Cult leader Vissarion has been detained by Russia's security services, ending his 25 years leading a movement that believed he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.
In a dramatic raid on his Siberian commune, Vissarion (real name Sergei Torop), was taken into custody alongside two of his trusted disciples.
Theraid on the Church of the Last Testament, in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Region, was reported by Russia's TASS agency, citing a source in the region's law enforcement agencies.
Torop was arrested alongside Vadim Redkin and Vladimir Vedernikov, both senior figures in the group which boasts thousands of followers and a community based in a series of hamlets deep in the Siberian wilderness.
Pictured in this video grab is a detained leader of the Church of the Last Testament (C) and Russian Investigative Committee officers. Photo / Russian Investigative Committee via Getty
"Since early morning, investigative activities have been underway in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Region," the source told TASS on Tuesday.
TASS reported that locals reported that the raid involved helicopters and agents with automatic weapons.
Torop, a former traffic officer, launched his church in 1991in the rubble of the former Soviet Union.
He claimed to have had a revelation that he was the reincarnation of the son of God, sent to Earth to educate mankind about the evils of war and warn of the damage we were inflicting on our environment.
Tough economic times saw Russians flock to the cult, which bans alcohol and promotes veganism.
Vissarion gives a sermon at the Vissarion Church of the Last Testament in 2002. Photo / Getty
Torop abolished Christmas, replacing it with a feast day on his own birthday on January 14.
He considers the Virgin Mary to be his mother, despite records showing he has a biological mother named Nadyezhda.
He reportedly rejected his first wife and married a 19-year-old who had lived with him since she was 7. He has six children from the two marriages.
Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee, told reporters on Tuesday that the arrested trio are "facing the charges for setting up a religious group, which exerts violence over citizens and inflicts serious damage".
Petrenko alleged the group used psychological violence, inflicting serious damage to its followers.
