Siberian Cult Leader Sentenced for Abusing Followers

A cult leader in Siberia, who claims to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, has been sentenced to 12 years in a Russian prison camp for causing physical and financial harm to his followers.

Sergei Trop, also known as “Vissarion,” a name meaning “a person who gives new life,” reportedly misused psychological pressure to extract money from his followers, leading to severe mental and physical issues among them. Trop, 64, established his church in 1991, in a remote area of the Krasnoyarsk region, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

On Monday, a court in Novosibirsk convicted Trop along with two aides: both he and Vladimir Vedernikov received 12-year sentences, while another accomplice, Vadim Redkin, was sentenced to 11 years in a high-security facility.

All three were apprehended in 2020 during a helicopter operation involving the FSB, which is the successor to the Soviet KGB.

Trop, described as a self-styled mystic with long hair and a beard, claimed he was “reborn” to share God’s message. Reports indicate he garnered thousands of followers and advised them to avoid meat, smoking, drinking alcohol, making vows, and spending money.

Investigators noted that his actions inflicted “moral harm” on 16 individuals, physically endangering six of them and causing moderate damage to the health of others. Vedernikov faced additional accusations of fraud.