Everyone knows the name Kalashnikov. The AK-47 assault rifle is one of Russia's few popular exports, and on Tuesday the weapon's designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov, was honored with a monument unveiled in Moscow. The occasion was Gunsmith's Day, which has been celebrated on September 19 for the last five years as a special day honoring Russia's weapons manufacturers.

Machine gun as 'cultural trademark'

The eight meter-tall (26 feet) statue was unveiled at an intersection in the center of the Russian capital. Kalashnikov is portrayed wearing simple workman's clothing, standing upon a plinth and holding the gun in his hands as if it were a baby. The talented and humble engineer, said Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky at the dedication ceremony, symbolizes "the best attributes of a Russian." He added that the machine gun was "truly a Russian cultural trade mark." The monument was commissioned by the Russian Military History Society, of which Medinsky is president.

The unveiling of the monument, designed by sculptor Salavat Scherbakov, had been postponed several times since January. The statue also underwent slight changes during that time. The composition consists of two parts: In the foreground is the figure of Kalashnikov, and in the background is the archangel Michael on horseback killing a dragon with a spear. Scherbakov told Russian media that the work was designed to symbolize "the eternal struggle between good and evil," describing the AK-47 as a "weapon for good."

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Seven decades of Kalashnikov The 30-round AK 47 is arguably the most recognizable firearm in the world. The Soviet engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov (pictured above in 2002) created the automatic rifle after World War II. It quickly earned a reputation for being cheap and reliable, with various armies, guerilla groups and street gangs all using the weapon to this day.

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Makarov goes to space The 9mm Makarov pistol entered service in 1951 as a staple sidearm for the Soviet army, police and Spetsnaz special forces. Soviet cosmonauts even took the weapon to space as a part of a special survival kit, which was provided to them in case they became stranded upon landing back on Earth.

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on MiG-29 still flying high The Mikoyan MiG-29 first entered production in the early 1980s and was praised as a highly maneuverable and agile dogfighter. The original model has since been upstaged by both NATO fighters and its more expensive brother Sukhoi, but its variants are still deployed in combat. The Russian air force uses MiG-29s to target the so-called "Islamic State" forces in Syria.

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Blast from the past The Red Army used Katyushas to devastating effect against German soldiers in World War II. The multiple rocket launchers were attached to army trucks, making them cheap and highly mobile. Its distinctive whine and appearance reminded the German soldiers of a church organ, prompting a nickname "Stalinorgel" or "Stalin's organ."

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on S-300 and its descendants In 2016, Russia sold its advanced aerial defense system to Iran, but kept quiet on the details. The Cold War-era version of the S-300 had a range of 150 kilometers (93 miles), and could hit targets at altitudes above 27 kilometers, with the more modern Antey 2500 system reportedly expanding the range to 400 kilometers. India and China are seeking to buy the even-more-advanced S-400 missiles.

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Dragunov sniper rifle The Dragunov sniper rifle was first introduced to the Soviet army in 1963 and has since found its way to war theaters across the world. It was reportedly used against US soldiers in Vietnam. In 2015, the SITE Intelligence Group published photos of the "Islamic State" soldiers with Dragunov rifles.

The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on T-34, a symbol of an era The Red Army owes much of its victory over Germany to the iconic T-34, which first appeared on the battlefield in 1941. The battle-tested T-34 eventually became the most widely produced tank of the war and influenced armored vehicles for decades. The Russian military still honors it by having it lead the Victory Day parade. Author: Darko Janjevic



Millions sold since 1947

The famous machine gun is also celebrating its 70th birthday this year. Kalashnikov's design won a nationwide competition in 1947 and went into production shortly thereafter. The first version was simply called by the acronym AK-47, for "Avtomat Kalashnikova," Russian for "Automatic Kalashnikov." The design has been revised several times throughout its history. It is considered to be cheap, simple and robust. According to manufacturer figures, more than 70 million Kalashnikovs have been sold since it went into production.

The Izhmash armaments company, located in Izhevsk and now called Kalashnikov, also produces sport and hunting rifles. The company says that its exports have tripled since 2016. Nevertheless, the Russian arms maker has lost ground in a few lucrative markets. Kalashnikov was placed on a US sanctions list following Russia's incursion into Ukraine, for example. Company leadership says it hopes to re-enter the American market soon.

Symbolic of the spirit of the times

Russian journalist Oleg Kashin told DW that the Kalashnikov monument is highly symbolic. "In today's Russia it has become entirely normal to speak of war not as a tragedy but rather as good advertising for Russian arms," he said, adding that pacifism has gone out of fashion in the country, and thus the "cyclopean Kalashnikov" monument seems to be an adequate symbol for the spirit of today's times.

In an opinion piece penned for DW, Russian author Viktor Yerofeyev wrote: "I don't know what a weapon for good is supposed to be, that is just an empty phrase. It is as if the French would suddenly declare the guillotine an instrument for the emotional education of the nation." A machine gun brings death, not well wishes, he added, because it can be "used against those who sing its praises at any time."

Kalashnikov's creation remains one of Russia's leading exports to this day

Vladimir meets Vladimir

Over the last several months, a number of symbolically powerful monuments have been erected across Russia. The largest was a statue of the medieval grand prince Vladimir. The sculptor responsible was the same one that made the new Kalashnikov monument, Salavat Scherbakov. The 62-year-old seems to be the "go to" artist for such projects in Russia today.

A saint, a founding father and a warrior – that is how Russian President Vladimir Putin described his namesake in November 2016 when he unveiled the grand prince's statue, which stands within sight of the Kremlin. Vladimir, said the president, "expanded and protected Russian soil." It would seem that today's leader sees himself in the same role.

Vladimir, the grand prince of Kyiv, is considered one of the most important rulers in the history of the medieval state of Kyivan Rus, in which both Russia and Ukraine see the roots of their people, their statehood and their Christianity. In the 16 meter-high statue, Vladimir is bearded and adorned in princely attire, his right hand firmly grasps a very large cross. He holds a sword in his left hand. Some observers suspect that the monument is meant to honor Putin rather than the grand duke. Every time the president enters or leaves the Kremlin, he drives past the statue.

About a year ago, in October 2016, a monument honoring the first Russian czar, Ivan IV, was unveiled in the southern Russian city of Oryol. He is also known in Russian history as Ivan the Terrible, and he, too, is represented with cross and sword – apparently that is how modern Russia sees itself.