AK 47's designer mikhail kalashnikov celebrates his 90th birthday

kalashnikov AK rifle, as manufactured between 1949 and 1951

renowned small arms designer mikhail kalashnikov marks his 90th jubilee in izhevsk, russia, where he has been living and working for more than half a century. an all- russian fair opens tommorow on this occasion. demonstration firing from kalashnikov-developed weapon systems will be held within the framework of the fair.

a ceremonial meeting and a gala concert are to be held on wednesday, november 11.

first model, disassembled

the kalashnikov assault rifle, also known to the west as the AK-47 (avtomat kalashnikova – 47, kalashnikov automatic rifle, model of 1947), and its derivatives, also known under the common name of AK, is the most prolific small arm of the 2nd half of the XX century. it had been and still is (in more or less modified form) manufactured in dozens of countries, and used in hundreds of countries and conflicts since its introduction. the total number of the AK-type rifles made worldwide during the last 60 years is estimated at 90+ millions. this legendary weapon is known for its extreme ruggedness, simplicity of operation and maintenance, and unsurpassed reliability even in worst conditions possible. it is used not only as a military weapon, but also as a platform for numerous sporting civilian rifles and shotguns (saiga semiautomatic shotguns, for example). the AK-47 is an amalgam of previously known features and solutions, combined in the most effective way. the effectiveness, however, depends on the criteria used to measure it, and the key criteria were: reliability, simplicity of operation and maintenance, suitability for mass production. there never was any significant demand for good ergonomics or superb accuracy, though.

kalashnikov has the military rank of lieutenant-general. he went through a way from a self-taught-inventor and while in hospital, mikhail timofeevitch concieved the idea of a submachine gun. he became the general designer of small arms in the soviet army.

mikhail timofeyevich kalashnikov was born in the village of kurya, altai guberniya (region), on november 10, 1919.

during the war of 1941-1945, kalashnikov fought at the bryansk front. it was there that he conceived the idea of developing small arms that would be in no way ‘inferior to the german ones’. however, his famous AK-47 submachine-gun was launched into production in izhevsk only in 1949. subsequently, a whole family of automatic small arms has been developed here. the characteristics of many of them still remain unsurpassed up to now.

over 60 years of work, kalashnikov advanced in his career up to the position of chief designer of small arms at the izhmach company.

more than 100 million kalashnikov rifles have now been sold worldwide, unfortunately for him, mr kalashnikov won no royalties in the communist system, while licensing agreements between the soviet union and its allies across the globe mean that almost 90 per cent of his rifles are now not produced in russia.