Cossacks of Australia. History and identity
This article tells about Russian Cossacks who immigrated to Australia after Russian Revolution 1917 and following Civil War and whose descendants still live there. Researchers distinguish at least five different waves of Russian immigration into Australia and two of them consist of the Cossacks. Here historical overview of Cossack immigration is given through examples of different Cossack families. It provides the story of ataman Tolstov and his Cossacks who arrived in Brisbane seaport in 1927. Also, it is told about few Cossack families who left Manchuria, China in the late 1950s - the early 1960s and about their adaptation in the new country. Today Russian diaspora there mainly consists of their descendants. Despite being far away from their historic homeland, contemporary Russian Cossacks in Australia retain the connections with Russia and save their rich cultural heritage. Thereat, they still identify themselves as Cossacks and the specific reasons and special aspects of their self-determination are covered in this article too. Their example is absolutely unique for Cossacks emigration because in most of the other countries Cossacks were absorbed and assimilated by Russians living there or by locals themselves.