Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A lokacin yakin 1654<unk>1667 tare da Rasha da kuma lokacin Babban Yakin Arewa (1700<unk>1721) Merkinė ya sha wahala sosai daga sojojin Rasha da Sweden kuma ya rasa mahimmancin dabarun da tattalin arziki. Rundunar sojojin Rasha ta sake kone Merkinė a lokacin Tashin 1794
wanda yayi kokarin 'yantar da Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth daga tasirin Rasha. A cikin 1794 an ambaci tashar jiragen ruwa ta kogin Nemunas, an kuma kimanta kogin Nemunas da Merkys a matsayin masu dacewa da kewayawa. A cikin takardun karni na 19 an ambaci Merkinė a matsayin cibiyar kasuwancin kogi inda aka gina jiragen ruwa na kogi.