IZHEVSK, March 28. /TASS/. Soviet and Russian weapons designer Viktor Kalashnikov died in Izhevsk on March 27, the press-center of the Izhevsk State Technical University said on Wednesday. Viktor Kalashnikov was son of the legendary Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov.

The Mikhail Kalashnikov Foundation has told TASS Viktor Kalashnikov will be buried at a local cemetery in Izhevsk on March 30.

Viktor Kalashnikov was born on July 16, 1942. He graduated from a mechanical institute in Izhevsk in 1966 and took a job at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant’s new products development bureau under the chief designer’s office.

He conducted vast research to dramatically improve the reliability and durability of the Kalashnikov rifles and designed a number of parts and components.

He also participated in the development of self-loading hunting rifles and the development and testing of Kalashnikov machine-guns. The group of designers he led designed the Bizon-2 and Vityaz-SN submachine-guns.