Biography of Mikhail Kalashnikov: a brilliant designer. Kalashnikov, Mikhail Timofeevich Awards and titles M

The material was prepared by G.V. Yatskina, a history teacher at the Topkanovskaya Secondary School.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was born on November 10, 1919 in the village of Kurya Altai Territory in a large peasant family. Mikhail was the seventeenth child of Timofey Alexandrovich and Alexandra Frolovna Kalashnikov.

“I was born and raised in Altai, in the village of Kurya. I was born completely frail, and, as my relatives claim, there was no illness that I did not have. And when I was six years old, I almost died. Mother, Alexandra Frolovna, had nineteen children, and only eight of them survived . (Slide 1.23)

In 1930, the family was sent to live in Siberia, in the Tomsk region, the village of Nizhnyaya Makhovaya.

“Our life in Siberia made me a hunter. For the first time in my life, I picked up a gun here, my father’s.”

IN school years Misha loved to write poetry. This passion for writing remained with him until the end of his life. He loved to disassemble all sorts of mechanisms and put them into action... At school he was interested in physics, geometry and literature.( Slide 4)

After finishing 9th grade high school M. T. Kalashnikov went to work as a student at the railway depot of the Matai station, and later worked in Alma-Ata as a technical secretary of one of the branches of the Turkestan-Siberian railway.

In 1938, M. T. Kalashnikov was drafted into the Red Army, ( Slide5) served in the Kiev Special Military District, graduated from the school of mechanics - tank drivers and served in the 12th tank division in Stryi (Western Ukraine).

Already during his service in the army, M. T. Kalashnikov showed himself as an inventor. He developed an inertial counter to record the actual number of shots fired from a tank gun, made a special device for the TT pistol to increase the efficiency of firing from it through slits in the tank turret, and created a device for recording the service life of a tank engine. For his first inventions he was awarded by general G.K.Zhukov personalized watch. ( Slide 6)

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War senior sergeant M. T. Kalashnikov participated in the battles with the fascist invaders as a tank commander. In October 1941, in fierce battles near Bryansk, he was seriously wounded and shell-shocked.

While still in the hospital, M. T. Kalashnikov decided to develop and manufacture for Soviet soldier pistol - submachine gun. ( Slide 7)

He began to make sketches and drawings, comparing and analyzing his own impressions of the battles, the opinions of his comrades in arms, and the contents of the books in the hospital library.

Having received a six-month leave due to health reasons, he arrived at the Matai station and in the workshops of the depot, with the help of management and fellow workers, he carried out his plan - he created the first sample of a submachine gun ( Slide 8, 9)

With the finished submachine gun, M. T. Kalashnikov went to Alma-Ata. The Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan Kaishigulov sent me to the Moscow Aviation Institute, which was evacuated to Alma-Ata. S. Ordzhonikidze. At the institute, in the workshops of the aviation small arms and cannon weapons department, the second sample of a submachine gun was developed and manufactured, which in June 1942 was sent for review to Samarkand, where at that time the Artillery Academy named after. F. E. Dzerzhinsky.

The famous Soviet scientist in the field of ballistics and small arms A. A. Blagonravov became interested in the submachine gun of senior sergeant Kalashnikov. Although he did not recommend a submachine gun for adoption, he highly appreciated the talent and work of the inventor, the originality of solving a number of technical issues, and did everything to direct the self-taught designer to study.

In 1942, Kalashnikov was sent to serve at the Central Research Site small arms Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army.

At the test site in 1944 he developed prototype self-loading carbine, the design of the main components of which served as the basis for the creation of an assault rifle.

In 1944, he created a prototype of a self-loading carbine, which partially served as a prototype for the creation of an assault rifle.

M. T. Kalashnikov began working on the assault rifle in 1945. ( Slide 10) In 1947, he improved his machine gun and in the same year, thanks to its high reliability and operational efficiency, he won a brilliant victory in the most difficult competitive tests. ( Slide 11)

After modifications, the machine gun was put into service in 1949 Soviet army under the name “7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1947 (AK-47)”, and senior sergeant M. T. Kalashnikov was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree and the Order of the Red Star in 1949. ( Slide12)

Since 1949, M. T. Kalashnikov has lived and worked in Izhevsk. During this time, he went from an ordinary designer to the Chief Designer of small arms of the Soviet Army.

In 1950-70 on the basis of the AK-47, a whole series of unified models of small arms developed by M. T. Kalashnikov were adopted into service by the Soviet Army automatic weapons: AKM, AKMS, AK74, AKS74, AKS74U, RPK, RPKS, RPK74, RPKS74, PC, PKS, PKM, PKSM, PKT, PKMT, PKB, PKMB. ( Slide 13-20)

In 1971, based on the totality of research and development work and inventions, Kalashnikov was awarded academic degree the doctors technical sciences. He is an academician of 16 different Russian and foreign academies. Has 35 copyright certificates for inventions. ( Slide 21)

In 1969, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was awarded military rank colonel; in 1994, the military rank of major general; in 1999, the military rank of lieutenant general. ( Slide 22)

The country's leadership highly appreciated the merits of M. T. Kalashnikov in strengthening the country's defense power, twice awarding him the title of Hero of Socialist Labor (1958 and 1976), laureate of the Stalin Prize (1949) and Lenin Prize (1964). He was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences (1971) and awarded the rank of Major General (1994). M. T. Kalashnikov awarded highest award Russia - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, as well as the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, and many other orders and medals. M. Kalashnikov considers his most important award to be the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - Patron of Russia in 1999. ( Slide 23,24)

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov - honorary member (academician) Russian Academy sciences; Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences; Russian Engineering Academy; full member - academician of the Petrovsky Academy of Arts and Arts; International Academy of Sciences, Industry, Education and Arts of the USA; International Academy of Informatization; Union of Designers of Russia; Engineering Academy of the Udmurt Republic; professor emeritus Izhevsk State technical university; a number of other large scientific institutions; Honorable Sir Udmurt Republic, the city of Izhevsk, the village of Kurya, Altai Territory.

In 2012, Mikhail Timofeevich’s health began to deteriorate due to his advanced age. In December he was hospitalized at the Republican Clinical Diagnostic Center (RCDC) of Udmurtia for a routine examination. By the beginning of the summer of 2013, the designer’s condition worsened again. In Moscow, Mikhail Timofeevich was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov died on December 23, 2013. Mikhail Timofeevich was buried at the Federal War Memorial Cemetery. ( Slide 25)

For outstanding services M.T. Kalashnikov, in front of the state in his native village of Kurya in 1980, a bronze bust of the twice Hero of Socialist Labor was erected.( Slide 26)

Kalashnikov weapons: machine guns, machine guns, carbines, are extremely popular all over the world. (Slide 27) At the end of the 20th century, the AK-47 was officially recognized as the invention of the century, overtaking aspirin and the atomic bomb on the list: our “product,” as Mikhail Timofeevich called his machine gun, became the most popular, purchased and... lethal weapon in 55 countries of the world.

The flags of 5 countries around the world depict the silhouette of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. For example, the country of Mozambique, which paid tribute to the AK assault rifle in achieving its independence, included its image in its state emblem. It is considered a great honor in Arab countries to name a boy the name “Kalash” in honor of the famous Russian weapons designer.( Slide 28)

What is the reason for such unprecedented popularity of Kalashnikov assault rifles, which has reached the level of a heraldic symbol? It lies in the fact that Mikhail Timofeevich achieved an optimal combination of a number of qualities that ensure high efficiency of use and exceptional reliability of the machine gun in combat, low sensitivity to contamination and the possibility of trouble-free use in any climatic conditions. Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov went down in the history of small arms not only as the creator of the best machine gun in the world, but also as the designer who was the first to develop and widely introduce into the troops a number of unified models of automatic small arms, identical in automation design, design and operating principle. Unification gave our country a huge economic and production effect; it greatly facilitated the study of new types of weapons in the troops. According to military experts around the world, the weapon created by M. T. Kalashnikov will have no equal until 2025.

“I constantly have to make excuses. Although there is nothing to make excuses for. I did everything to glorify my Fatherland. He created weapons to protect the borders of his Fatherland, and not for terrorists. I want it to continue to serve this purpose. For me this is a peaceful weapon, so Peaceful time it should be locked. And this is already a matter for politicians...”, said the great designer. Like any patriot, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov, cared about the security of his Motherland, dreamed of peace for all of us!

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Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov Yatskina G.V., MBOU teacher"Topkanovskaya secondary school"

Biography The future designer was born in the village of Kurya, Altai Territory. He was the seventeenth child in a large peasant family, in which nineteen children were born and eight survived. Father - Kalashnikov Timofey Alexandrovich (1883-1930). Mother - Kalashnikova Alexandra Frolovna (1884-1957). Childhood

Full name: Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeevich. Date of Birth: November 10, 1919. Place of birth: s. Kurya, Altai province, RSFSR. Date of death: December 23, 2013 (94 years old). Type of troops: Armed forces RF. Years of service: 1938-2013 Rank: Lieutenant General Battle: Great Patriotic War

In 1930, the family of Timofey Aleksandrovich Kalashnikov, recognized as kulak, was exiled from the Altai Territory to the Tomsk region, the village of Nizhnyaya Makhovaya. Since childhood, Mikhail Timofeevich was interested in technology, studying with interest the structure and operating principles of various mechanisms. At school I was interested in physics, geometry and literature.

Wartime In the fall of 1938, he was drafted into the Red Army in the Kiev Special Military District. After the course for junior commanders, he received the specialty of a tank driver and served in the 12th Tank Division in Stryi (Western Ukraine). Already there he showed his inventive abilities - he developed an inertial counter for shots from a tank cannon, an adaptation for a TT pistol to increase the efficiency of firing through slots in the tank turret, and a counter for the service life of a tank.

The Great Patriotic War He began the Great Patriotic War in August 1941 as a tank commander with the rank of senior sergeant, and in October he was seriously wounded near Bryansk. In the hospital, I really got excited about the idea of ​​​​creating my own model of automatic weapons. “I began to make sketches and drawings, comparing and analyzing my own impressions of the battles, the opinions of my comrades in arms, and the contents of the books in the hospital library.”

The first sample of an assault rifle In 1941, Mikhail Timofeevich created the first sample of a submachine gun. In 1944, he created a prototype of a self-loading carbine, which partially served as a prototype for the creation of an assault rifle.

The beginning of the creation of AKM Since 1945, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov began developing automatic 7.62 mm weapons

Adoption into service In 1947, the Kalashnikov assault rifle wins the competition and is adopted into service.

Production of AK 74 By May 20, 1949, 1,500 assault rifles were produced, they successfully passed military tests and were adopted by the Soviet Army. In the same year, the creator of the machine gun was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree and the Order of the Red Star.

7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-47

5.45 mm Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle

AKMS – AKM with folding stock

AKS – 74 UB

PKMS on Stepanov's machine

PC on bipod

Assignment doctorate In 1971, based on the totality of research and design work and inventions, Kalashnikov was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences. He is an academician of 16 different Russian and foreign academies. Has 35 copyright certificates for inventions.

Professional growth In 1969, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was awarded the military rank of colonel; In 1994, the military rank of major general; In 1999, the military rank of lieutenant general.

M. T. Kalashnikov considered his most important award to be the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - Patron of Russia.

The last years of his life In 2012, Mikhail Timofeevich’s health began to deteriorate due to his advanced age. In December he was hospitalized at the Republican Clinical Diagnostic Center (RCDC) of Udmurtia for a routine examination. By the beginning of the summer of 2013, the designer’s condition worsened again. In Moscow, Mikhail Timofeevich was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov died on December 23, 2013. Shortly before his death, he was transferred to intensive care with a diagnosis of stomach bleeding. Mikhail Timofeevich was buried at the Federal War Memorial Cemetery.

Created weapons Assault rifles Machine guns Carbines AK AKN AKM AKMS AKMSU AKMN AKMSN AKS74UN AKS74UB AK-101 (5.56 mm) AK-102 (5.56 mm) AK-103 (7.62 mm) AK-104 (7.62 mm) AK-105 (5.45 mm) RPK RPKS RPK74 RPKS74 PK (1961) PKS (1961) PKM (1969) PKMS PKT PKB (7.62 mm) PKMB RPK74 RPKS74 "Saiga" with optical sight (7.62 mm) " Saiga 5.6" Saiga 5.6C" Saiga-410" Saiga-20"

Peaceful skies to all of you!

In the ranks of the Red Army. After graduating from the school of tank driver mechanics, he served in the Kiev Special Military District. In the army, he developed an inertial counter to record the actual number of shots fired from a tank cannon, made a special device for a TT pistol to increase the efficiency of firing through slits in the tank turret, and created a device for measuring the service life of a tank engine.

For the latest invention, the commander of the Kyiv Military District, General Georgy Zhukov, awarded Kalashnikov a personalized watch.

In June 1941, Kalashnikov was sent to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) to put the invention into production.

Mikhail Kalashnikov began the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) in August 1941 as a tank commander. In October 1941, in the battles near Bryansk, he was seriously wounded. While on six-month leave for health reasons, Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov developed his first model of a submachine gun.

Among the numerous awards of Mikhail Kalashnikov are three Orders of Lenin, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, October revolution, Red Banner of Labor, Friendship of Peoples, Patriotic War I degree, Red Star, medals. Mikhail Kalashnikov is a holder of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Kalashnikov was an honorary member (academician) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, and the Russian Academy of Engineering; full member - academician of the International Academy of Sciences, Industry, Education and Art of the USA, International Academy of Informatization, honorary professor of Izhevsk State Technical University, and a number of other major scientific institutions.

Mikhail Kalashnikov wrote several books of memoirs: “Notes of a gunsmith designer” (1992), “From someone else’s threshold to the Spassky Gate” (1997), “I walked the same road with you: Memoirs” (1999), “Kalashnikov: the trajectory of fate” (2004), “In the whirlwind of my life” (2007), “Everything you need is simple” (2009). He was a member of the Russian Writers' Union.

Since 2002, the Interregional Public Fund named after M.T. has existed in Izhevsk. Kalashnikov, who is working to popularize the activities of the famous designer and other Russian gunsmiths.

In 2012, the name of Mikhail Kalashnikov was assigned to Izhevsk State Technical University.

In August 2013, NPO Izhmash joined OJSC Concern Kalashnikov.

On November 15, 2013, in the designer’s native village of Kurya, it received the status of a branch of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore.

Mikhail Kalashnikov was married, his wife Ekaterina Kalashnikova (1921-1977) worked as a design technician and helped her husband carry out drawing work.

Four children were born into their family: daughters Nellie (1942), Elena (1948), Natalya (1953-1983), son Victor (1942).

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Who knows the history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle? But this is a legendary machine gun, used by most countries around the world. It is not only one of the most popular small arms, but also one of the most significant inventions of the twentieth century. During the existence of the AK-47, more than fifty million modifications of this machine gun have already been produced. A legendary weapon that has received recognition from most countries of the world. The history of the creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle will be told to the reader in the article.

Creator of the AK-47 small arms gun

Who invented the Kalashnikov assault rifle? This was done by the famous weapons designer and developer - M. T. Kalashnikov. Being a lieutenant general, he was also a Doctor of Technical Sciences, in Soviet time- member of the CPSU, participant in military operations, winner of many medals, awards and orders, public figure, deputy who received the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov is a native of the Altai Territory, born in a large, large family November 10, 1919. WITH early years was interested in studying the action of various mechanisms. One day, after graduating from school, the young man independently disassembled a Browning pistol in order to familiarize himself and study the weapon in detail.

Upon reaching the age of 19 he was called up to army service, where he received the specialty of a tank driver.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov began to show his inventive talent during his service. One of his first developments was an inertial recorder that counted the number of shots fired from a tank's cannon. Then for several months he was fascinated by the development of a tank engine life meter. The result exceeded all expectations - the invention worked accurately, accurately recording the operation of the engine.

During the Great Patriotic War he was a tank commander, but in the fall of 1941 he was seriously wounded. It was during treatment that he began to make the first sketches of automatic weapons. He developed his idea, taking into account his own impressions received during the battles, studied specialized literature, and listened to the opinions of his colleagues. This activity captivated the talented young man so much that within a few months he developed his first sample. firearms. Although the submachine gun sample was not recommended for mass production for a number of technical reasons, the great Soviet scientist in the field of mechanics A. A. Blagonravov noted the originality of the idea, as well as the design of the sample itself.

Kalashnikov began developing the assault rifle in 1945. After several years of design, modifications, and combat testing, Kalashnikov automatic systems were adequately assessed and recommended for army weapons. For the greatest development of national importance the one who invented the Kalashnikov assault rifle received first degree, and was also awarded the honorary Order of the Red Star.

Development history

In what year was the Kalashnikov assault rifle created? In 1943, for the rifle cartridge supplied for armament, the caliber of which was 7.62 mm, it was necessary weapon. The development of weapons specifically for a cartridge of this caliber began on a competitive basis. The main task was to surpass analogues and create a worthy replacement

Among competition works There were other successful projects by famous developers, but Mikhail Kalashnikov’s automatic system (also known as the AK-47) according to the results of the competition surpassed its competitors in design, as well as production cost.

In 1948, Mikhail Kalashnikov went to the Izhevsk motorcycle plant to produce a test batch. automatic systems in order to test them through military tests. A year later, serial production of the AK-47 started at the machine-building plant in the city of Izhevsk. By the following year, the AK entered service with the army of the Soviet Union.

Design

Main parts of the AK, their purpose:

1. A rifled barrel of an assault rifle, including a bullet entrance, as well as a chamber. Directs the flight of the bullet.
2. The receiver is designed to connect the mechanisms into a single structure.
3. The butt contains a specially created socket where a pencil case with tools for cleaning the weapon is placed.
4. Sights, consisting of a sector sight and a front sight, are necessary for direct control of the location of the barrel channel relative to the aiming point. They are used to point the firearm at the target while firing. The position of the front sight is easy to change to adjust the location of the midpoint.
5. Lid (removable) receiver prevents damage to internal mechanisms.
6. The bolt carrier, connected to a gas piston, is one of the main elements of a firearm, actuating the bolt element and also triggering the trigger mechanism.
7. The bolt closes the barrel channel before firing. Advances the cartridge from the magazine directly into the chamber. Also on the shutter is special mechanism, which is used to extract spent cartridge case from the chamber or cartridge (if a misfire occurs).
8. The return mechanism, thanks to a special spring, returns the bolt frame to its extreme forward position.
9. A gas tube with a barrel lining regulates the direction of movement of the gas piston using directional ribs.
10. The trigger mechanism includes a trigger, a spring trigger retarder, a trigger, a spring automatic release, a sear, and a translator. Provides de-cocking and switching from single to continuous fire. Using this mechanism, you can stop shooting and also fix the safety.
11. The handguard is necessary for comfortable holding of the weapon during combat shooting; it serves the function of protecting hands from contact with hot metal, thereby preventing burns.
12. The magazine is box-type and holds three dozen rounds. Thanks to the spring, the cartridges move directly into the receiver.
13. The bayonet-knife is attached for use during close combat.
14. The muzzle brake is a special compensating device designed to increase the stability of the weapon during a shot. Partially removes powder gases when firing, thereby significantly reducing barrel recoil. Helps increase accuracy when firing in bursts (appeared in the AKM version).

Most young men can easily list the main parts of an AK-47, since assembling the machine gun in a certain time is a mandatory part school course military basic training.

The total number of AK elements is about a hundred parts.

Specifications

The first version of the AK-47 was distinguished by the following main characteristics:

• The weight of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is 4.8 kg (not including the bayonet).
• The length of the automatic system was 870 mm (including the knife - 1070 mm).
• (initial) - 715 meters per second.
• Barrel caliber - 7.62 mm.
• Cartridge - 7.62 x 39 mm.
• The Kalashnikov assault rifle magazine consists of thirty rounds.

Rate of fire:

• when firing in bursts - 100 rounds in one minute;
• when firing single cartridges - 40 rounds in one minute;
• technical rate of fire is approximately 600 rounds per minute.

Shooting performance:

• maximum bullet flight - 3 km;
• lethal shot range - 1500 meters;
• direct shot range - 350 meters.

Modifications

The history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle contains information that the very first version designed by Mikhail Timofeevich during the competition was the AK-46. This version weapons was invented in 1946, but after a detailed study and a series of combat tests, this model was found unsuitable.

However, the creation of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the next year, 1947, was the year of development of the famous AK-47.

Together with AK, by 1949 they adopted a folding version of the AK - AKS, created for troops, into service with the Soviet Army special purpose.

Then, since 1959, the history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle moves to a new stage. The AK-47 is being replaced by the modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle (AKM). From the same year, it was the AKM that became the most common version of the Kalashnikov. Compared to previous models, the AKM has improved firing range, the shape of the butt has been changed, a muzzle brake-compensator has been added, the weight has also been reduced, and a bayonet has been added. Along with this model, a modification of the AKMN was released, which has a night optical sight.

Together with the AKM, the armament was replenished with a similar model, but the stock of which is folding - AKMS. In addition to this version, there was also AKMSN, that is, a night version with a special optical sight.

Over the next few years, the development of an automatic system for use with a 5.45 x 39 mm cartridge was actively underway. By 1974, a new modification entered service - the AK-74 and AK-74N (a model that includes night and optical sight). Special development for special forces was a new version AKS-74, that is, a model with a folding butt, another model was called AKS-74N - a night modification with an optical sight.

By 1979, specifically for weapons airborne troops A shortened version of the AKS-74 appeared - AKS-74U and AKS-74UN, containing fasteners for a night and optical sight.

In 1991, a modernized AK-74 called AK-74M entered service with the army. The unique machine, released into mass production, managed to replace several models at the same time.

It was the AK-74M version that became the base version for the development of the entire 100th series.

The 100th AK series represents various versions of the AK-74M, designed for export. For deliveries to other countries, only automatic systems of the 100th series are now used, since this series is superior to the previous ones in terms of material quality and modernity technological process, improved shooting characteristics.

The newest modern fifth-generation model is the AK-12 model. This sample appeared in 2012.

Record holder of the Guinness Book of Records

The Kalashnikov assault rifle, the dimensions of which you already know, occupies one of the leading roles in the weapons industry. For its reliability, it has won well-deserved unconditional recognition from most countries of the world. Together with all its modifications, it occupies more than 15% of small arms around the world, which is why it is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most common weapon.

AK outside Russia

Within a few years of the AK-47's adoption, production licenses were granted to approximately two dozen countries. The license was transferred mainly to states that were allies under the famous Warsaw Pact. Also, by that time, more than a dozen countries began to produce AKs without the appropriate license.

There are about 100 million different variations of the Kalashnikov assault rifle around the world.

Use in battles

The first combat use of the AK occurred during the suppression of protests in the fall of 1956 in Hungary. Then it was a symbol of the Vietnam War and was actively used by soldiers of the Vietnamese People's Army.

However, the rapid spread of the Kalashnikov assault rifle system around the world occurred during the war in Afghanistan, when the CIA actively supplied armed forces with it.

And then, thanks to its reliability and ease of operation, Iraqi soldiers chose the AK-47 instead of the M16 during military operations in their country.

AK as a civilian weapon

Various variants of the Kalashnikov automatic system are very popular among civilian weapons, especially among those countries where gun laws are quite liberal.

At the time of the appearance of the very first AK models in the United States of America, it was allowed to own automatic weapons. Later a law was passed prohibiting sales similar weapons civilians, but this did not apply to guns officially registered before 1986. That's why some people still own combat AK models.

As for most countries around the world, the storage of such automatic systems is prohibited by law. Those who own AKs illegally purchase them for How much does a Kalashnikov assault rifle cost? The price of an AK varies depending on the modification. So how much does a Kalashnikov assault rifle cost approximately? According to unofficial data, the price of an AK on the black market is around $1,000 (about 55,000 rubles).

AK at the present time

Over time, the Kalashnikov assault rifle (weight, dimensions and other specifications were presented to your attention in the article) has been subject to many critical reviews from leading experts, its shortcomings are increasingly being discussed, many call the model frankly outdated. During its existence (and this is already more than 60 years), the requirements for weapon systems in general have changed, modern world, of course, dictates new rules, demanding improvement and modernization.

However, despite the shortcomings discovered over time, the history of the Kalashnikov assault rifle continues. He is rightfully considered legendary weapons. Having gained a reputation as a simply reliable machine gun, it is undoubtedly still for a long time will be in deserved demand. They continue to copy it, improve it, and refine its characteristics. Monuments are erected to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, depicted on coats of arms, considered a symbol of good luck and even depicted on coins. Its recognition occurred all over the world, and, undoubtedly, the AK left an indelible mark on the weapons history of not only Russia, but also most foreign countries.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was born on November 10, 1919 in the village of Kurya, Altai Territory, into a large peasant family.

Father - Kalashnikov Timofey Alexandrovich (1883-1930).

Mother - Kalashnikova Alexandra Frolovna (1884-1957).

In 1930, the family was dispossessed and exiled to the Tomsk region, the village of Nizhnyaya Mokhovaya.

Until 1936, Mikhail Kalashnikov studied at school. At the end of the 7th grade, he went to work as a technical secretary of the political department of the 3rd branch of the Turkestan-Siberian Railway.

In 1938, Mikhail was drafted into the army. He served in the Kiev Special Military District, in a tank regiment, where he took a course as a tank driver. The regiment was stationed in the city of Stary.

While serving in the army, M. T. Kalashnikov developed a recorder for the number of shots fired from a tank gun and a counter for the service life of a tank engine, work on which took several months. During the test, the device operated confidently and accurately recorded engine operation under load and at Idling. As a result, the business trip decided to organize its mass production. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Mikhail Timofeevich was in Leningrad, at plant No. 174 named after. K.E. Voroshilov, where the device was tested.

Since September 1941, Kalashnikov has taken part in combat operations as the commander of the T-34 tank. In October 1941, in the battles near Bryansk, he was seriously wounded and seriously concussed. For two weeks he escaped encirclement with his comrades, after which he was sent to a front-line hospital in Trubchevsk, near Bryansk, and later evacuated to a hospital in the city of Yeletsk.

In the hospital ward, M. T. Kalashnikov was relentlessly pursued by the idea of ​​​​developing a new submachine gun, the need for which was the only thing the soldiers in the hospital were talking about. He used the recovery leave provided for further treatment to implement this plan in the railway workshops of the Matai station (Kazakhstan), where he worked for some time before the war. Within 3 months, Kalashnikov managed to produce the first sample of a submachine gun, which was finalized through the joint efforts of the inventor and teachers, craftsmen in the training and production workshops of the Moscow Aviation Institute, evacuated to Alma-Ata.

The first weapons specialist to evaluate the prototype was the head of the Artillery Academy named after. Dzerzhinsky, professor, Major General A. A. Blagonravov. Anatoly Arkadyevich identified design flaws, but also noted the talent of the novice developer. He recommended sending M. T. Kalashnikov for technical studies (this was in July 1942). This is how Mikhail Timofeevich ended up at the scientific testing site for small arms and mortar weapons (NIPSMVO) of the Moscow Military District. There, the submachine gun underwent full-scale testing, but due to the high cost of production and certain shortcomings, it did not enter service.

Until 1944, M.T. Kalashnikov, in addition to the submachine gun, developed a light machine gun and a self-loading carbine. These samples also did not enter service, but the work on them enriched the designer with considerable experience, which instilled confidence in success.

In 1945, M.T Kalashnikov took part in a competition to develop an assault rifle chambered for the 1943 model. Based on the results of competitive tests in 1947, the AK-47 assault rifle was recommended for adoption by the Soviet Army.

In 1948, the young designer was sent to the Izhevsk Motor Plant, where a pilot batch of an assault rifle was being manufactured for military testing. Then Kalashnikov did not even think that he would “settle” in this city, which was still little known to him, which later became his home.

In September 1949, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was sent to the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant for serial production of the AK-47 assault rifle, and was assigned to the staff of the chief designer's department.

Subsequently, the AK-47 was supplemented with: a modernized AKM assault rifle of 7.62 mm caliber. and a modernized assault rifle with a folding stock - AKMS. After switching to 5.45 mm caliber. appeared big family Kalashnikov assault rifles: AK-74, AKS-74U, AK-74M.

Mikhail Timofeevich is also known as a designer of machine guns. Among his developments:

• RPK and RPKS light machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber with a folding stock;
• RPK-74 and RPKS-74 light machine guns of 5.45 mm caliber. with folding stock.

In the early 1960s. A sample of a single machine gun chambered for a 7.62x54mm rifle cartridge was put into service.

In total, the Kalashnikov design bureau created more than a hundred samples of military weapons.

As for the main brainchild of the designer - the Kalashnikov assault rifle, it is recognized as the invention of the century. This assessment was given by the French newspaper Libération, which compiled a list of outstanding inventions of the 20th century - from aspirin to atomic bomb. The famous Israeli designer Uziel Gal once told him: “You are the most unsurpassed and authoritative designer among us.”

According to foreign experts, by the beginning of 1996, from 70 to 100 million samples of the machine gun were manufactured in the world. It is used in 100 countries around the world. The Kalashnikov assault rifle entered state symbols a number of countries - depicted on banners and coats of arms.

For the creation of the AK-47, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was awarded the Stalin (State) Prize of the first degree. For the development of a unified light machine gun the designer was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. In 1964 he was awarded the Lenin Prize. After 34 years, M. T. Kalashnikov again became a laureate of the State Prize. In 1976, Mikhail Timofeevich was awarded the second Gold Medal “Hammer and Sickle”. Among his awards are three Orders of Lenin, “For Services to the Fatherland” II degree, Order of the October Revolution, Red Banner of Labor, Friendship of Peoples, Patriotic War I degree, Red Star, and many medals. M. T. Kalashnikov is a holder of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Worker of Industry of the USSR, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the Udmurt Republic, Honorary Member (Academician) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, Russian Academy of Engineering, full member of the Petrovsky Academy of Arts and Arts, International Academy of Sciences, industry, education and art of the USA, the International Academy of Informatization, the Union of Designers of Russia, and a number of other major scientific institutions; Honorary citizen of the Udmurt Republic, the city of Izhevsk, the village of Kurya, Altai Territory.

M. T. Kalashnikov published four books of memoirs: “Notes of a gunsmith designer” (1992), “From someone else’s threshold to the Spassky Gate” (1997), “I walked the same road with you” (1999), "The Trajectory of Fate" (2004). He is a member of the Russian Writers' Union.

Wife, Ekaterina Viktorovna Kalashnikova (1921-1977) - design technician, performed drawing work for Mikhail Timofeevich.

Daughters: Nellie Mikhailovna (born 1942), Elena Mikhailovna (born 1948), Natalya Mikhailovna (1953-1983). Son - Viktor Mikhailovich (born 1942).

). From childhood he was interested in technology, studying with interest the structure and principles of operation of various mechanisms. At school I was interested in physics, geometry and literature. After finishing the seventh grade, with the permission of his parents, he returned to Altai, to Kurya, but was unable to get a job. After studying there for another year, he decided to return to his mother and stepfather, where he received a passport by forging the seal of the local commandant’s office on the certificate (the son of a kulak was not entitled to a certificate).

A few months later, after returning to Kurya again, I became familiar with the design of a weapon for the first time, disassembling a Browning pistol with my own hands. At the age of 18, he left his native village and moved to the Alma-Ata region of the Kazakh SSR, where he began working as an accountant at the depot of the Matai station of the Turkestan-Siberian Railway. Communication with machinists, turners, and depot mechanics strengthened Mikhail’s interest in technology and aroused the desire to do something himself.

Military service

In the fall of 1938, he was drafted into the Red Army in the Kiev Special Military District. After the course for junior commanders, he received the specialty of a tank driver and served in the 12th Tank Division in Stryi (Western Ukraine). Already there he showed his inventive abilities - he developed an inertial counter for shots from a tank cannon, an adaptation for a TT pistol to increase the efficiency of firing through slots in the tank turret, and a counter for the service life of a tank. A tank metering device was the first invention of the young tankman Kalashnikov, recommended for mass production back in 1940, but they did not have time to organize it. The last invention was quite significant, as evidenced by the fact that Kalashnikov was summoned to report about it to the commander of the Kyiv Special Military District, Army General Georgy Zhukov. After a conversation with the commander, it is sent to the Kiev Tank Technical School for the production of prototypes, and after completion of tests, to Moscow for comparative tests and then to the Leningrad Voroshilov Plant, for modification and launch into series.

The Great Patriotic War

At the direction of the doctors, he was sent on a six-month leave for rehabilitation. Returning to Matai, with the help of depot specialists, three months later he created a prototype of his first model of a submachine gun. From Matai he was sent to Alma-Ata, where he produced a more advanced model in training workshops, evacuated to the capital of Kazakhstan. Later, the sample was presented to the head of the Military Engineering Academy named after. F. E. Dzerzhinsky to A. A. Blagonravov - an outstanding scientist in the field of small arms.

Although Blagonravov's review was generally negative, he noted the originality of the development and recommended that Senior Sergeant Kalashnikov be sent for further training. Later, the Kalashnikov submachine gun was presented to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) of the Red Army. Noting some shortcomings and a generally successful design, GAU specialists did not recommend adopting the Kalashnikov SMG for service for technological reasons. The conclusion read:

Since 1942, Kalashnikov worked at the Central Research Site for Small Arms and Mortars (NIPSMVO) of the GAU RKKA. Here in 1944 he created a prototype of a self-loading carbine, which, although it did not go into production, partially served as a prototype for the creation of an assault rifle.

After the war

Since 1945, Mikhail Kalashnikov began developing automatic weapons chambered for the 7.62×39 intermediate cartridge of the 1943 model. The Kalashnikov assault rifle won the 1947 competition and was adopted for service. During development, he gets to know his future wife- draftsman of the Degtyarev Design Bureau Ekaterina Moiseeva.

In 1948, on the orders of the Chief Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov, Mikhail Kalashnikov was sent to the Izhevsk Motor Plant for his authorial participation in the creation technical documentation and organizing the production of the first pilot batch of his AK assault rifle. By May 20, 1949, the task was completed: 1,500 machine guns manufactured at the Motozavod successfully passed military tests and were adopted by the Soviet Army. In the same year, the creator of the machine gun was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree and the Order of the Red Star.

Much later, in 2009, Kalashnikov, in an interview with a journalist from the Metro Moscow newspaper, explained the secret of the success of his machine gun:

In 1971, based on a combination of research and design work and inventions, Kalashnikov was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences. He is an academician of 16 different Russian and foreign academies. Has 35 copyright certificates for inventions. Contrary to popular opinion among non-specialists, he did not remain a sergeant in active service: in 1956 he was awarded the rank of “technical lieutenant”, and 10 years later - major of technical service. In 1967, Mikhail Kalashnikov was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel in the reserves, and two years later, colonel; in 1994 the rank of major general, in 1999 the rank of lieutenant general.

In 1990, Mikhail Timofeevich, during a visit to the United States at the invitation of Edward Izzell, a weapons historian, met with Eugene Stoner, the creator of the main competitor of the AK, the M16 assault rifle. In the USA, Kalashnikov was greeted like a movie star, even though almost no one in the world knew his face.

Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov paid great attention to the Culture of Memory: in 2000, he was a guest of the editorial staff of the Requiem magazine. His wish to journalists and readers:

« Love and read the History of your Motherland, our dear Russia. Don't forget its heroes - both leaders and ordinary soldiers. Memory is a gift that distinguishes Man from animals...»

Illness and death

In 2012, Mikhail Timofeevich’s health began to deteriorate due to his advanced age. According to Kalashnikov's reviewer Nikolai Shklyaev, the designer felt worse in March 2012, after which he stopped working. In December he was hospitalized at the Republican Clinical Diagnostic Center (RCDC) of Udmurtia for a routine examination