The thesis is the first attempt to focus attention on the problem of analysis Sherlock Holmes cycle in the paradigm of middle-literature. Within modern Slavic literary criticism, in particular Ukrainian, it is an urgent issue of overcoming the stereotypical vision of Sherlock Holmes' character as an offspring of base-alloy literature. Also there is a necessity of breaking down the tradition of schematic one-sided interpretation with an accent on extra-literary aspects. Mentioned factors foreground expediency of deep and fundamentally innovatory scientific research, using the achievements of contemporary philology. The "close reading" methodology of Holmes' character determines a conclusion of be-plan text structure. 1. An explicit level of event that focuses round the plot of a story and gravitates towards adventure narrative style with practical language prevailing. 2. Implicit ideological semantic level with disseminations of multiple-valued artistic language and richness of content. It is appropriate to correlate Sherlockiana's overvalue as already meta-cultural discourse with the newest scientific tendencies which are adequate to the modern state of literary / cultural process and their hierarchical variety (e.g. multi-literature). The concept of middle-literature (S. Chuprynin) seems the most suitable as for Sherlock's Canon. It is perceived as a midpoint row of verbal art that synergizes qualities of both high and mass literature and widely uses the artistic and psychological instruments of kitsch. It is necessary to draw the special attention to social topicality of detective genre as well as transcendental request for character of the Hero. On definite historical stage this sociopsychological request was embodied in Sherlock Holmes' personage. The end of the 19th century was a time of transformation the ideals (like religion, morality, humanity etc.) and crush of the Victorian era's fetishes. Taking into account the collisions of formation, ideological and didactic function of mass publishing in Victorian England, Doyle's detective had to become the defender of stability of the individualized moral fundamental principles (not obtruded outwardly but skipped and adopted through the prism of personal attitude). Doyle's sleuth became an apologist of social justice as an analogue of truth supremacy. The semantic of such image-construction is consonant with the mental and myth standards of Superhero. At the same time the character of Sherlock Holmes from the very beginning was enriched with patterns of "the future man" that didn't only adapt himself to the realities of "rush-time life" but also implemented the society with values, produced by world elite. It was realized by the adjustment of the archetypal characters in accordance with the moods of time. Holmesiana and Holmes' character strongly appeal to semantically eternal, but in up-to-date form. Corresponding to the social & cultural queries of mass reader (not synonymic with "of low standard") is obvious. Stably dualistic focus of the image system became a decision for balancing of all pros and cons. On the one hand, progressive vision of the new time personality is correlative with the character of Holmes. On the other hand it is corresponding with stiff, less progressive narrow-minded ideals of middle class, that is mostly incarnated by Watson. Sherlock Holmes' character is an example of "instantaneous mythologization". That purports also diachronic transformation into a world-scale cultural icon and national British myth in particular. Diachronical cut of Holmesiana's receptive tradition determines expediency to examine it and exactly the detective's character in the paradigm of such crucial for modern cultural process terms and concepts, as myth-poetry, epos, myth, archetype, brand, symbol, "ancient character", "formalized personage", kitsch. Holmesiana's fictional reality (object, social, psychological reality) is also mythologized. That is the result of successful communication with an implicit reader and constructive installation on myth-making quality of reality models. Sherlock Holmes' myth attained that the greatest measure of progressive mythologization process. It becomes material force and acquires ability to convert the world throughout. Except of an external attribute, comes forward a spectrum of ideological and semantic enlargements. These are the mail lines of archetypal characters and situations implementation. In the structure of Holmes's character the archetype of the Hero has not autonomous but penetrative nature and synergizes with other contiguous archetypes. An important part of the research is pointing out the artistic constants which give the ground to estimate Holmes' character as the cultural phenomenon of fin de si?cle. They are represented as an interference of neo-romantic and decadent poetics, synthesis of different world-view visions. One more direction is the author's concept of reality in the light of "project Modern" crisis as well as the means of interpretation of "the Superior Being myth" and its echo in Nietzschean idea of Overman. Conceptual features of sleuth as the typical hero of late Victorian mass consciousness are designated, likewise planes which contradict this point of view. Holmes' character has been examined in the context of rational Nietzschean aberrations of Christian mentality and Conan Doyle's spiritual self-quest. Poetical means of realization of the author's idea of the Hero (Superhero) myth are highly special. Holmes' character is built on the intersection of archetypal qualities of the Saviour, Christ, Doctor (Quack) and Sage.
