Russian weapon designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, 94, whose name was immortalized by one of the most infamous ammunition, died in a hospital on Monday, December 23, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Kalashnikov once dreamed of designing farm equipment but ended up designing the AK-47 assault rifle, the report said.
"I sleep well. It's the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence," Kalashnikov said in a 2007 interview according to the Associated Press.
According to Viktor Chulkov, spokesman of the republic's president, said that Kalashnikov died in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic. Chulkov didn't give details about Kalashnikov's cause of death although he was hospitalized several times during the past few months.
The Avtomat Kalashnikov, more known as AK-47, is the world's most famous firearm. Guerillas, terrorists, and even soldiers of many armies around the world favor the AK-47 over any other firearm. There is an estimated 100 million AK-47s spread across the world.
What made the firearm so popular? It's simplicity. The AK-47 performs in rough weather condition where most other firearms usually get jammed. It performs even much better that the U.S. M-16.
"During the Vietnam War, American soldiers would throw away their M-16s to grab AK-47s and bullets for it from dead Vietnamese soldiers," Kalashnikov said during an interview in July 2007 when they celebrated the rifle's 60th anniversary.
It's the preferred weapon of choice because it's ideal in jungle and desert warfare, especially among Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union. As a result, Moscow licensed its production in many countries.
Kalashnikov was born into a Siberian peasant family. He worked as a railroad clerk, but after joining the Red Army in 1938, people start to notice his mechanical aptitude by modifying Soviet tanks.
"The Kalashnikov rifle is a symbol of the creative genius of our people," President Vladimir Putin praised Kalashnikov in 2007.
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