Vitaly Mefodievich Solomin was born on December, 12th, 1941 in Chita into the family of professional musicians. From childhood he took a great interest in music, and under guidance of his parents went into playing piano.

After finishing school in Chita he went to Moscow, and in 1959 entered the M.S.Shepkin Theatre School to study under N.A.Annenkov (by that time his elder brother Yury Solomin already graduated the Shepkin School).

From the second year of studies on Vitaly was invited to rehearse and play roles in stage plays of the Maly Theatre. After graduation he became the actor of this theatre.

For a short time (1987—1989) Solomin shifted to the Mossovet Theatre, where he played in the stage production after V.Astafyev’s Sad Detective. Then the actor returned to the Maly Theatre, and staged Ostrovsky’s The Girl Savage (Dikarka) (1991), where he played the lead male role – Ashmetyev.

Starting from the 1960s Vitaly Solomin was into filming. His debut film role was that of Cyril in Elder Sister (1967). It was followed by Women (1988) in which Vitaly starred as Zhenya.

Especially successful were Vitaly Solomin’s roles that he played in the films by director Igor Maslennikov. The most famous of them is certainly the inimitable role of Doctor Watson in the captivating series about Sherlock Holmes. Quite successful was also Solomin’s work in film Winter Cherries. Subsequently Maslennikov has invited the actor to play in Queen of Spades (1982).

Afterwards Igor Maslennikov invited Vitaly Solomin to play in his serial All Red (1998).

On the evening of the 23rd of April 2002 Vitaly Solomin had a stroke when on stage in the first act of the play Wedding of Krechinsky. After spending a month at hospital Vitaly Solomin died on May, 27th. He was laid to rest at Vagankovskoe Cemetery, Moscow.

The 27th of April 2007 saw the unveiling of the sculptural composition Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (sculptor Andrey Orlov) in front of the Embassy of Great Britain in Smolenskaya Embankment, Moscow. Vitaly Solomin was naturally taken as prototype for Dr. Watson.

 Watch him play in this wonderful movie: