Sergei Anatolyevitch Torop (, Sergej Anatolʹevič Torop; born 14 January 1961 in Krasnodar, Russian SFSR), known as Vissarion (, "He who gives new life" or "life-giving"), is a Russian spiritual teacher and founder of the non-profit, religious organization “Church of the Last Testament”, described by many organizations as a cult. According to the followers of Sergei Torop and some of his own explanations, on 18 August 1990, at the age of 29, Sergey had a “spiritual awakening”. He gave his first public teaching after awakening in Minusinsk on 18 August 1991. He founded the "Church of the Last Testament" (Церковь Последнего Завета Tserkov Poslednego Zaveta), also known as the "Community of Unified Faith", with its head church located in the Siberian Taiga in the Minusinsk Depression east of Abakan, in the small settlement called "Abode of Dawn" (official name) or "The Sun City" (unofficial name) near Petropavlovka. Since then, the Christianity-based religious movement has amassed more than 10,000 followers around the world with around 4,000 living in the few settlements in Siberia near Vissarion. As Vissarion, he teaches reincarnation, veganism, and harmonious human relations predicting the end of the world. Since 1991, on the basis of Vissarion's meetings, teachings and speeches, a multi-volume text called “The Last Testament” has been written, outlining a set of principles focused on self-improvement, self-governance and community. In September 2020 Vissarion and two of his close students were arrested and taken away from homes by helicopters during an operation by Russia’s Investigative Committee. The Russian authorities accused them of “creating a religious group whose activities may impose violence on citizens”. As of 2021 Vissarion and the two others are being kept in prison in Novosibirsk, despite the fact that there is no evidence that can confirm the accusations and no proper criminal indictment. No trial has been scheduled. Biography Sergei Anatolyevitch Torop was born in Krasnodar to Anatoly Torop and Nadezhda (née Malashenko). At 18, he began compulsory service by enlisting in the Red Army, becoming a sergeant working on building sites in Mongolia, followed by three years as a factory metal worker in Minusinsk, Siberia. In the town, he worked as a patrol officer before losing his job in 1989. Reported to have gained nine commendations during his five years of service, he was made redundant. Torop claims that in 1990 he was "reborn" as Vissarion (meaning "he who gives new life"), claiming to