On the Smolenskaya embankment in Moscow, not far from the newly built British Embassy building, there is an unusually beautiful and surprisingly believable sculpture dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Watson, who are among the famous heroes of the literary world.

The grand opening of the monument took place in April 2007 and was dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the first release of the book “A Study in Scarlet” by Arthur Conan Doyle, who managed to create a story about the famous detective. The international charitable public foundation “Dialogue of Cultures – One World” proposed the project “ Folk heroes in sculptural compositions." A monument to famous detectives was erected as part of this project.

This is the only sculpture in the world where the legendary pair of detectives is represented together. The figures of the characters in Conan Doyle's works are depicted in human size. Next to Dr. Watson, who is sitting on a bench, stands Sherlock Holmes, holding a right hand, an integral attribute of his image is a pipe, and he politely holds his left one behind his back. Apparently, he is expressing to a colleague some of his thoughts about a certain investigation.

The installation of the monument was preceded by a closed competition among Moscow architects, who competed to create the best sculptural personification of popular literary heroes. The winner of the competition was A. Orlov. According to him, he took inspiration from the original illustrations of the artist Sidney Paget, who first depicted Holmes in a hunting hat, and from the images of heroes created by cinematographers Vitaly Solomin and Vasily Livanov

Fans of the detective genre who are fond of reading the works of Conan Doyle and love his heroes treat the installation of such a monument with pride and admiration. He once again reminds them of the exciting events and fascinating moments in the books of the famous author.

Sherlock Holmes came from the light pen of Arthur Conan Doyle. He wrote 56 short stories and 4 novellas about the adventures of an astute London detective, from whose eyes not a single detail escapes, thanks to which he solves the most intricate crimes.

The first work about the famous detective, the story “A Study in Scarlet,” was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. The last collection, The Archives of Sherlock Holmes, was published in 1927.

London (UK)

There is a Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street in London. After all, according to the stories, he and his friend Dr. Watson lived in an apartment at 221b Baker Street. Initially there was no such address. Later, when Baker Street was extended, this number was among the numbers 215 to 229 assigned to the Abbey National building society. For this reason, for many years, Abbey National was forced to maintain a special secretary to handle the volume of letters constantly arriving in the name of Sherlock Holmes. When the museum was created, the company 221b Baker Street was specifically registered. Subsequently, however, the house still received an official postal address of 221b, Baker Street, London. The first floor of the museum is occupied by a gift shop and a small entrance hall. On the second floor there is a living room and Holmes' room adjacent to it, on the third - Watson and Mrs. Hudson's rooms. On the fourth floor there are wax figures heroes of various works about Sherlock Holmes. The interior of the house exactly corresponds to the descriptions present in the works of Arthur Conan Doyle about Sherlock Holmes. Here you can see Holmes' violin, his hat, a hunting whip, a Turkish slipper with tobacco, letters pinned to the mantelpiece with a penknife, equipment for chemical experiments. And on September 24, 1999, a monument to Sherlock Holmes was unveiled at the Baker Street metro station. As conceived by the author, English sculptor John Doubleday, the three-meter bronze Holmes thoughtfully looks into the distance, he is dressed for the rainy London weather - in a long raincoat, a hat with small brims, and holds his famous pipe in his right hand. By the way, the museum is open daily from 09:30 to 18:00. Entrance fee per adult is £8, and free photography and video shooting is permitted.

Meiringen (Switzerland)

However, the first monument to Holmes appeared in 1988 in Switzerland, in the small village of Meiringen, located near Brienz. Near the village there is the Reichenbach Falls (according to the works of Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes died in the abyss of the Reichenbach Falls). The statue is installed near the railway station, Sherlock Holmes sits with a pipe on a bench, just like alive. You can take a photo next to it for free as a souvenir. A little further down the street is the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. On June 24, 1991, a monument to his most famous hero was unveiled on Picardy Place, at the writer’s birth address. The statue was dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the Edinburgh Federation of Builders. Sculptor Gerald Lang depicted the detective looking brooding in a raincoat, cap, and pipe in hand.

Moscow (Russia)

The fact that works about the London detective were popular in the USSR is evidenced by the fact that Lenfilm filmed their own film version of “The Adventures of Sherlock Hill and Dr. Watson” with Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin in the lead roles. In April 2007, Conan Doyle's characters appeared in Moscow. The monument was erected on Smolenskaya Embankment, near the British Embassy. This was the first monument where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are depicted together. The author of the work is Andrey Orlov. By the way, the faces of Livanov and Solomin can be seen in the sculptures.

14 years ago, the world's largest was opened on Baker Street. famous monument, probably the most famous detective in the world. On this occasion, we decided to collect in one selection the most interesting and simply the best sculptural compositions dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.

Baker Street, London

It would seem that on this London street, made famous thanks to the detective novels of Arthur Conan Doyle, a monument to its most famous resident, whose fictional status does not at all hinder his popularity, should have appeared a long time ago. Somewhere at the beginning of the century, after 1927, when the light was seen last book about the adventures of a British detective who never parts with his pipe and violin.

But no, the house-museum in house 221-b, where, according to the plot of the novels, Mr. Holmes lived, was opened only in 1990, and the monument - even later. But, despite his youth, it is the thoughtful figure of Sherlock with a pipe in his hand, perched at the exit of the metro station, that is considered the main monument to the famous detective.

Meiringen, Switzerland

Amazingly, the first memory of the famous literary character It was not the British who honored, but the Swiss. And they did it very diligently. Bronze Sherlock Holmes thoughtfully smokes a pipe, perched on a stone, waiting for a battle with the insidious villain Moriarty. And on a very impressive area around it are hung replicas of old issues of the Strand magazine, where notes about the Baker Street detective first appeared, decorated with illustrations by the famous Sidney Page. And he is almost at home - the joke is that the townspeople gladly renamed the nearby street after the name of the London “sister”, and opened a museum in whose name it is clear. And the monument appeared in 1987 - also, it seems, surprisingly late.

And after giving in to thoughts with Sherlock Holmes and smoking a pipe, you can go to the outskirts of this town, where the beautiful Reichenbach Falls, the one from the book, is located. It is unlikely, of course, that your own Moriarty will be waiting for you there, but a memorial plaque on a stone with the profile of a brave detective - yes.

Karuizawa, Japan

A tiny town in Japan is clearly the place where you least expect to stumble upon a sculpture in which you unmistakably recognize the most famous British detective. The surprise intensifies even more when you find out that the local monument to Sherlock Holmes is the second one erected in the world in order, and it was only a month behind its Swiss counterpart. The choice of such a strange place for a monument to a Briton is due to the fact that it was in this town that the famous translator of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels into Japanese, Nobuhara Ken, lived.

Edinburgh, Scotland

It’s no joke, but in terms of the speed of installation of the monument to Sherlock Holmes, the British were outdone even by their sworn friends from Scotland, which, however, is not at all surprising when you consider that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in the country of the Highlanders, in Edinburgh. The sculpture, which pays tribute to both the London detective and his author, is perched on a platform in Picardy Place, where famous writer and was born.

Moscow, Russia

The Russian capital also paid tribute to the memory of either Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, or Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin. The monument to Watson perched on a bench with a notebook in his hand and Holmes standing proudly above him with a pipe appeared on Smolenskaya Embankment in 2007 according to the design of the eminent sculptor Andrei Orlov.

In March 1990, a permanent museum-apartment of Sherlock Holmes opened in London at 221b Baker Street - at the address associated with the name of the great detective and detective. The house, built in 1815, was declared an architectural and historical monument by the British government.

Cm.

There are many memorial signs around the world associated with the name of Holmes. Plaques adorn the Criterion bar in Piccadilly, where Watson first learned of Holmes; the chemistry laboratory at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where their first meeting took place; the vicinity of the Reichenbach Falls (Switzerland) and Maiwand (Afghanistan), where Watson received his mysterious wound.

There are no fewer monuments to Holmes. His first statue appeared on September 10, 1988 in Meiringen (Switzerland), its author is sculptor John Doubleday.

Holmes' apartment museum was opened in the building of the old English church of Meiringen - a complete copy of the one at 221 B Baker Street in London. And at the same time, the adjacent street was named Baker Street. In 1987, a statue of the detective was unveiled.

The entire "corner" near the church and the statue is covered with enlarged old clippings from the Strand magazine, which published stories about Sherlock with magnificent illustrations by Sidney Paget (1860-1908), who is recognized best illustrator series about Holmes and Watson. Bronze Holmes is resting on a piece of rock, having prudently made room for a tourist with a camera. In fact, he indulges in reflection before the last battle with Moriarty (all the details of which are engraved on special memorial plaques).

The next statue of the famous detective was unveiled on October 9, 1988 in Karuizawa (Japan), sculptor - Yoshinori Sato.

The honor of erecting the world's first monument to Holmes in full height fell... Japan. The sculpture can be seen in the city of Karuizawa, where the most famous Japanese translator“Holmes” by Nobuhara Ken, who worked on the series about the adventures of the detective for 30 years, from 1923 (“The Hound of the Baskervilles”) to 1953 (complete collection).

Certain difficulties arose with the installation of the monument - there were fears that the European style of the Holmes statue would not fit into the classical Japanese look of the city, but in the end, persistent enthusiasts of the project prevailed. The monument was made by the famous Japanese sculptor Sato Yoshinori and opened on October 9, 1988 - just a month after Switzerland. What the Japanese Holmes is thinking about is not precisely established. Probably about translation difficulties.

In 1991, the turn came to Edinburgh. Here, in the homeland of Conan Doyle, the third monument to Sherlock Holmes was unveiled on June 24, 1991, which caused considerable excitement among Stevenson's admirers - what about the monument to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, huh? Stevenson remained on the sidelines this time, but the Edinburgh Federation of Builders was luckier - the opening of the monument was timed to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of its creation.

Edinburgh Holmes is set on Picardy Place, the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Bronze sculpture sculpted by Gerald Lang.

In London, a monument to the world's most famous detective and detective Sherlock Holmes was unveiled on September 24, 1999 at the Baker Street metro station.

Holmes appeared thoughtfully looking into the distance, dressed for the rainy London weather - in a long raincoat, a hat with a small brim and with a pipe in his right hand.

The author of the three-meter bronze monument became the famous English sculptor John Doubleday.

And on April 27, 2007, a monument to the great detective by Andrei Orlov was opened on Smolenskaya Embankment in Moscow, near the British Embassy. This was the first monument where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are depicted together. This is understandable. Our popularly beloved television series is not about deduction with common sense, but about friendship, about the local way of talking in the kitchen, about ideal relationships between people. In the sculptures one can discern the faces of actors Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin, who at one time played the roles of these Conan Doyle heroes.

The opening of the monument was timed to coincide with the 120th anniversary of the publication of the first book about the adventures of a private detective - the story “A Study in Scarlet.” “The composition of the monument was determined from the very beginning - it had to be a small-sized urban sculpture, with a bench so that a person could sit on this bench and come into contact with the images of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson,” said the author of the monument, Andrei Orlov.

Participated in the creation of the monument Russian actor Vasily Livanov, awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain for the best embodiment of the image of the legendary Sherlock Holmes.

There is a saying that if you sit between Holmes and Watson and touch the doctor's notebook, many problems will be solved.

But in Riga there is no monument to the heroes of Conan Doyle yet. But it is Riga that is the only city in the world where Sherlock Holmes' birthday is celebrated. For the second year now, Riga residents are organizing a celebration in honor of the famous detective’s birthday.

And although the great detective, a character in Conan Doyle’s works, has nothing to do with the Baltic states, in the Latvian capital he is considered almost a fellow countryman. And all because it was here that from 1979 to 1986 the filming of the television series directed by Igor Maslennikov “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson” took place, in which main role performed by actor Vasily Livanov.

Old Riga has been successfully transformed into London's Baker Street. Holmes, performed by Livanov, was recognized as one of the best screen images of the great detective, for which Vasily Livanov was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Exactly ten years ago, on April 27, 2007, a sculpture of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson was unveiled in Moscow.

Let's read the official information.
The monument (although I prefer to say “sculpture” - M.G.) to the heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle’s works, detective Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson, was opened on the 120th anniversary of the publication of Conan Doyle’s story about the adventures of the great detective “A Study in Scarlet” tones." The author of the monument was the sculptor Andrei Orlov, who created the images of the characters based on the works of Sidney Paget, the first illustrator of stories about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. However, in the characters’ features one can easily discern the traits of Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin, who played these characters in the Soviet television series.




Legends say that at first the British Embassy, ​​near which it was destined to stand sculpture group, was against such a portrait resemblance.
But Livanov had already been awarded by the queen herself... and indeed... so historical justice triumphed.


Therefore, at the opening ceremony, held as part of the detective film festival, there were also People's Artist Russia's Vasily Livanov, and the British Ambassador to Russian Federation Anthony Brenton.

And Vasily Borisovich was the first to sit down on the treasured bench between the two heroes.

And I remembered my colleague and friend.

You see - the sculpture is still fresh, brand new. Now many parts of it shine - they are rubbed and touched, wishes are made or simply express an excess of feelings. After all, the new art object immediately began to receive increased attention from both distinguished Holmesians and ordinary citizens. Here are some photos from the end of April 2007.



Before the opening of the monument they wrote this:
Sculptor Andrei Orlov, who created the monument, said: “The monument turned out to be very lively, kind, sincere. There should be more such monuments. They amuse the people. My Munchausen, for example, was simply tortured. His nose was rubbed until shiny by Muscovites - they say it brings good luck. And the British detectives are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. On the bench where Watson sits, there is enough space for ordinary Muscovites to sit down and make a wish, and to be sure, rub Sherlock Holmes’ pipe, and all problems will be resolved “elementarily.”

And shortly after opening:
As Vasily Livanov noted, if you sit next to the doctor and hold on to his notebook, all problems and doubts will be resolved. But if you touch the famous detective’s pipe, your worries will noticeably increase.
Why will there be more worries? Why is the tube so dangerous? Personally, I have a version that the actor shrewdly wanted to protect Holmes’ most famous thing from acts of vandalism. Remember, the revolver that was constantly broken off from the sailor from “Revolution Square” and baton Tchaikovsky. That’s why I scared - I quote another source:
“Whoever touches my pipe will be in for a criminal mess.”


In ten years, thank God, nothing has been lost.
On the contrary, they put coins and even chocolates in Dr. Watson's book. Copy their favorite heroes.

Well, they dress up.




I myself once accepted Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as pioneers on May Day.

Well, I imprinted myself.


The visit to this sculpture by a group of Moscow and St. Petersburg Holmes lovers as part of the nationwide celebration of the 160th anniversary of Sherlock Holmes, which took place on January 6, 2014, is also memorable.

Since the film was being filmed at Lenfilm, the birthday cake was “Leningradsky”. More on festive table there was champagne and tangerines. This meal is on fresh air caused confusion in the minds of some employees of the English embassy, ​​obviously poorly informed about their own literature - therefore, after a while, a police squad joined her. I note that law enforcement officers “assigned” to the diplomatic corps are themselves export models - tall and stately. And these handsome men look at the guests of the birthday boy with bewilderment - after all, they don’t look like banal street drunks, or protesters, or extremists. We are also close to diplomacy - and we successfully explained to the law enforcement officers that there was no reason for concern, and the champagne was almost finished. The police eyes became kinder, but remained sharp - and noted that some of the people involved in the event were wearing a Sherlock Holmes double-visor cap. To which I did not fail to burst into a passionate monologue that this headdress was bought in London on Baker Street, that all of us, like true Hills worshipers, constantly travel to England and to filming locations, no less constantly communicate with the creators of the film, and have learned the Canon by heart... In general, we treated the police to tangerines and parted ways.
Well noted.


Bronze Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson appeared in Belokamennaya as part of the project “ Sculptural compositions» International Charitable Public Foundation “Dialogue of Cultures - One World”. The fund's plans also included The Little Prince at the French embassy and Don Quixote at the Spanish one. Livanov, by the way, also played Don Quixote. But it hasn't worked out yet. But Holmes and Watson recently had practically twin brothers. The glorious city of Yekaterinburg now also has sculptures of its favorite heroes.


Every self-respecting locality should have sculptural image Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. I think so. It’s not the Lenins alone. Already in many cities of the post-Soviet space there are Ostap Benders, Gleb Zheglovs, Vereshchagins, Cowards-Goonies-Experienced, Shuriks and Lidas, Barons Munchausens, ladies with dogs... Well, the heroes of Arthur Conan Doyle and Igor Maslennikov will certainly be in the forefront of this parade. Any time of the year!