MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Russian Culture Minister and Chairman of the Russian Military Historical Society Vladimir Medinsky has unveiled a monument dedicated to Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russia’s outstanding small arms designer. The official ceremony took place in a garden square at the intersection of Sadovaya-Karetnaya and Dolgorukovskaya Streets, a TASS reporter said.
"Mikhail Kalashnikov is the embodiment of the best elements in a Russian man. His extraordinary natural aptitude, simplicity, integrity and organizational talent helped him create a whole range of weapons to protect the Motherland, among which is, of course, the Kalashnikov assault rifle, a true Russian cultural brand," Medinsky said.
The minister also thanked the Moscow city government that had set up a garden square at the junction of Sadovaya Karetnaya and Dolgorukovskaya Streets within the urban gentrification project. Medinsky reiterated that nearby Oruzheiny Lane has been for centuries home to Moscow gunmakers.
"Now, thanks to the Kalashnikov Monument, this place will be easily pinpointed on any map. And the garden square, I hope, will become popular among Moscow residents," the minister noted.
The eight-meter figure of the designer holding an AK-47 assault rifle was mounted by the Russian Military Historical Society with the support of the Moscow State Duma and the Rostech corporation. The statue’s design was created by renowned Russian artist Salavat Shcherbakov. The composition also features the images of the terrestrial globe and Saint George.