After the hard years of war, society wished for a normal life. But the vanishing of war hardship did not leave room for free development. On the contrary, freedom, including the freedom of faith, diminished progressively whilst the communist dictatorship expanded and strengthened in all areas of life.

Like any totalitarian and atheistic system, communism believed that the freedom and spiritual dignity of monks was a pole of truth standing in the way of communism’s taking over the entire society. Therefore, monasteries were one of the main targets of communism.

As early as 1949, various measures were considered to reduce the number of monks and diminish the influence of monasticism in society. This affected Putna directly. In addition, a special permit was needed to get to the monastery because it was now located a few kilometers from the new border, which divided Bukovina in two: the south half in Romania, and the northern half in the USSR.

During this unstable period, the monks barely managed to do their specific monastic work and to carry forth Putna’s patriotic message. The communist regime threatened to close the monastery and turn it into… a pig farm.

To save Putna and revive its spiritual life, in May of 1956, Metropolitan Sebastian Rusan of Moldavia decided to bring 21 fathers and brothers from Sihăstria and Slatina Monasteries, under the guidance of a new abbot, Hieromonk Dosoftei Murariu. For a few months, Father Cleopas Ilie, the great confessor, joined the new brotherhood to introduce here the monastic order of Sihăstria Monastery and to contribute to the good progress of the new community.

The efforts of the new monastic community were naturally directed toward the proper organization in 1957 of the 500th anniversary of Stephen the Great’s enthronement. Thinking the same and animated by the knowledge that students had always participated to such celebrations, students from Iassy University prepared extensively for an ample celebration in Putna on April 12.

Without being totally forbidden, some of their initiatives were not approved. The desire of the security apparatus was to minimize public manifestations. Four of the students’ leaders were arrested and sentenced to years of imprisonment. Abbot Dosoftei Murariu was transferred to another monastery, then arrested. Other abbots who succeeded him were also removed by the communist authorities.

The year 1959 represented a watershed moment for Putna Monastery and the entire Romanian monasticism. A series of anti‑monastic stipulations culminated with State Decree No. 410, by which all monks aged under 55 and all nuns aged under 50 without theological studies were excluded from monasteries. Since monastics are not only theology graduates, but people who wish to dedicate their lives to Christ the Savior, essentially the great majority of monastics were expelled from monasteries.

In just two and a half years (between February 1958 and August 1960) Putna’s brotherhood decreased by 85% (out of 27 monks only “two elderly and two young men” remained), the most critical situation known in the past 250 years of the monastery’s history. In fact, it was the situation of all Romanian monasticism. After the 1958–1960 expulsions, some of those forced to leave continued to stay near the monasteries as unskilled workers, caretakers, and guards. Others remained because they were unable to work due to infirmities or old age. Some managed to come back.

Although Decree No. 410 was in full force, during the last few years of the communist regime, several young men were tonsured into the monastic life; they represent a veritable connecting link between the generations entering the monastery before 1959 and those who came after 1989.

As for the message of love for nation, the entire land knew that under Saint Stephen the Great’s protection, at Putna were uttered things unheard in the public space for decades. In fact, Putna was the only space in Romania where it was clearly stated that two parts of our country, Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, had been seized by the Soviet Union. It was the merit of the monks who acted as guides of the monastery, of whom we mention Abbot Gerasimus, Abbot Hyacinth, and Monk Constantine Chirilă.

In terms of spirituality, those believers thirsting for a life in Christ always found at Putna experienced advisers. Some of the monastery’s fathers who truly led the choicest lives were included in the Romanian Patericon: Schemamonk Mark Dăncilă, Hieromonk Damascene Schipor, Archimandrite Hyacinth Unciuleac.

The next stage of the monastery’s life would be built on this very base of love of nation, of Truth, and of justice.