The Kalashnikov Museum Virtual Tour: Part 3 - years 1933-1942

Pic.3-2 Pic.3-3 Reconstruction of a railroad depot shop The railroads are proud what Kalashnikov begun his way to the fame from Matai depot, and among many of the designer's insignia there is a Medal of Honorary Railroadman. For instance, part of expositions which deals with this period of Mikhail Timofeevich biography was prepared in cooperation with specialists of History Museum of Gorkovsky railroads, Izhevsk branch. These two showcases display objects related to railroad depot routine activities - a railroadman's wooden trunk, a trackman's torch, a trackman's hammer, a small disassembled lathe (we just couldn't fit original one into the showcase, says the guide), signal flags, grampus, fragment of a rail. Pic.3-4 Pic.3-5   Pic.3-6 Close-up of the railroad depot reconstruction Pic.3-7 Close-up of the railroad depot reconstruction Pic.3-8 Close-up of the railroad depot reconstruction

Pic.3-2 Hall #1 of Kalashnikov exposition. Pic.3-10 Hall #2 of Kalashnikov exposition. We are leaving Hall #1 and entering Hall #2.

Pic.3-11 In 1938, Kalashnikov was conscripted for his mandatory service in the Red Army. He served in the Kiev special military district. Take a look on this picture signed "Vryosh! Ne uidesh!" ("You've got no chance to escape!" - it's addressing an enemy) - aiming from Nagant revolver stands young Mikhail Kalashnikov surrounded by fellow soldiers. Pic.3-12 "Vryosh! Ne uidesh!" ("You've got no chance to escape!") Pic.3-13 Georgy Zhukov Graduating from the training school for tank mechanics, he was assigned as a tank driver to an armor regiment. By that time, Red Army was witnessing a tide of inventors and rationalizers movement, and Kalashnikov showed his worth in invention. His very first invention was, as he called it himself, a "gadget" for the TT pistol to enhance fire effectiveness through tank turret slits. TT pistol was the only personal weapon tankmen were armed with then. A rifle wouldn't fit, and there wasn't any assault rifles in Red Army by that time. The next gadget he designed was a tank running time meter which he submitted to attention of the military district's commission. The meter was approved and recommended for revision. Upon revision, Mikhail Kalashnikov submitted the meter again. By that time - Fall of 1940 - the Kiev military district was led by famous Russian military leader General of the Army G.K. Zhukov (later - a generalissimo) - this time his invention was recognized by Zhukov himself. Zhukov personally awarded Kalashnikov with individual wristwatches, and Mikhail was sent to Leningrad to serve as technical advisor for the Klim Voroshilov factory to organize tank running time meter mass production. This posting ended when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

Rejoining the active army as a Senior Sergeant, Kalashnikov was posted to a front line armor unit. There he served as a tank commander - he was given a new tank, T-34. In October 1941, Kalashnikov's unit saw fierce combat during the battle for Bryansk, and his tank was struck by a German shell. Kalashnikov was badly wounded by a shell splinter which ripped open his shoulder. Being shuttled from battlefield aid station to a field hospital by mobile aid crew, they ran upon Nazi motorcyclist patrol. In our humble opinion, this dramatic episode became the turning point for self-taught designer to take the challenge to create a weapon for Russian soldiers to stand the enemy with. A documentary endlessly rolling on wide screen TV set tells about this episode over and over again, in Kalashnikov's especially sad voice: "it was growing dusky then the aid station truck I was transported to a hospital on (with Red Cross signs painted in large patterns on boards) came to a stop on outskirts of a seemingly deserted village. Medical officer ordered three men capable of walking - myself, a lieutenant with burnt hands and truck driver Kolya - to get armed with all available weaponry - a rifle and a pistol, and go to check the village. Then we cautiously entered the main street, a sudden burst of machine gun fire along the street met us. We quickly retrieved and ran back to our comrades, the only thought bouncing in my head was "we must warn the comrades", then sounds of gun fight reached us from where out truck was hidden. The lieutenant, fighting the spasmed throat, bitterly commented on the barking sounds: "Nazis! Their Schmeissers are riddling the guys !!" Disguising ourselves in bushes, as quickly as possible we arrived to the place - only to find our defenseless comrades virtually massacred. Nazis didn't even bother to approach Russian soldiers close enough - they chopped them to pieces with their mp-38s (submachine guns, often incorrectly referred to as "Schmeissers") sitting comfortably on their motorcycles." We believe what this scene of defenseless brothers in arms being massacred by enemies' automatic fire has been burning beyond Mikhail's eyes during all his life.

Pic.3-14 partial reconstruction of the military hospital interior Pic.3-15 It took Kalashnikov and his comrades two weeks to break free from the encirclement, and eventually he was transferred to a hospital far to the rear, to the town of Elets. Take a look on the partial reconstruction of the military hospital interior. Designer draw attention to these details: radio in the corner, "Motherland Calls for Arms!" poster, Volume 1 of V.G. Fedorov's basic weapons textbook "Evolution of Small Arms" Lying in the hospital and exchanging war stories with other wounded Russian soldiers, Kalashnikov heard one refrain repeated over and over again: German superiority in automatic weapons, notably submachineguns, had turned the tactical tide again and again against the Red Army. From these conversations, the germ of an idea was planted. Kalashnikov began to think he could contribute more to the war effort as a designer of automatic weapons than as a tanker. Luckily, there was a very good library on small arms in Elets hospital, so Kalashnikov began to study existing designs. He made intense study of specialized literature on technology and manufacturing economics of automatic weapons. In particular, he studied V.G. Fedorov's basic weapons textbook, Evolution of Small Arms, which was published in 1939 (you can see Volume 1 of "Evolution of Small Arms" displayed in this showcase), and lots of small arms manuals (on Nagant, Mosin and other systems) etc.

Pic.3-16 Hall #3 of Kalashnikov exposition Kalashnikov says: "The book by Vladimir Federov proved to be invaluable. It gave me my first insight into the principles of developing automatic firearms, and put me straight on the positive and negative aspects of each class of firearms." He began to make sketches - since he didn't know how to draw properly, he was just repainting some of the designs and studied it. By Spring of 1942, hospital staff did their best to heal Kalashnikov's wounds but time was needed for him to make a complete recovery - so for half a year Mikhail was sent back to where he was called for the service from, to station Matai. Please follow us to the next Hall