Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of AK-47 rifle, buried in memorial cemetery скачать в хорошем качестве

Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of AK-47 rifle, buried in memorial cemetery

(27 Dec 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the funeral of the inventor of the AK-47 rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, outside Moscow on Friday. Putin laid flowers before Kalashnikov's coffin and offered condolences to his family. Kalashnikov died on 23 December at the age of 94. His work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalised in the name of the world's most popular firearm. The AK-47 - "Avtomat Kalashnikov" and the year it went into production - is favoured by guerrillas, militants and the soldiers of many armies. Though it isn't especially accurate, its ruggedness and simplicity are exemplary: it performs in sandy or wet conditions which jam more sophisticated weapons such as the US M-16. The weapon's suitability for jungle and desert fighting made it nearly ideal for the Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union, and Moscow not only distributed the AK-47 widely but also licensed its production in some 30 other countries. An estimated 100 (m) million guns are spread worldwide. The distinctive shape of the gun, often called a "Kalashnikov", appeared on revolutionary flags and adorns memorabilia. Kalashnikov died on Monday in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic where he lived. He had been in hospital for the past month with unspecified health problems. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...