IZHEVSK, November 18, /ITAR-TASS/. A famous Russian rifle maker Mikhail Kalashnikov, 94, was taken to the intensive therapy ward of the republican heart disease centre in the city of Izhevsk, Russia’s Ural region, on Monday.
“He is undergoing treatment at the intensive therapy ward at the heart disease centre,” health minister of the Russian Republic of Udmurtia Vladimir Muzlov said.
In his words, the situation should not be dramatized. “We take into account his age, the status of this person, therefore, he was brought to the intensive therapy ward. All medical measures are being taken to recover him,” the minister noted.
“Mikhail Timofeyevich is taking the needed treatment course,” Muzlov said.
“His state of health (Kalashnikov) is stable and he is being kept under supervision of doctors,” the press service of Udmurtia’s health ministry told Itar-Tass.
The son of the famous arms maker Viktor Kalashnikov told reporters that the father had been taken to the hospital for preventive medical procedures over the load on the health after the birthday party, which Mikhail Kalashnikov had at home with his family on November 10.
“Probably, his birthday affected his state of health. Probably he was feeling some strain after all. There is nothing awful, he was taken to the hospital for preventive medical procedures,” Viktor added. “He got anxious about the guests and etc,” he noted.
Viktor Kalashnikov also noted that the father is in consciousness and is feeling normally, no surgeries are planned.
Kalashnikov was taken to the hospital in the city of Izhevsk over a worse state of health on November 17. All needed diagnostic tests and treatment procedures are being taken, the press service of the president and the government of Udmurtia said with the reference to the republican health ministry.
Mikhail Kalashnikov was born on November 10, 1919 in Altai, Ural region. He has designed his famous submachine gun in 1947. Since then more than 70 million submachine guns Kalashnikov of all modifications have been assembled. Presently the submachine gun AK is used in the armed forces in more than 100 countries.
Kalashnikov is the Hero of the Russian Federation, the two-time Hero of Socialistic Labour, the laureate of the Lenin and Stalin Prizes, a member of the Union of Russian Writers, the cavalier of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Kalashnikov is the only person, who is awarded with the title of the Hero of Russia and the two-time Hero of Socialist Labour at the same time.
On September 19, Kalashnikov was awarded with the number one memorable badge “Day of Armourer”. The Day of Armourer was marked in Russia for the first time this year.
Kalashnikov works at the Izhmash arms maker since 1949. Since August 2013 the plants Izhmash and Izhtech were reorganized in Kalashnikov Concern.
The concern produces about 95% of small arms in Russia. For the first half of 2013 the revenues of the concern have made more than 890 million roubles (about $27.2 million). It is planned to allocate 1.85 billion rubles (about $56.6 million) for the modernization of the production and the purchase of equipment under the federal target programme.