In the post -Soviet space, it is everywhere that the People's Artist of the RSFSR was called the best Holmes even in the homeland of the great detective. We checked whether this is so.

The fact of the recognition by the British merits of Livanov often appears in the materials and programs dedicated to him. Sometimes - without clarifying the circumstances (“Livanov and Vitaliy Solomin, who played the role of Dr. Watson, were recognized by the British the best pair Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and the Mir Broadcasting Company, reportage To the 85th anniversary of the actor). However, mainly in the media mentioned two specific events that occurred already in the 21st century.

About the first of them in December 2003 told Livanov himself:

“... In September, a powerful delegation of 20 people came, which included seven British, led by the chairman of the international club Conan Doyle, three Germans and ten Japanese. I was awarded a diploma of international society as the best Sherlock Holmes. ”

This episode (with a diploma "Best Sherlock Holmes of all times and peoples") is also mentioned on the dedicated to the series site, in the issue of the magazine "Cinema Art" and many other sources.

An equally important and solemn event took place three years later: in 2006, Vasily Livanov was awarded the Order of the British Empire. Here's what the actor said about this case in 2015 in interview Life TV channel:

“Firstly, I believe that Her Majesty Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II awarded me the Order of the British Empire ... I perceive this primarily as the recognition of our Russian national acting, because in the decree of the Royal it is written that she rewards me as the best Sherlock Holmes in world cinema.”

A year later, speaking on the First Channel in the program "Encontinally with everyone", Vasily Borisovich Repeated His idea of the content of the decree, adding that "the order is awarded only through the embassies, and in the world cinema, this order was awarded by Stephen Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor and your humble servant."

Of course, a diploma or decree, if their descriptions are given correctly, would become evidence of the justice of the approval under consideration. But let's take a closer look at the information available about them.

To learn more about the first case, with a diploma, Vasily Livanova’s essay “Our Friend Sherlock Holmes” will help us. In it Vasily Borisovich quotes Report from the Moscow newspaper "Word":

“The foyer of the Cosmos Hotel ... One group of foreign tourists stood out in a mottled crowd. She simply could not be confused with anyone. People holding on their own: men and women, Europeans and Japanese-flaunted in checkered cascetics a la Sherlock Holmes on their heads, some had tubes in their mouths. Members of Sherlock Holmes came to Moscow. Especially in order to meet with the People's Artist of Russia Vasily Livanov, a leading actor in the most popular Soviet series of the 80s. Which, by the way, does not leave our television screens for almost a quarter of a century. Exclamations, greetings, representations, outbreaks of television and cameras ... The President of the English Society of Lovers of Sherlock Holmes Philip Weller brought the group to Russia. It is not surprising that a group of fans of the world -famous detective came to Russia to meet with Livanov - the adaptation of the works about Holmes of Director Maslennikov is considered one of the best in the world, and the Livanovsky embodiment of Holmes is declared reference. <...> Guests handed Vasily Borisovich Livanov a diploma, who certifies that henceforth the most popular Russian actor is an honorary member of the Sherlock Holmes admirers. ”

Stop. “Honorary member of the Sherlock Holmes admirers of the admirers” is not at all “the best Sherlock Holmes of all times.” What did this diploma really look like? Studying the biography of the aforementioned Philip Weller confirmsthat he was the chairman of one of the Sherlockan societies, namely, The Baskerville Hounds, as well as a member of about fifty other thematic communities. After short searches, we find and Photo the diploma itself, as well as Vasily Borisovich with him:

It is quite unequivocally stated here that Vasily Livanov was elected an honorary member of The Baskerville Hounds Society and nothing more. A similar wording confirms and Bulletin London Society Sherlock Holmes from November 2003. Thus, the 2003 event does not comply with the declared statement.

Now let's turn to the delivery of the Order of the British Empire. Of course, it took place - not only numerous photos are said about this:

The fact of the award is confirmed by the open information From the archives of the British government. That's just the official description of the reason is very short: for service to thetre and Performing Arts (“For Merit to theater and performing art”).

The situation is somewhat familiar to us Bulletin London Society Sherlock Holmes, this time from April 2006. In it, Alan Tumi from the ceremonial secretariat at the office of ministers of the United Kingdom clarifies that Vasily Livanov received the honorary Order of the British Empire. “Since honorary awards do not fall into the published once every six months award lists, and quotes related to them are not published. However, I can tell you that Mr. Livanov was awarded this honor for his image of Sherlock Holmes in the Soviet television series 1979-1986, ”he adds. There, with reference to Philip Weller, it is said that the British ambassador nominated for Livanov’s award (in 2006 he held this position Anthony Brenton).

In the summer of the same year, the award ceremony was held at the British embassy in Moscow. The order was presented by the Ambassador Brenton (and not at all the queen, like asserted TV channel "Star"). Channel One made reportage This event, including the following statement about this: “The best Sherlock Holmes of the British Empire lives in Russia. Queen Elizabeth II granted actor Vasily Livanova the Order of the British Empire for creating the most faithful image of the legendary detective. ” Brenton himself added oil to the fire, who told reporters in Russian: “He became perfectly Sherlock Holmes, maybe better than English actors.” And the journalists of the “first” added: “Queen Elizabeth absolutely agrees with this opinion. And not only she. The best Sherlock Holmes is Soviet. Such a verdict was made by the British as early as 1982, when the film with Vasily Livanov was first broadcast on the BBC channel. Everything-from the Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher to a simple London bakery-accepted the image of the good old England, which was created in the film by director Igor Maslennikov and actors Vasily Livanov and Vitaliy Solomin. "

Perhaps it was this report of the central television channel that gave rise to the second wave of universal faith in Livanov, recognized by the British the Best Holmes. However, if you read into dry facts, we have the following.

1) None of a written British source speaks of the “Best Holmes” in the context of the Honorary Order.

2) Ambassador Brenton with a certain degree of assumption (possibly in accordance with the moment, and possibly expressing personal opinion) says that Livanov played "maybe better than English actors."

Unambiguousness could bring the text of the decree, which Vasily Borisovich likes to talk about. In one of the reports, Livanov showed this paper. The image is quite uncommon, and it is difficult to disassemble the text. However, we can look at the text Similar decree In relation to the British and Russian sociologist Theodore Shanin and make sure that he is standard:

Judging by the contours, a maximum of a few words in the text of the Decree can differ - for the most part where the specific type of the Order of the British Empire is called. And the rest is “from whom”, “who” and “what is awarded”. There is no description of the merits there.

Thus, with a high probability, it can be argued that the decree signed by Queen Elizabeth II does not in any way affect the issue of “the best Sherlock Holmes”. So the second official paper does not correspond to the declared statement. Unfortunately, in both cases, the words of Vasily Borisovich contradict the facts.

And finally, a little about recognition from other British. Livanov himself tells About the enthusiastic attitude to the series Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher, as well as the elderly daughter Arthur Conan Doyle-Jane. True, in that interview, the actor does not claim that his version of the hero’s image was recognized as the best. But this is does With reference to the Daily Mail newspaper, the director of the series Igor Maslennikov. However, contrary to his words, in the mentioned article There is nothing about Thatcher or the championship.

In 2003, the British book Alan Barnes was published "Sherlock Holmes on the screen", In which he collected and summarized the information about all the known adaptations of the detectives of Conan Doyle. It is interesting not only the phrase “A couple of Livanov and the late Vitaly Solomin should be included in the gallery of the best performers of Holmes / Watson”, but also the next fragment:

“Livanov himself has no doubt that he knows the secret to the success of the television series. In an interview with the Russian magazine given in 2000, he said: "The stories of Conan Doyle filmed us many times. But, as I understand it, it was our heroes that turned out to be the most human and convincing." He further declares: "Perhaps that is why the British recognized our film as the best European film adaptation." Not yet, they have not recognized. But over time - who knows. "

In 2015, the authoritative publication The Telegraph Published His version of the 20 best incarnations of Sherlock Holmes. Livanova is simply not on this list. At the same time, oddly enough, in the same rating of doctors of the Watsonov The second place was taken by ... Livanova’s partner on the series Vitaly Solomin. This suggests that the Soviet series was still taken into account, but the British admire Solomin stronger.

In 2019 survey I was already held on the website of the famous British magazine Radio Times. Of course, no one controlled the nationality of the voters, but Vasily Livanov took a very honorable eighth place in this rating. And in 2020, the London Society of Sherlock Holmes in absentia Congratulated Vasily Borisovich with the 85th anniversary, calling him “one of the best” holmons of cinema. A portrait of Vasily Livanova decorates the souvenir shop of the official Museum of Sherlock Holmes in London and coins of formally subordinates to Elizabeth II Islands of Cook:

Nevertheless, the widespread statement that Vasily Livanov was recognized by the British themselves the best Sherlock Holmes of all times and peoples, based on false sources.