Mikhail Kalashnikov (1919-2013) was awarded the Hero of Russia, twice the Hero of Socialist Labor (1958, 1976), the Doctor of Technical Sciences (1971), Lieutenant-General (1999), small arms designer, creator of the world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK).
In 1938, Mikhail Kalashnikov was drafted into the armed forces. He began to develop inertial counter to account for the actual number of shots from a tank gun in the period of military service. Also he manufactured special adaptation to the TT pistol to improve the efficiency of shooting through the tank gaps, created a device for metering service life of the tank.
Mikhail Kalashnikov began World War II as a tank commander. In October 1941, his company got under artillery fire during the attack under the Bryansk. He was severely wounded in the shoulder and got a serious concussion, after he was evacuated. Kalashnikov started working on the project of submachine gun for the needs of the Red Army in the hospital.
By 1944 Mikhail Kalashnikov developed, in addition to a submachine gun, a hand gun and self-loading rifle. Those samples were never entered service with the army but the designer’s experience was considerably enriched.
Mikhail Kalashnikov took part in the competition for development of the gun with the 1943-type cartridge in 1945. Based on the results of competitive tests in 1947. AK-47 was recommended to the Soviet army, and in 1949 the government issued a decree on the adoption of the gun into service and its mass production at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant. Gun’s official name is 7.62mm Kalashnikov rifle sample 1947 (AK).
The stamp depicts a portrait of Mikhail Kalashnikov and a symbol of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called.
The first day cover with cancellation (Moscow, Izhevsk) has been prepared for the release.
Design: A. Drobyshev.
Face Value: 15 RUB
Size of stamp: 50 × 37 mm, size of sheet: 170 × 168 mm.
Form of issue: sheet with illustrated margins with 11 stamps and coupon (3 × 4).
Circulation: 374 thousand stamps (34 thousand sheets).