Why was Russian actor Vasily Livanov awarded the Order of the British Empire?
This honorary order is usually given to British citizens, but the Russian actor was an exception.
In 2006, actor Vasily Livanov received the Order of the British Empire, Fifth Class, at the British Embassy in Moscow. On behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, he was awarded by Ambassador Tony Brenton and the decree was certified by the signature of Prince Philip.
Actor Vasily Livanov appears at the Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson monument unveiling ceremony outside the British Embassy on the Smolenskaya Embankment.
This order was established by George V in 1917 and most of those awarded it are British subjects. Foreign citizens are awarded it extremely rarely.
As Brenton explained, Vasily Livanov became one of the best actors in the world, who embodied the image of the English detective Sherlock Holmes.
“Holmes is famous in your country as well as in ours. Livanov has become a wonderful Sherlock, maybe better than English actors,” Brenton said at the reception.
The Soviet TV series ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’ was filmed based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle from 1979-1986. It consists of 11 episodes.
In the 1980s, the series was even aired on television in Britain. As Livanov recalled, he received a call from the writer's elderly daughter: “If my father saw this Russian Sherlock Holmes, he would be happy.”
In 2007, a monument was erected to Holmes and his colleague Dr. Watson near the British Embassy in Moscow, in whose features one can recognize the Russian actors.
