[3] The bright interior of the basin is noticeably redder than the surrounding plains, which are made of a bluer low reflectance material (LRM).

[5] The depth of Tolstoj is estimated to be 2.0 ± 0.7 km from the stereo derived digital elevation models based on Mariner 10 images of the planet.

This is significantly less than the depth of lunar basins of the similar size indicating that Tolstoj probably has relaxed from its post impact shape.

[6][7] Despite Tolstoj's great age and its embayment by the ancient inter-crater plains, it retains an extensive and remarkably well preserved, radially lineated ejecta blanket around two-thirds of its circumference.

Analysis of stereophotography of Tolstoj ejecta northeast of the crater suggests that this deposit has been upwarped to a higher elevation relative to the surrounding plains.