Marking the centenary anniversary of Mikhail Kalashnikov: unveiling the monument and opening the exhibition

On November 22, 2019 the Presidential Library and the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps invite to attend the celebrations dedicated to the centenary anniversary of Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Our city has become truly dear to Kalashnikov. Mikhail Timofeevich finalized his first invention in pre-war Leningrad, where the main tests of Kalashnikov’s weapons were carried out at the Rzhev training ground.

For many years, the designer had warm, friendly relations with the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps. The world's largest collection of Kalashnikov’s weapons is stored here, including the very first competitive designs on which he honed his design talent. The first arrivals of Kalashnikov’s weapons to the Artillery Historical Museum took place in 1959, and later Mikhail Timofeevich personally participated in the museum’s collection growing for a long time. Thus in 2012, he donated to the museum his own collection of firearms and cold steel, including award weapons. A separate exhibition hall in the main exposition “Kalashnikov - Man. Weapons. Legend” of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps is dedicated to the outstanding designer.

The festive events will begin at 12:00 from the side of the external exposition of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps, where the first monument to Mikhail Kalashnikov will be unveiled in the city.

The famous Russian sculptor, member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation V. B. Kurochkin was lucky to personally know Mikhail Timofeevich. Earlier, Vladimir Borisovich has already created several monuments in memory of the great Russian gunsmith, and now the bronze figure of the creator of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle will decorate the site in front of the main entrance to the oldest military museum in Russia.

The daughter of the designer Elena Kalashnikova - President of the Mikhail Kalashnikov Interregional Public Foundation, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the Administration of St. Petersburg and other high-ranking guests attended the inauguration ceremony.

On the same day the Presidential Library (Senate Square, 3) will open the exhibition “Designer and an assault rifle: the path of the great master. Marking the centenary of Mikhail Kalashnikov", which will be open unil January 15, 2020. The exposition, created by the Presidential Library, the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps, and the Mikhail Kalashnikov Interregional Public Foundation, will tell about the creative path of the designer. Visitors to the exhibition will learn about the history of the creation of the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle, will see weapons samples, including the AK-47 sample of 1950, as well as unique documents: polygon test logs, patent for an invention, little-known photographs, personal belongings of Mikhail Timofeevich. The fate of the gunsmith is a vivid example of the will in persistent design work, the desire for victory and serving the motherland until the last days of life.

The Presidential Library provides viewing the film about Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov.

The program of the event:

12:00–13:00 – the unveiling the monument to M. T. Kalashnikov (Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps, Alexandrovsky Park, 7);

13:00–14:00 – the transfer of participants to the Presidential Library (Senate Square, 3);

14:00–15:30 – the grand opening of the exhibition “Designer and an assault rifle: the path of the great master. Marking the centenary anniversary of Mikhail Kalashnikov” (Presidential Library, Senate Square, 3).

Accreditation for media representatives is until 11:00 November 21, 2019.

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form with the note “Media accreditation” to the email addresses: media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru Alexandra Khudyakova, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 167; mob. +7 (981) 788-28-08.

The letter should contain the name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact numbers, the name of the media.

Please note that admittance to the Presidential Library is possible only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: participants and guests of the event go through entrance № 1, media representatives go through entrance № 2.

For further information about the event please contact Natalya Efimova (Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps), tel. +7 (921) -310-11-55 and Tatyana Smolina (Presidential Library), tel. +7 (921) -905-21-21.