Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov

Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was a Soviet and Russian small-arms designer, the creator of the world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK). He was born in the village of Kurya in the Altai Krai. In 1930 the Kalashnikov family was repressed and deported to the Tomsk region. From a young age Mikhail showed a keen interest in mechanisms, studying their construction and principles of operation.

 

In 1938 Kalashnikov was drafted into the army, where he trained as a tank driver-mechanic. During this period he demonstrated his engineering abilities by creating a number of improvements for tanks, including an inertia shot counter and an attachment for the TT pistol to allow firing through observation slits. During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) Kalashnikov took part in combat as a T-34 tank commander. He was severely wounded near Bryansk and sent to a hospital for treatment. While recovering he developed a submachine-gun design. In 1947 Kalashnikov's assault rifle won the competition and was adopted by the Soviet Army. For the development of the legendary weapon the designer received the Stalin Prize of the first degree. Later Kalashnikov made a significant contribution to the development of machine guns, hunting carbines, and pistols. Mikhail Timofeyevich passed away on December 23, 2013 in Izhevsk at the age of 94. The legacy of the great designer includes six books, numerous scientific works, and many awards and honorary titles.