On September 29 — October 8, 2025, the Vladimir Diocese hosted advanced training courses in the additional educational program "Fundamentals of the Russian Sign Language". The training was attended by 15 people — clergy and volunteers from the Vladimir, Alexandrovsky, Murom, Gomel and Ufa dioceses. The courses are organized by the Vladimir Diocese, the Coordination Center for Work with the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service, and the Vyatka Spiritual, Educational, and Social Center Elena for the Deaf.
The training took place at the spiritual and educational center of the Vladimir Diocese. The classes were conducted by a cleric of the Vyatka diocese, a certified specialist, translator of Russian sign language, Priest Igor Shilyaev. Igor's father was assisted by his assistant Ivan Marakulin.
The students of the courses received basic knowledge of the grammar and morphology of the Russian sign language, mastered a large vocabulary, including Orthodox vocabulary, got acquainted with the conduct of divine services and pastoral care for deaf believers. They also attended the Divine Liturgy with translation into Russian sign language at the Church of the Nativity of Christ in the Bogoroditse-Rozhdestvensky Monastery of Vladimir. During the Liturgy, believers with hearing impairments from Vladimir, Kovrov, Moscow, and Nizhny Novgorod prayed with the students of the courses. The translation of the service was carried out by Priest Igor Shilyaev and Priest Vyacheslav Androsov.
The final exam was taken by the attestation commission, which was chaired by Veronika Leontieva, head of the department of assistance to people with disabilities at the Synodal Department of Charity.
The students passed the exam, according to the results of which they received certificates of advanced training. In the future, graduates of the courses will continue to serve in helping deaf people and conducting worship services in Russian sign language.
Today, 75 Orthodox churches in 48 metropolia are working with deaf and hard of hearing people.