Biography of Mikhail Kalashnikov
The Russian inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov is the creator of the most popular weapon in history – AK-47. This machine was first born in 1947, and it is produced to this day.
Early years
Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was born November 10, 1919 in a large peasant family in the village. Kurya, Altai Territory, Russia. He is perhaps the most famous weapon designer of all time. He created the AK-47, which is the most widely used weapon in history. In 1930, due to the regime of Joseph Stalin, Kalashnikov together with his family left their property and left the village.
Initially, Kalashnikov aspired to become a poet, but went the other way after being drafted into the army in 1938. Serving in the tank division, he worked on several inventions to improve the functionality of tanks. In 1941, Kalashnikov was seriously wounded in the Battle of Bryansk against the German Nazis. While on recovery, he began working on the development of new weapons.
Invention of AK-47
Shortly after the end of World War II, Kalashnikov completed the development of a new type of automatic weapon, AK-47. His project was selected from all submitted and launched in production. AK-47 proved to be quite easy to use and clean, and it worked well in various conditions, from desert to jungle. The initials of weapons originate from “Kalashnikov’s automatic rifle” or “automatic Kalashnikov”, also it is often called “Kalashnikov”.
“This weapon is for protection, not for destruction,” Mikhail Kalashnikov said.
Today the brand of this weapon is the most recognizable in Russia. It is produced in Russia, as well as by licensed manufacturers abroad. Since the first release of weapons, about 100 million Kalashnikov assault rifles have been manufactured, and because of its reliability it has become a favorite type of weapon among many armed groups, from military to terrorists. Later, Kalashnikov regretted the use of his valuable invention. “It’s painful for me to see that various criminal elements of all kinds shoot from my
After the development of the AK-47, Kalashnikov worked on the creation of another firearm. He developed several types of machine guns, among other things, and eventually received the rank of general.
The last years of life and death
Kalashnikov is considered a national Russian treasure. In 2004, in his honor was opened a museum in the city of Izhevsk, Russia, where many weapons were produced for the development of Kalashnikov. In the same year, the inventor wanted to expand his trademark and provided his name for the name of the vodka line.
Despite his advanced age, Kalashnikov worked as a consultant, facilitating arms sales deals. He also wrote several books, including his autobiography. In 2009, Kalashnikov celebrated his 90th anniversary at a special event held at the Central Museum of the Russian Armed Forces. Based on the FOX News report, Vladimir Putin sent a letter to the inventor with the following content: “The Kalashnikov assault rifle is a symbol of the creative genius of our people.”
At the end of 2012, Kalashnikov’s health worsened severely, it was reported that in December he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at the Republican Clinical Diagnostic Center of Udmurtia. At that time, several contradictory data on his condition appeared in the light, but it was known for sure that his health was in a very fragile state. Mikhail Kalashnikov died on December 23, 2013 in Izhevsk at the age of 94.
Quotations
“I created weapons to protect my father’s borders, it’s not my fault that sometimes weapons are used where they should not be used, it’s the fault of politicians.”
“It’s painful for me to see that various criminal elements of all kinds shoot from my weapons.”
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)