Read an essay on the history of Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeevich

Political views

Since 2001, he has been a member of the United Russia party.

During the election campaign in the city of Togliatti, Samara region in 2011, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation disseminated information in its materials, including on city billboards, that Kalashnikov in the Pravda newspaper of October 20, 2011 spoke about the Communist Party in the following way:

This information and the image of Mikhail Kalashnikov were used as election campaigning, in particular by the namesake of the designer, a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Leonid Kalashnikov. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation claimed that they had permission from Mikhail Kalashnikov with the personal signature and seal of the designer.

However, Mikhail Kalashnikov himself filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office of the Samara region and the Central Election Commission against the actions of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation regarding the violation of his rights. The press center of the Samara prosecutor's office stated that "the applicant did not give consent to the use of the image in campaign materials, no one asked him to give such consent."

During this conflict, journalist and member of the United Russia party Alexander Khinshtein stated that the alleged permit documents did not bear Kalashnikov’s signature, but a stamp cliché, accusing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation of either forging documents or forgery. He added that Mikhail Kalashnikov, in addition to being a member of the United Russia party since 2001 and a co-founder of the Udmurt regional branch of the party, is an active supporter of their party, attending almost all congresses, speaking out for 10 years in support of the course of Vladimir Putin and giving consent to the Udmurt branch to use his statements and image in support of United Russia. According to Khinshtein, Kalashnikov is still a supporter of their party, and the actions of the communists surprised him.

Recognition and awards

Lifetime monument to Mikhail Kalashnikov in Izhevsk.
Sculptor Vladimir Kurochkin

4.1. Orders

1949 - Order of the Red Star
1957 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor
1958, 1969, 1976 - Order of Lenin (three times)
1974 - Order of the October Revolution
1982 - Order of Friendship of Peoples
1985 - Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
1994 - Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree - for outstanding services in the field of creating automatic small arms and a significant contribution to the defense of the Fatherland
1998 - Order of St. Andrew the First-Called - for outstanding contribution to the defense of the Fatherland
1999 - Order of Honor, (Belarus) - for outstanding services in the development of unique models of small arms, a great personal contribution to strengthening the defense potential of the Union of Belarus and Russia and in connection with the 80th anniversary
2003 - Order of Dostyk, I degree (Kazakhstan)
2004 - Order of Military Merit - for a great personal contribution to the development of new types of weapons and strengthening the country's defense
2005 - Order of the "Ruby Cross" (International Charitable Foundation "Patrons of the Century").
2006 - Order of the Star of Carabobo (Venezuela)
2007 - Order of the Holy Right-Believing Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy II degree (ROC)
2009 - Order of Merit for the Altai Territory, 1st class.

4.2. Medals

2009 - Gold Star medal
1958, 1976 - Hammer and Sickle Medal (twice)
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Medal "In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"
Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Zhukov medal
Medal "For distinction in the protection of the state border of the USSR"
Medal "Veteran of Labour" on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Jubilee medal "30 years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
Jubilee medal "40 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee medal "50 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee medal "60 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Jubilee medal "70 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
Medal "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow"
2007 - Medal "Symbol of Science"
V. G. Shukhov Gold Medal
Medal "For outstanding contribution to the development of collections in Russia"

4.3. Prizes

1948 - Stalin Prize
1949 - Stalin Prize
1964 - Lenin Prize
1997 - State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of design
2003 - Prize of the President of the Russian Federation in the field of education
2009 - Laureate of the All-Russian Literary Prize named after A. V. Suvorov.

4.4. Thanks

1997 - Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
1999 - Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
2002 - Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
2007 - Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation

4.5. Certificates

1997 - Honorary diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation
1999 - Honorary diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation
2004 - "Honorary Engineer of Kazakhstan" (Kazakhstan)

4.6. Other honors

1980 - in the homeland of M. T. Kalashnikov in the village of Kurye, a lifetime bronze bust was installed for him.
1997 - Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of the Altai Territory".
1997 - the award of the Ministry of Economy of Russia was established - the Badge "Designer of small arms M. T. Kalashnikov"
1999 - The Union of Scientific and Engineering Organizations and the Government of Udmurtia established the M. T. Kalashnikov Prize
1999 - Alrosa diamond company mined on December 29, 1995, a gem diamond weighing 50.74 carats was given the name "Designer Mikhail Kalashnikov" (size 14.5x15.0x15.5 mm, Stones Black quality)
2002 - Votkinsk Cadet School named after M. T. Kalashnikov
2002 - a prize named after him was established at the School of Weaponry in Izhevsk
2004 - the State Cultural Institution "Museum of M. T. Kalashnikov" was opened in Izhevsk
2009 - Mikhail Kalashnikov received as a gift from President Hugo Chavez the highest award of the republic - a copy of the famous sword of Simon Bolivar, which is a relic of Venezuela and the presentation of a copy is equivalent to the country's highest award.
The name of Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was awarded to the audience at the military department of the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg.

Contribution to the development of weapons code

Automatic machines | the code

Main article: Kalashnikov assault rifle

In the early 1950s, lightweight AK and AKN assault rifles with a night vision device (7.62 mm) were created. In 1959, AK 7.62 mm, AKM (Modernized Kalashnikov), AKMS with a folding butt and their modifications: AKMN, AKMSN with a night vision sight (7.62 mm) were adopted.

In the 1970s, the production of a new set of weapons of 5.45 mm caliber designed by Kalashnikov began: AK-74, AK-74N with a night vision sight, AK-74 with a grenade launcher, AKS-74 with a folding butt (adopted into service in 1974) , AKS-74U shortened with a folding butt was developed on the basis of the AKS-74 (adopted for service in 1979), and its modifications with the night sight AKS-74UN, AKS-74UB with a silent firing device (PBS) and a silent underbarrel grenade launcher. In 1991, the AK-74M caliber 5.45 mm and its modifications with optical and night sights (AK-74MP, AK-74MN) were put into service and put into mass production. All Kalashnikov assault rifles can be equipped with bayonet-knives, PBS and grenade launchers. In 2012, the AK-12 was created.

Main article: Kalashnikov assault rifles of the "hundredth series"

In the 1990s, the development of a new "hundredth" series of the Kalashnikov assault rifle under the most common cartridges in the world (7.62 × 39 mm, 5.56 × 45 mm NATO, as well as the Russian 5.45 × 39 mm) developed on the basis of AK -74M: 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), as well as completely new AK-107 (5.45 mm) and AK-108 (5.56 mm), designed with a balanced automation system, developed on the basis of AK-74M and AK-101, respectively.

Machine guns | the code

Since the mid-1950s, machine guns have also been developed: in 1959, the Kalashnikov light machine gun (RPK) was adopted, in 1963 - the RPKS with a folding butt and with a night vision sight, later - RPK-74 and RPKS-74.

Kalashnikov machine guns are also in service - PK (1961), PKS (1961), PKM (1969) PKMS - in the easel version, adopted for service in 1969, in 1962 the Kalashnikov tank machine gun (PKT) 7.62 mm was adopted - a tank machine gun and its modernized modification PKTM, as well as an armored machine gun PKB (7.62 mm) and PKMB.

In the 1970s, the production of a new weapon complex was launched: RPK-74 (created on the basis of AK-74), RPKS-74 with a folding butt, RPK-74M and modifications with a night sight RPK-74N. The development of 5.45 mm weapons turned out to be time-consuming and technologically complex, however, mass production was established.

Hunting rifles | the code

Main article: Saiga (firearms)

In the 1970s, the first industrial batch of self-loading hunting carbines based on the AK was manufactured, but only with the start of conversion in the 1980s did they return to the development of rifled and smooth-bore hunting weapons based on the AK.

In 1992, the production of the Saiga self-loading hunting carbine with a telescopic sight (7.62 mm) was launched, then the Saiga 5.6 and Saiga 5.6S carbines were developed for the 5.6 × 39 mm hunting cartridge, as well "Saiga-12", "Saiga-410", "Saiga-20" and others.

Pistols | the code

In the early 50s, Mikhail Timofeevich tried his hand at creating an automatic pistol chambered for 9x18 PM. The Kalashnikov automatic pistol did not seriously compete with the Stechkin pistol and did not even reach field tests, since M. T. Kalashnikov during the period of creation, testing and adoption of the APS was completely occupied with the main subject - an assault rifle and a machine gun. The gun appeared, and in several versions that differ from each other. One of the pistols is kept in the funds of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps in St. Petersburg.

Family

Vladimir Putin with his daughter and son Mikhail Kalashnikov, December 27, 2013

Family of M. T. Kalashnikov:

Father - Timofey Alexandrovich Kalashnikov (Kalashnik) (1883-1930) - a peasant, was born in the village of Slavgorod, Akhtyrsky district, Kharkov province (now Sumy region). He left with his parents for the Kuban (Otradnoe), where he got married. 10 years later, in 1912, he left with his family for the Altai under the Stolypin agrarian reform.
Mother - Alexandra Frolovna Kalashnikova (1884-1957) - was born in the Oryol province in a large family of wealthy peasants.
Grandfather - Karlis Kalashniks (1832-1904) - a Latvian peasant. He met Mikhail's grandmother in Liepaja, after which he moved to Slavgorod in 1875. One of the streets of Liepaja is named after him.
The first wife - Ekaterina Danilovna Astakhova - a native of the Altai Territory, worked in the railway depot of the Matai station
- son - Victor
  Grandchildren: Mikhail and Alexander
  
  (1942-2018) - in 1956, after the death of his mother, his father takes him from Kazakhstan to his place in Izhevsk
Second wife - Ekaterina Viktorovna Kalashnikova (Moiseeva) (1921-1977) - a design engineer by profession
- daughter Nelli Mikhailovna (1942) - daughter of Ekaterina Viktorovna
- Daughter: Elena Kalashnikova (1948) - President of the M. T. Kalashnikov Interregional Public Fund (since 2002)
- Daughter: Natalya (1953-1983).