Tobolsk is the chief of the Bereznik Secret Police.
Tobolsk in Behind Enemy Lines
In Behind Enemy Lines, Tobolsk is assigned as Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward's guide as she attends the rogue country under the guise of a reporter. Penelope is there to try and smuggle Professor Laryak out of the country, who is currently imprisoned after speaking out about the new rocket booster he helped to create. Tobolsk takes Penelope to attend the test launch of the booster, which works flawlessly. Returning from the launch site, Tobolsk pulls up on the side of the road and reveals he knows who she really is. At the same time, two soldiers are perched on a nearby hill ready to assassinate Penelope. However, Penelope ducks to pick up a flower at the same time the trigger is pulled - and the bullet finds a home in Tobolsk, seemingly killing him. Penelope and Parker make a hasty escape.
However, it becomes apparent that the announcement of Tobolsk's death was premature, as he apparently survived and recovered from his injuries and is back in command by the time The Trapped Spy takes place. After Gordon Tracy and Thunderbird 4 arrive in Bereznik with the intention of rescuing Universal Secret Service Agent 39, Tobolsk's police force arrest Gordon and ignore his pleas to speak to General Berenora. Tobolsk then orders Gordon's International Rescue uniform be taken from him, and gives the outfit to one of his top men. Tobolsk plans to launch a coup to take control of the country for himself, and plans to assassinate the General and put the blame on International Rescue. However, the General is warned by International Rescue and survives the assassination attempt. Tobolsk is declared a traitor, but he uses Gordon as a hostage to prevent the General from sending his men in to arrest the Secret Police Chief. Scott in Thunderbird 1 then makes his way to Tobolsk's office in order to retrieve Gordon. Tobolsk orders the rocket be shot, but in order to protect Gordon, Scott is forced to fire back. Tobolsk's office is destroyed, burying him in rubble - and once more seemingly leaving him mortally wounded, this time with no chance of recovering. In the audio version of The Trapped Spy, Tobolsk and his men survive as Scott incapacitates them using a missile filled with knockout gas. Tobolsk is subsequently arrested and charged with treason.
Behind the Scenes[]
Despite the intention being to kill Tobolsk during The Enemy Lines, he makes a miraculous recovery and is alive for The Trapped Spy as if nothing had happened. No explaination is given.
Outside of Thunderbirds stories, Tobolsk has also been a semi-regular antagonist in TV Century 21's Agent 21 series, set during the 2040s - where he went under the name Tobolski. He had been recently promoted to his role as the head of the secret police after his predecessor had gone into hiding.