Monument for AK-47 designer unveiled
Russia on Tuesday unveiled a statue of Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle that became by some estimates the most lethal weapon ever made and the best known Russian brand abroad.
migrator
Moscow
Perched atop a pedestal in a tiny square on Moscow’s busyGarden Ring thoroughfare, the statue of Kalashnikov, who died in 2013, has himdressed in a bomber jacket and clutching an AK-47 in both hands.
“I created a weapon for the defence of my fatherland,” runsa Kalashnikov quote hewn on the pedestal. At the unveiling ceremony, a Kremlinguard of honour stood to attention as Russia’s national anthem played. “Thisweapon is Russia’s defence.
It’s one of Russia’s symbols. Alas, for life to continue,for lovely children to grow up, for beautiful women in Russia, there must be aweapon,” the monument’s sculptor, Salavat Shcherbakov, told reporters.
The AK-47, the small-arms mainstay of Russia’s armed forcesfor over 60 years, is also featured on the national emblems of several Africannations and on that of East Timor. Every fifth firearm in the world is aKalashnikov and more than 70 million of the assault rifles have been producedover the past 60 years, the Kalashnikov concern said on its website.
Kalashnikovs are in service in 50 foreign armies, it said.Military experts say the AK-47 has killed more people than all other types ofmodern weapons taken together.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
