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AK-47 inventor Kalashnikov turns 90, receives award
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, toasts Mikhail Kalashnikov, who
invented the AK-47 assault rifle during festivities at the Kremlin.
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the man who invented the AK-47 turned 90 on Tuesday, and received an award from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The AK-47 is arguably the world’s most popular assault rifle, and it, and modified versions of it, are used in over 100 countries.
At the Kremlin in a ceremony which honored his work, Kalashnikov received the award Hero of the Russian Federation. President Medvedev stated, “You've invented not only the famous Kalashnikov machine gun itself but also a national brand which every Russian, every citizen of our country is proud of.”
Previously, Kalashnikov had twice been awarded a Hero of Socialist Labor during the Soviet Union era, and awarded the Order of Saint Andrew in 1998.
The name AK-47 came from the words Avtomat Kalashnikova and the model year, 1947. Kalashnikov invented the initial prototype of the AK-47 in the hospital during World War II when he was recovering from injuries sustained in battle. He was a Sergeant in the Soviet Army at the time, and invented it in response to the comment that Russian soldiers were using rifles to stand against German soldiers who has automatic weapons.
Although it is estimated that over 100 million rifles of this model or of models with updated modifications exist, because patents were non-existent in the Soviet Union, many of these copies are believed to be counterfeit created by different companies around the globe. The Russian company Izhmash started to patent the AK-47 in 1997.
When on a visit to Germany in 2002, Kalashnikov stated to Reuters, “I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists." he continued, "I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work - for example a lawnmower.”
He also stated at one time, “I created a weapon to defend the fatherland's borders. It's not my fault that it was sometimes used where it shouldn't have been. This is the fault of politicians.”
Although known for the creation of the AK-47, in his early life, Kalashnikov wanted to be a poet. In fact, according to the BBC, he has authored six poetry books and is an amateur poet. He remarked, “I wrote poetry in my youth, and people thought I would become a poet. But I didn't become one.”
Copyright © 2009 by Raymond Gellner
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