Person - Peter Simonov
PETER SIMONOFF
A Russian exile, born supposedly to peasant farmers, Petr Simonov made his way to Australia some time in the early 20th century. After the fall of the Tsarist regime in March 1917 he became the self-styled Soviet consul-general replacing the imperial consul although this appointment was not officially recognised in Australia.
Simonoff was an energetic recruiter to the Red cause, claiming ordinary Russian people could eat free in high-class clubs and restaurants, had free admission to theatres, schools, colleges, universities and libraries, and could ride on trams for nothing. He was particularly active in Australia from March – May 1918 before his planned return in June 1918 to Russia via Japan. However, he was not allowed to leave and in 1919 he was charged with engaging in anti-war propaganda. Although money was raised locally to appeal against his conviction, he was gaoled.
Simonoff gave a manuscript (written from memory) What is Russia? to "Comrade" R Ross. A big work covering aspects of Russian geography, history and literature, it was turned into readable English by Arthur Rae, typed by a Miss A Clancy, and printed on 21 July 1919 in Sydney. Under amendments to the Crimes Act the Commonwealth censor declared it a prohibited publication.
In October 1920 Simonoff was a key figure in the formation of the CPA, the Australian section of the Communist International, its individual members including Nellie Rickie. Writers, intellectuals and professionals were drawn to the CPA, which split into two factions almost immediately, the Trotskyites claiming it deviated from Marx’s theory and practice and substituted instead the Russian bureaucratic State machine with Stalin as boss. Communists were to be placed in key union positions to get control of essential industries and services: mining, transport and food.
In 1921 Simonoff sailed to the USSR on the Orsova via Perth. A fundraising farewell was held for him at the Playhouse in Castlereagh Street. The gross door takings were sent to the USSR via England.
Simonoff may have been shot with other old Bolsheviks in the purges of the 1930s.
