Arkhangelsk was the chief seaport of medieval Russia, until 1703. The city resisted Bolshevik rule from 1918 to 1920 and was a stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik White Army. Its historical churches were destroyed during Joseph Stalin's rule, including the Trinity Cathedral. The outside of the church was noted for two large frescoes above the two-story apse. There was a freestanding multistage belfry (campanile), built in 1773.