Vladimir Tolstoff
1882 — 1956
Ataman Vladimir Tolstoff (8‑64‑8)
Members of the Russian community had often looked to Australia as a place of safety during times of economic and political revolution. The revolution in 1917, however brought cause for concern when it was thought more radical refugees were arriving. This caused the Australian Government to declare an embargo on Russian emigrants from 1917‑1922. When this embargo was lifted in 1922 it gave rise to one of the largest influxes of Russians into Queensland, their population increasing to approximately 3000 by the late 1930s.
One of them was Ataman (General) Vladimir Tolstoff, Commander of the 4th Ural Cossacks during the revolution. Tolstoff with the assistance of the Russian Relief Force consisting of British Hussars and Australian volunteers were pushing the Red Army back when the enemy successfully infiltrated the British Waterside Workers union and they went on strike stopping the supplies of ammunition and foodstuffs to the White Army. At this point the tide turned and Tolstoff and his men and the relief force were forced to retreat. General Tolstoff lead what remained of his regiment and their families out of Russia and south to Persia by camel and horseback through Kazakhstan and Turkmenia. He and his men were welcomed by the Shah of Persia whose son had trained with Tolstoff. They were fed and clothed and when they had recovered were taken to Basra by ship by the Shah. At Basra the British then sent them by ship to a town near the Chinese border and the next day the red army attacked and they fled over the border into China. The Chinese welcomed them and built villages and even gave them Chinese passports. In 1922 the Australian Government decided to accept them as refugees and they arrived in Brisbane in one shipload. They were productive and some of their inventions in industry are still in use today.
As a result of the work of immigrants like those led by General Tolstoff, it is believed more than 10,000 people of Russian descent are currently living in Queensland making valuable contributions to the state. This is further evidenced around Toowong Cemetery where you can see many graves painted with Russian blue containing Cossacks from the Revolution.