Kumar Bhatia, JHWS “Bobbie” Shares Another Fascinating Insight

Our well-travelled member, Kumar Bhatia, of Dubai and India has sent along this interesting report on the Russian statues of Dr Watson and Mr Holmes. Thank you very much, Kumar–as always–for these glimpses of the world as it honors our heroes.

In April 2007, a monument to Sherlock Holmes was unveiled outside the British Embassy in Moscow. It is the only one of its kind in the world, in that it has Holmes and Watson together. It features a pensive Holmes, clad in his signature cloak and deerstalker, standing and looking slightly upwards with one hand behind his back and holding a pipe in the other, as if contemplating a case. Beside Holmes is Dr Watson, seated on a bench and looking up towards Holmes in admiration, as it were. The statues are life-size and consumed 800 kilos of bronze in casting.

The artist, Andrei Orlov, although inspired by Sidney Paget’s sketches, sculpted Holmes in the likeness of the great Russian actor Vasily Livanov, who played the role of the Master to perfection in many Russian Movies. Orlov modelled Dr Watson after Vitaly Solomin who played Watson to Livanov’s Holmes. Vasily Livanov was the only Russian actor to be awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II which was bestowed upon him in recognition of his great portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.

We are thankful to the Sherlock Holmes Society of India who first posted this article by Kumar Bhatia on its Society’s website.