On May 18-19, 2026, the head of the Synodal Department for Prison Ministry, Priest Kirill Markovsky, conducted seminars for prison clergy serving as assistant heads of the SIZO for work with believers and taking advanced training courses at the Tomsk IPCR of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (Tomsk) and the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (Ryazan). Classes were held in a face-to-face and remote format.
On May 18, an online seminar was held, which was attended by eight full-time priests who care for institutions of the Penitentiary System of Siberia and the Far East and improve their qualifications at the Tomsk IPCR of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia.
On May 19, the head, Father Kirill, visited the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Ryazan, where he held a seminar for prison clergy in pre-trial detention facilities from 26 regions of Central Russia, the Volga region, the Urals, the Northwest, and new territories. The head of the Synodal Department told the clergy about the specifics of pastoral ministry in a pre-trial detention center, the organization of the activities of a full-time priest in a pre-trial detention center, the content of conversations with suspects and accused, the "pitfalls" of his ministry, and much more.
According to Father Kirill, full-time prison clergy have much more authority and opportunities to provide spiritual assistance to people in custody than a nursing priest. A pastor can not only freely perform the sacraments of the Church for any prisoner, but also conduct individual and collective conversations, together with psychologists, help people who have stumbled out of acute crisis states. In his work, a clergyman should pay sufficient attention not only to persons in places of deprivation of liberty, but also carry out spiritual and educational work with prison staff, who sometimes, due to the peculiarities of the service, associated with daily risk to life and constant overwork, no less need spiritual consolation.
Special attention at the seminars was paid to the issues of providing spiritual assistance to people with suicidal intentions. Separately, Father Kirill touched upon the topic of the care of persons who have signed a contract and are leaving for the area of their military service.
The prison clergy shared their ministry experiences, the priests asked questions, and discussed the problems they face in their ministry.
The prison pastors also expressed gratitude to the head of the Synodal Department for Prison Ministry for a thorough, warm, interesting and useful conversation.
Regular professional training of prison clergy is conducted in educational institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, these groups are trained from May 12 to May 22 in full-time and part-time. In addition to pastoral training, clergymen study the organization and functioning of the penal enforcement system, penal enforcement legislation, and various aspects of educational, social, and psychological work with prisoners.
After completing their training and passing the qualification exam, prison pastors were awarded certificates and completed advanced training courses on "Organization of work with believers in pre-trial detention."