New Delhi: The Russian designer of the AK-47 assault rifle Mikhail Kalashnikov has been honoured at the Kremlin in a ceremony to celebrate his 90th birthday.
His invention has killed countless people over the past 60 years but he's considered a national treasure in Russia. The country's President marked Mikhail Kalashnikov's 90th birthday by awarding him the order of Hero of Russia.
President Dmitry Medvedev said, "It is not often that we see an example of what you have created. I mean not just the Kalashnikov rifle itself, but this is a national brand which gives rise to a feeling of pride in every Russian citizen, the feeling of taking part in history and the wish to work for the future."
Kalashnikov was born in a Siberian village. He was one of 19 children but only eight survived.
While serving as a tank driver in the Soviet Army he first invented an instrument to count the shots fired from his cannon. After he was injured in the II World War he came up with the sub machine gun while lying in his hospital bed.
He was no engineer but realised his gun needed to be reliable and easy to use.
Mikhail Kalashnikov said, "To make something simple is a thousand times harder than making it complex, but I had to because our soldiers don't go to college, it has to be easy to use and hardy."
His rifle was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1949. Over the next 60 years he developed numerous variations. He worked at a weapons factory in the historic city of Izhevsk - home to numerous gunsmiths.
The plant was the first to mass produce the AK-47 rifle which in turn spawned a new generation of small arms. Some may wonder how much good Kalashnikov's invention has done - but few would question it's impact around the world.
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