The Presidential Library to show a film about the Leningrad addresses of Mikhail Kalashnikov

On November 10, 2021, at 15:00, the Presidential Library will hold a cinema club meeting. It will present a new short documentary Leningrad Addresses of Mikhail Kalashnikov, prepared jointly by the Presidential Library and the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps.

The date of the film screening is not accidental. On November 10, there will be the 102nd anniversary of the world-famous arms designer.

Dozens of documentaries and hundreds of TV reports are devoted to Mikhail Kalashnikov. The film Leningrad Addresses of Mikhail Kalashnikov tells about a little-known period in the life of Mikhail Timofeevich - his work in Leningrad. The documentary shows places that are associated with the life and work of the famous gunsmith. They are the Voroshilov Leningrad State Plant No. 174, the Rzhevsky Military Practice Area and the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps.

The city on the Neva has become a home to Mikhail Kalashnikov. In early 1941, the young designer was sent to the Voroshilov Leningrad State Plant No. 174. Here the inventor became part of a large Design Bureau and workshops, where his inventions were tested and launched into production.

Spectators have a rare opportunity to see the Rzhevsky Military Practice Area - one of the oldest firing grounds in the country. Mikhail Kalashnikov came there to test the weapons of his design after the war. Here he improved his famous AK-47.

For a long time, the designer was a good friend of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps. He often visited the museum and compared it to an academy in which designers learn about the creations of their predecessors.

The museum houses the world's largest collection of Kalashnikov weapons, including the first samples, which show the progress of his design. The exhibition "Kalashnikov - Man, Weapon, Legend" is open to visitors. The documentary showcases the installation of a monument to Mikhail Kalashnikov near the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps in 2019. It also includes rare photographs from the Kalashnikov family archive and images of his awards, including the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called.

The film features excerpts from an interview with Yelena Kalashnikova, the inventor's daughter; Ruslan Chumak, the Chief Curator of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps; Valery Krylov, the Director of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps; Svetlana Uspenskaya, the Deputy Director of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps.

The participants in the cinema club meeting will be specialists of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, a film crew of the Presidential Library, media representatives, cultural workers, etc.

The event will be broadcast live on the Presidential Library's portal in the Live broadcasts section, on the institution's YouTube channel and in the Presidential Library's cinema club group on the VKontakte social network.

It is not the first joint project of the Presidential Library and the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps devoted to one of the most famous gunsmiths. In November 2019, they marked the centenary of Mikhail Kalashnikov. As part of the celebration, the Presidential Library arranged the exhibition "Weapons Designer and Assault Rifle: the Path of the Great Master. Marking the Centenary of Mikhail Kalashnikov". The Presidential Library's portal provides a virtual tour of this exhibition.

The cinema club meeting will be held at the Presidential Library at the address: 3 Senate Square. Please, confirm your visit until 12:00, November 8, by phone (812) 305-16-35, +7 921 594-16-13 or by e-mail: smolina@prlib.ru, Elena Smolina.

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked "Media Accreditation" to the following e-mail 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 full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.

In order to reduce the risks of the spread of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the use of personal protective equipment during the event is mandatory for all attendees.