  We review classical monopole solutions of the SU(2) Yang-Mills-Higgs theory.
The first part is a pedagogical introduction into to the basic features of the
celebrated 't Hooft - Polyakov monopole. In the second part we describe new
classes of static axially symmetric solutions which generalise 't Hooft -
Polyakov monopole. These configurations are either deformations of the
topologically trivial sector or the sectors with different topological charges.
In both situations we construct the solutions representing the chains of
monopoles and antimonopoles in static equilibrium. The solutions of another
type are closed vortices which are centred around the symmetry axis and form
different bound systems. Configurations of the third type are monopoles bounded
with vortices. We suggest classification of these solutions which is related
with 2d Poincare index.
