World

The inventor of Kalashnikov assault rifle turns 89

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 10, 2008 at 05:07 pm

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The man whose brainchild became the most widely produced assault weapon in history is turning 89 today. A World War Two veteran, Mikhail Kalashnikov began inventing what would later become his famous AK-47 or Kalashnikov rifle while recuperating from his gun wounds in the military hospital during the war. His invention must have caused many deaths during the sixty years of its existence, but Kalashnikov says he is still very proud of his work, although he does admit that he would rather have invented something people could use for peaceful purposes. He also never financially benefited from the sales of his rifle.

Despite his advancing years, Mikhail Kalashnikov still heads the small arms designer team at the Izhmash factory in the city of Izhevsk, near the Ural mountains, central Russia. He has been working there for 60 years.

The decorated weapons mechanic, who is also a Russian Lieutenant General and Doctor of Sciences, has contributed to the creation of dozens of rifles and machine guns.

His best-know design, the AK-47, is arguably the world’s most famous small arm. Favoured for its reliability, durability and affordability, the rifle is used by soldiers and police spec-op teams in 100 countries. It’s even used in the coat-of-arms of some African countries.

The legacy of Kalashnikov's rifles as the most popular assault rifles has prompted him to state that

"I'm proud of my invention, but I'm sad that it is used by terrorists," he said on a visit to Germany, adding: "I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work - for example a lawnmower."