investigated for fraud after an ex-member claimed she sold her home and gave all of her money to Vissarion, only to be rejected by the church. She also said that her son committed suicide due to the mental anguish caused by the situation.

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Just the beginning -

The investigation seemed not to lead to any further action, but Vissarion would not be out of the woods for long.

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The raid -

In 2020, the Russian Federal Security Service conducted a raid of the compound and arrested the three heads of the church: Vissarion, his right-hand man and former pop star Vadim Redkin, and Vladimir Vedernikov, who was the head of the Church of the Last Testament.

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The arrest -

They were arrested on charges of “creating a religious association whose activities involve violence against citizens.” They are also accused of using psychological pressure to embezzle money from their followers.

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Vissarion's contraband -

During the raid, police found a large stash of items that contradicted the basic ethos of the church. They discovered alcohol, jewelry, adult toys, large amounts of money in different currencies, and weapons.

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Risk to human life -

One of the most serious allegations against Vissarion is the prohibition against medical intervention for sick members of the community. This is particularly serious as there are many children living within the church.

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Deaths within the church -

Ex-members of the cult say that multiple minors and adults died unnecessarily because they didn’t receive the medical treatment they needed.

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Other forms of abuse -

In addition to the physical harm that befell many members of the church, there are also claims of emotional and psychological abuse.

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The apocalypse -

In one horror story from an ex-member, Vissarion told them all that a planet called Nibiru was going to crash into the Earth and destroy it. The whole community prepared for the end of the world, stockpiling and hiding indoors, completely terrified.

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A cruel test -

When the predicted date passed without incident, Vassarion told them that it had been a test. He simply wanted to see if they believed him. For one member, this cruel manipulation of his devoted followers was a step too far. For the rest, they convinced themselves that they had prevented the end of the world through their hard work and dedication.

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A rise in popularity -

In 2020, applications for membership to the Church of the Last Testament tripled after the start of the pandemic. The world was rocked with uncertainty and a simple life outside of normal society with clear leadership seemed like paradise to many.

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The future of the Church of the Last Testament -

Now that Vissarion has been arrested and the dark side of his sect is being exposed, the future of the church is uncertain. However, there are still thousands of people living in the City of the Sun following his teachings.

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Where is Vissarion now? -

Very little has been heard about Vissarion since his 2020 arrest. A year later, he and the other heads of the church were still sitting in a prison in the city of Novosibirsk. To this day, no date has been announced for his trial. While there may well be valid charges against Vissarion, his detention is also a reflection of Putin's crackdown on non-conformist religious groups. The Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in 2017 and determined to be an "extremist" organization. Who knows what fate awaits Vissarion and his followers. 

Sources: (BBC) (The Guardian) (YouTube) (RT)

See also: Celebrities who have been in cults

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