lost souls

In old Russia, the expanses of Siberia provided refuge for Old Believers and other dissidents seeking to shelter themselves from the official ideology and the oncoming civilization. An eco-village called “City of Sun,“ or “Place of Dawn,“ was opened near Lake Tiberkul in southern Siberia in 1994. It was founded by former traffic police officer Sergei Torop (Vissarion). Combining elements of Christianity, Eastern traditions and environmentalism, the faith has around 3,500 followers who live in several villages in southern Krasnoyarsk Territory. The adepts believe that Vissarion is an incarnation of Christ.