In 1812, there were 29 monastic settlements in Bessarabia: 28 hermitages and a monastery (Căpriana). Within eight years, four hermitages were suppressed and 11 hermitages were elevated to the rank of a monastery. As a result, in 1821, there were 12 monasteries and 13 hermitages in Bessarabia, of which all the monasteries and six hermitages belonged to monks, and seven hermitages belonged to nuns. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in Bessarabia there were 16 monasteries and hermitages of monks and 5 hermitages of nuns. The monastic life was influenced by the rigors implemented by Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni, who faithfully followed the directives of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, which limited the autonomy of the monastic settlements. In addition, the diocesan leadership began to place foreign monks at the head of monastic communities. During the tsarist domination, the Bessarabian monasteries stood out culturally, mostly, by the operation of primary schools within them, in which teaching was carried out in Russian. In 1874 there were 13 monastery schools (8 schools within the monks’ monasteries and 5 schools within the nuns’ monasteries). In general, due to the restrictions imposed by the tsarist regime, the Bessarabian monasteries manifested weakly in the field of Romanian culture and spirituality. Instead, by opening schools within them, especially during the administration of the diocese by Archbishop Pavel Lebedev, they actively participated in the teaching process in Russian. Thus, the monastic schools became centres of Russification.