As a result of Austrian‑Turkish negotiations, the Austrian Empire occupied northern Moldavia between August 31 and October 25, 1774, annexing the territory called Bukovina. Because he tried to oppose the annexation, Prince Gregory III Ghica of Moldavia was killed by order of the sultan on October 1, 1777.

What followed was a process of denationalization, through colonization and immigration, with the Austrians’ assuming especially the main levers of political and economic life, administration and justice, and cultural institutions.

The Diocese of Bukovina was created in 1781 as a means of breaking all ties with Moldavia. The diocese was based in Chernivtsi and was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan See of Iași.

The monastic life suffered a great deal. Until that year, in Bukovina there had been nine monasteries of monks (Putna, Sucevița, Dragomirna, Saint Elijah, Ilișești, Humor, Solca, Voroneț and Moldovița), one of nuns (Pătrăuți) and numerous sketes. In 1786, most of those settlements were closed, except for Putna, Sucevița and Dragomirna Monasteries. Sihăstria Putnei and Ursoaia were closed along with the other sketes. In the remaining monasteries, the number of monks was limited to 25. Out of more than 500 monks who had been in Bukovina in 1775, by the following century only eight percent remained!

In 1786, after the monasteries were closed, their properties and those of the three monasteries still open were seized by the newly created Religious Fund. Placed under the direct patronage of the Austrian Emperor, only part of the fund’s income was directed to the maintenance of the three remaining monasteries.

The closure of monasteries, the limitation of the number of monks, and especially the unorthodox spirit of the new system’s political dominance led to a decline in the capacity of the monastic world to give rise to peaks that could carry the heavy burden of abbacy. The Church understood that maintaining the national and language unity of the Bukovina Romanians would also result in the preserving of their religious identity. During this period, exceptional priests enlivened the religious, political, national, and cultural life of the Bukovina Romanians. Some of them were called to bear the cross of abbacy.

Although much tried during the Austrian rule, Putna succeeded in being a pillar of support for all those who wished to remain steadfast in the Orthodox Faith and, when needed, it reminded the Romanians of the exemplary persona of Saint Stephen the Great.

Romanian life began to recover in Bukovina at the middle of the nineteenth century, especially through the efforts made by members of the Hurmuzachi family on the political level, and through the efforts of the Church on the educational and religious levels.

During this period, several major events took place at Putna.

In 1856, an Austrian committee opened the tomb of Saint Stephen the Great. They found the voivode’s body placed on 13 metal bars supported on two brick walls. His garments were made of “heavy and rich cloth,” and a large golden cross was embroidered on his chest.

Between 1850 and 1856, during the abbacy of Archimandrite Artemon Bortnic, extensive reconstruction works were carried out: the north side of the surrounding wall was moved 25 meters away; the towers in the precinct’s corners were demolished, and so were the tower on the eastern side and the bell tower in the northwestern corner, both from Stephen the Great’s time; also, the monks’ cells and the chapel of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul were rebuilt.

The first Celebration of All Romanians was organized in Putna in 1871. The monastery’s abbot was Archimandrite Arcadius Ciupercovici, future Metropolitan of Bukovina and Dalmatia (1896–1902).