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People group profile · PG047788

The Deaf Ukrainians of Ukraine

The Deaf Ukrainians of Ukraine, numbering about 365,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of individuals who are culturally Deaf and actively participate in Deaf culture, often using sign language as their primary means of communication.

They are an indigenous people in the Deaf people cluster of the Deaf Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Ukrainian Sign Language.

Pray for the Deaf UkrainiansPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Deaf Ukrainians people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Deaf Ukrainian

Fast facts

Country
Ukraine
Population
365,000
Affinity group
Deaf Peoples
People cluster
Deaf
Primary language
Ukrainian Sign Language (ukl)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, Dispersed CP Activity
Lostness priority
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Europe, Europe

Where they live

Gospel status

The Deaf Ukrainians are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical but there has been dispersed church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years Dispersed Church Planting

Next steps for the Deaf Ukrainians

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

Primary language

Ukrainian Sign Language · Sign Language family

12% speak Ukrainian Sign Language

Gospel resources in Ukrainian Sign Language

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

  • JESUS (Ukrainian Sign Language)

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Deaf Ukrainians

  1. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  2. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  3. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  4. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.

Download a prayer guide

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